The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1886-06-11
THE SOUTH IN CONGRESS.
wAsnINdroN, d. q, JUNO /, lss0.

WASHINGTON, ID, c., June ], 1886.
Editor De~mo6rat.Star.
: As a Mississippian, deeply inteI
ested In al that concerns the glor
and advancement of our believe
! State, permit me the use of you
: columns to call attention to a matte
. of vital Importance to the future Q
our section of q common country
In GRte.bellum days the South wa
famous for its prestige In the affair
of State ; from beneath its balm!
skies came the intellectu ] giants
the expert parliamlentarian, thu
gifted orators and the cultured
Statement who absolutely domino
ted the legislative councils of this
great country. This is a matter Of
history and Il subject of frequent
remark among Northern people to
this day. Those we're indeed peer.
less days for the fair South coun,
try!
The reason for their prestige is
apparent. The Southern men had
leisure to make state affairs a con.
tinuOus study, whereas, now, all
their time and energy r expended
in the mere struggle to provide the
necessalies aud comforts of life,
with little opportunity left for an
Investigation of the Intricate prob
lem of state craft. They are now
all breadwinEerS. There was, more
over, before the war, a very general
custom of continuing indefinitely
the services of IL tried and true re-
preventative IN Congress that the
people might reap the reward of his
experience, his familiarity with
great public measures, and last,
but by no means least, his valuable
acquaintance and friendship with
public men, acquired IN his previ-
Gus terms. There ere statesmen
OF the true stamp then, because
craftsmanship was made a business,
studied and followed as any other
Business must be by all who would
snatch success from the fleeing
hours of mans short existence.
How can Cincinuatus, called from
pillow, discuss the intricate problem
of the tariff, the currency and the
thousand and one important QueS.
ton continually arising in the ma.
tlonal legislature, on anything like
equal terms with an antagonist who
has for may be twenty years devO.
ted his entire time to the study aud
discussion of these and kindred
subjects? Who are the conspicu-
Gus mel in Congress to day 7 They
are as a general rule men who have
served in the same capacity from
to twenty years, such as Ran.
dali, Garlic, Morrison, Blonnt, Hol-
man, Reagan, Mills, and others
Bmong the Democrats, and Hiscock,
Kelly and others, among the
Republicans. 1t is well known that
the members from the South are at
IL great disadvantage in the discus.
sion of all sectional questions, aud
there is now greater necessity than
that they should be experien-
ced legislators. The advantages Of
experience over inexperleuce are
too palpable to require further ar.
gnment here.
| am not Il resident OF the Sixth
Congressional District, but as |
write this article entirely on my
own notion, | trust | may be par
doned for saying that, in my hum.
BILE opinion, the people of that dis
trict owe it to themselves, for the
partly above stated, to re.
turn their present able and faithful
representative, Judge Van Eaton,
to the next Congress. Nothing
prompts me to say this except the
love l hare for my native State.
| have watched his course here,
audi ask the citizens of his district
If they can iDd a man more fully
with the wants of tue
district, or who could do more in
these wantsR We may
our individual preferences,
but after all should they not yield,
# necessary, TO the general good,
so that the district may C the
best possible servicesi 1t is 10
Encouragement to the other excel
lent gentlemen who are contrasting
the nomination, to say that, all
other things being equal, Judge
Van Eaton possesses a decided adj
vantage over them by reason OF his
experience, and the many friends
be has made in Congress. Besides,
has be not been competent, faithful
lHd true to the cOnstitutiOn-fully
meeting the time honOred Jeffer-
testf Should you not say
'well done good aud faithful ser.
Vant, for u own good, we will ex.
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