The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1886-08-13
Letter From Maj. WaIthall.
Editor Democrat-star serartOu, Mis-

as follows:
1T is a Curious fact that among all ths
property holders in Beat l, in the opinion
of the solons who have tie appointing
: power, not oue can be found smart enough
: or with sufficient intellect 1.-THE impartial
decision Of the solonl to serve as commls
: siouer of election, but on the last board
T they appointed 4 man who owns no prop
erty-is not even Identified with the peo-
pie. Over hrs own signature ia public
, print lately, be stated that this was the
last people he wiSheG to represent ; but
strange to say, be Is always on hand wheu
the fishes aud losYes are distributed
As | am the only commissioner
OF election resident in "Beat One
OF this county, it IS preSumabIe that
| am the person referred to by the
writer. Other duties, of more i'm
portance, have hiuderetl me from
taking any earlier notice of this
malevoleut and g%ratuitOEs attack.
| should not deem it necessary TO
do so now, but that some of your
readers, unaequainted With the
facts, might eoHstrue entire SiIeuce
with regard to the statements of
yOnr correspondent as a Iacit admis-
Sou of their truth.
Perhaps there is no person living,
in this or any other community,
against whom such accusations or
inSinuatIOus could be made with
less truthfnlneSs or pertinence, than
against the humble individual who,
for whatever unknown cause, has
incurred the ill-yill OF your Biloxi
correspondent. So far as | can
remember, | have never IN my life
beeu IA candidate before the people
for any public office, except once,
and that was fOg an office without
either the crust OF a loaf or the fin
OF u fish, for there was not a cent of
pay attaching to it.. For twenty
nine years l have held no civil of.
fee OF any kind, either FROM the
people or the Government, except
the little office of Election Commits
sioner, which has lately been con
terred upon me three times IN sue
cessIUn-twice by the State Board !
OF Elections aud once by the Board
OF Supervisors for this county-in
each case without any solicitation, !
request, or application, direct OF |
indirect, on my own part. The EN- I
IlumentS Of this office arc limited :
ly law TO a maximum of thirty dot l
llFs for each election-one election !
ordinarily occurring every year. s
n my own experience they have I
'niy once, attained even this maxi. J
1um. This enormous and extrava. L
compensation has constituted o
ny only share of public ''loaves and c
for nearly thirty Years pas, q
Mess there should be included S
nth it tue pay received lin Confed n
money! for tour years service l.
! the Confederate army during o
nat period. o
what Your correspondent means u
J charging me with not being u
Identified with the people," L do ID
Ut know, aud shall not stop to in. u
lire. Indeed, | should hardly It
ave thought it necessary To take "
~ notice at all of his ill-natured ~
Id spifelul assault. but for the ci
Isertlon that | had stated, in pub. OF
; print, aud under my own sigma. =
re, "that this vas the last people ~
tthe Undersigned wished to rep. h'
sent" The simple answer to thisis III
at 1t is absolutely aud positively gu
true. have never said any such W
ing, either sin public print' or in "
v other form. IL
Ia Il card published a few months N
o, | said thai this would be ssthe &c
community | could u to al
prescott The eason for this W.
.elafation were so plainly stated, ia
at there could be no excuse fOi II
understanding it. they were, "
substance, that my citizenship in "A
Is community bad been passed m nc
eat privacy, poverty, aud Obscur. oc
'-never seeking, bat rather ID
INNING nOtOriety, nor ever taking ~
y part ia public affairs, unless III
requested, and therefore teI
t little Knowing or known to tue CT
bile. Al
Charity requires the presumption "
your correspondent is iucapa- ~
/, of understanding the difference u
tween the expression of a pish I
d the assumption Of a right, rath. "a
than hat he has stated a willful uis
sehood-a thing of which 1 lhI
0uld prefer not to believe my IL
rst enemy TO he guilty. OF
There is another accusation De
against me by HSinbad," th'
lch l am sorry to say is entirely 10
le. This is that of poverty, or era
wing ''nO property as be ex. be
,sses il. For this heinOus OF. mol
ce | baye no justification to au'
ad, nor apology to offer. 1t is ere
e, there have been some dIstin- Vol
shed presidents, the example Of Ioe
ich might perhaps be adduced in NO
enuatiOn OF the fault. The man ret
o was entrusted with the KEYS of POI
Kingdom OF Heaven could say : oy
liver and gold have / nOne.0 The MI
rriOr who had successfully de- Iot
.ed bis country from the as tnO
Its aud iRvasiOns of barbarian tne
mics, and who had been twice POI
irded a public triumph in the De'
let's of COnstantinOple, when for. .
en- and DereeeufPd nv fha nm. 0Otl