The Brookhaven leader., 1889-03-07
4 New Party Proposed.

We publish to-day a letter from
last weeks New Mississippian which
we hope will lie read and seriously
considered 10y every Democratic read
er of this paper. 1t brings outin strong
aud striking cOlors the political stu
alton in our state at this time, II con-
dition peculiar to this section Of the
Union where the yillainOus carpet-bag
governments of dozen years ago, bas-
cd on the ignorant negro vote, have
been superseded by the other extreme
of Democratic machine government
made arrogant and oppressive by a
too long mistaken lease Of power.
The letter is specially significant
because it reveals broad and deap
spirit of discomfort and rebellion on
the part of certain Democrats, includ-
ing the Farmers Alliance, who have
grown tired of the present order of
things. ', There is no denying that
thousands of the best citizens of the
State are to-day seriously asking
themselves what practical difference
there is between the present ring gov
ernment and the Amrs dynasty, and
are growing FESTIVE under its failures
and abuses; yet we cannot believe
that any very considerable proportion
of the Democrats and Farmers Ali
ancc of the State are ready, as this
letter indicates, to throw off their old
party allegiance and go into new
organization, without ut least first
making desperate effort to purify
the party of their first love.
The LEADER fully agrees with the
author of the letter as to the unwis-
dom of such step and the results
which would be likely to follow it,
with this qualification If the Farm
er's Alliance and Reform Democrats
should bolt the regular Democratic
organization, the old Republican lead
ers referred to, by reason of their
friendship and natural affinity, would
be far more likely to strike hands and
make common cause with the machine
gang than to go off with the reformers.
Major Gibbs, Carpet Dagger Dugan
and others of that ilk, with that keen
ness of scent with which the vulture
spies out the putrid carrion in the dis
lance, stumped the State for Lowry in
1881 against that misguided but rug
gedly honest old patriot Ben King,
and history would be more than apt
to repeat itself in this particular.
But it is worse than idle for men
who wish to see reform realized in our
State affairs to speculate about what
would be the result of bolts. Let all
such follow the counsel of "X. y. NJ
and set about accomplishing the de
sired end inside of party lines, and if
there is any boiling to be done, leave
that to the defeated ringsters.
The situation, however, we admit,
is grave. 1t will be no child's play to
do what must be done, and the people
should realize this and govern them
selves accordingly. We think the
suggestion of holding State Reform
Mass Meeting, to define the line of re-
forms sought, most excellent one land
would like to see it acted upon. There
were the names of ~ gentlemen given
in last weeks Clarion Ledger who are
candidates, or have been mentioned
as candidates for the Governorship,
yet as far as the public is Informed, il
is not known how.a single one ofthem
stands on the question of a Consti-
tutiOnal Convention, the leasing
system, the enforcement of law, and
many other vital issues in State poll
tics. This must not be. The people
must demand to know where a man
stands on these questions before they
accord him their support for nomina-
ton, or they may geta Governor who,
like our present one, will stand in the
breach with his veto power, and over
ride the will of both Legislature and
people. We need a sound and loyal
Democrat, but beyond that, so far as
national issues are concerned, we
need take no thought. This is not
going to be national campaign. We
repeat what we have said before, that
it is going to be campaign run the
on the living, home bred issues of hon
esty, progress and good government
in Mississippi, and the man who
doesn't know or isn't willing to speak
out and tell the people how he stands
on these things, had better pitch a
crop and prepare to remain in private
life, for the gubernatorial Lightning
will never strike him.