The Brookhaven leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1883-1891, 1889-11-21
Jackson,s RESPONSIBILITY.

Just now the eyes of the people of
all Mississippi are turning with anx-
ious solicitude toward jackson, their
Capital City. Another municipal
election is approaching and on the
result very largely hangs its future
veal or woe. jackson has never had
q reputation any too savory i'll the
estimation of the people of the State,
since she was accused of selling water
to the Confederate soldiers during the
war, and wanted an ordinance passed
forbidding their use of its sidewalks.
After the war she became the hOt-bed
of Radicalism and misrule, and when
the rest of the State threw off the Re-
publican yoke in 1875, Jackson re-
manned under Republican domination,
and became the headquarters of one
of the most demoralizing, vicious po-
lItical rings that ever cursed munic-
ipality. Negroes, headed by few
bad white men, ruled the destinies OF
the city. So securely did these finally
feel themselves entrenchcd, and sc
free from responsibility to the intelli'
gent and better element of society
that the Capital City, which should
have been as Il shining example to
/ the rest of the State in matters OF
! law and order, became the favOrlt'
arena for all forms of lawlessness and
debauchcry. This state of affairs
went on from bad to worse until
nearly two years ago, when it culmin
ated in horrible double tragedy OF
Christmas eve night in which n negro
policeman culpably figured. The
long suffering Democrats and hes
element of the white citizens general
| " then became so aroused over this
outrage, that they met and resolved
to overflow the rotten city govern
ment at any cost. Though on {
smaller scale, worse than rs revo
luton swiftly followed, and the Re
publican machine was swept from
place and power as if by tor
nado.
Since then the city has grown ant
prospered as never before. A highe
and purer public sentiment prevails
Life and property are secure, and it
reputation for law and order is equa
to that of any other place in thu
State. The streets have been i'm
proved, water works and electric
lights provided, fine public schools
for both white and colored children
established, new banks, new stores
new hotels, new manufactures ant
neyxsesidences built, and the whole
faH of things so changed that thu
old prejudices are fast disappearing
and the people of the entire State arr
beginning to feel a real pride in thu
city as their capital.
llt oil paw vi an ooiii
McGill, the former Mayor, backed b.
his old crowd Of negroes, Republican
and hoodlums, and with his record o
misrule burnt into the memory of ever,
citizen of the town and State ant
smelling to high heaven, has thu
audacity to come forward and ask tina
the affairs of the city be taken from
the hands of the men who have re
! deemed it, and again turned over t.
/ him and his miniOns. The mOnstrOu
proposition should be met with ;
NO as loud and deep as the thunder
of Sinai. If the McGill ring gets con
troll of her government again, Jack
son may well write Ichabod upon he
walls, and her people repent in sacl
cloth and ashes. They will merit til,
commiseration and contempt of ever,
other portion of the State as no
worthy of the respect and oppOr
tunities within their present keeping
The people elsewhere have a right t.
expect and demand better things o
them than that they should ignOmin
iously surrender Democratic Missis
pipi's capital again into the hands OF
Republicans, and the worst class o
Republicans ut that. If they SHOULD
prove so recreant to duty-so lost tt
shame, so false to their sacred trus
let Methodist colleges and all othel
worthy enterprises forever shm
jackson as they would pest house
and'let the Legislature tear from hel
unworthy brow the coronet of capital
hood and transfer it to city that vii
wear and honor it with more jealous
pride.
1t is said the Mississippi Mills Com
pany promise liberal things in the