The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1884-07-02
Hon. Jas. 1. Clemens. Of Noxubee.
Discusses the Resolution Intro
dneed 81 hin n the State Ccnyen.



MAc0N, Mss, June 3, 1854
EDFfoR CI.1nIos: Since TIE adjourn
nent Of our State Conyentioa, the press
Of the State hare been discussing resoiu-
ton which had the honor Of introducing
in that body, il , manner wei calculated
10 uisIesd the public, both IS to the spirit
OF its Introduction, as well as the manner
in which il was received BY the IonYen-4
ton.
When the resolution was offered did
not anticipate for il more prominence than
il usuaIIy accorded to such resolution,
nor 40 I 'belieye that the embezzling COM
u1ittee that ffched it from the hands of the
Convention, intended 1t should be referred
10 again: satisfied, doubtless, with this
petty display OF their disapproyal.
In submitting this resolution to the State
Convention I was prompted, first, by a
hearty approval of the Governors public
course: secondly, and probably mainly,
To formulate the substance and spirit OF
similar resolutions which had been passed
only few days before by majority OF
the County Conventions of the State. II
was intimated to nae by = member of the
Committee that home policy was not
proper question to be submitted TO that
Convention The intimation is simply
ridiculous; the County Conventions which
had created this body saw proper to allow
it to have place in their proceedings, and
I would like to know upon what meat"
this Convention fed that il had grown so
great? A Convention is simply the people
| themselves in a wieldable body.
am not a champion of Governor Lowry
or any other man, but would like to know
what public act OF his is deserving of cen
sure? Under the constitution of our State,
if we except the veto and appointive power
of the Executive, his duties are so nomi-
nal it is almost impossible for him to COM
NIT any public act that is very eulpable.
Since his elevation to his present position,
we do not now remember of but one pub
| lie matter that has claimed the universal
attention OF the people of this State.
4 We allude, of course to the Railroad
/ Supervision Law" enacted last winter
| by the Legislature. The Governors en-
dorsement of the measure, We know was
not approved of by certain members of the
Convention Committee; and whether they
feared that an unfavorable report on the
resolution would revive this question in
the Convention, and thereby defeat them
as delegates TO Chicago, we are not pre-
pared 10 say; though We confess it wears
somewhat this aspect-more particularly
as the Committee on Resolutions withheld
their report until after the delegates to
Chicago had been elected. This act on part
of committee, to approve or disapprove
the public course of State officials, is, /
believe, without precedence in the history
of our State It is custom which is
observed, not only by Mississippi, but by
all the other States of the Union, and 1t Is
difficult to find other than personal rea-
sons why it was not done by orr Conven-
ton on the 18th of June.
1t seems to me-. If these gentlemen dis
approved of the Governors course, it was
their duty to say 50, and give the reasons
to the Convention for the same. They are
men who have been honored by the state
with positions of public trust, and it was
their unquestionable duty to have exposed
any incompetency or peridy on the part
| of the Chief Executive. If they possessed
any information derOgatory to the admin
/ istration, without manhood sufficient to
proclaim it, their appointment on the COM
mittee was extremely unfortunate. Their
| conduct was less excusable, knowing as
they did that the sense of the Convention
was decidedly in favor of an endorsement
of the Governor 1t was expressed fully
I
BY the Secretary to the Convention.
Now, in conclusion, allow me to say,
| whether the motives which influenced
these gentlemen were either Of private or
public nature, it matters not; they be-
trayed the trust reposed in them by the
Convention. Under the rules governing,
they had no final jurisdiction over the res
oluiien it should have been returned to
| the Convention whose tlroDeFty ii was and
this itself will furnish sufficient reason Of
any member of a future Convention to
object to any one Of them being nominated
| for committee II is the first petty Folit-
icaI piracy ever knew that furnished the
Corsair no booty. As it is the first in
stance in the State it is therefore likely
to be the longest remembered. l am sure
it will be fresh in the memory of the peo-
pie until the next Convention.
I am, sir, very respectfully,
JAMES L. GLEN EMS.