The Chickasaw messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1880-1900, 1889-11-28


IN the NrssENGFR Of last week we
took orcs-ion 20 say, that we feel
complimenicd rather than angered
that certain dirt-slingiugsheets should
abuse us. for Il was evidence to decent
people Thar We had nothing in COM
mon with ihe class to which these
beer-harrel blackguards and empty
headed upsiaris belong. There Is an
other gratifying feature connected
with such incidents which we trust
we win be pardoned for mentioning
These attacks furnish our friends with
an excuse for reply which invariably
overwhelms our traducers, hence we
repeat: "Next to the debt Of grat-
tude due his friends, the editor of the
MESSENGER is indebted to the persist
ent abuse Of certain machine editors
in this State for the proud reputation
he has attained as an earnest, faithful
and courageous defender Of the poo
pies rights
The following letter publishci in
the Memphis Avalanche Of the 2Srd
inst, is illustrative Of the point last
made, and explains itself:
To the Editor Of the Avalanche:
OKoLoNA, MISS, Noy. l9.-Under
the heading Of "Tr-state Notes in
your issue Of Sunday last, VIC hud the
following;
RefsrriAg 70 a statement in the
Chickasaw Messenger, the Brandon
Republican says: "The fellow who
wrote the above is the most narrow
minded man in the State. The au-
thor Of the above is one OF the mean-
est men Ia the Democratic party to-
b day. Ills caliberis remarkably small
Z single shot No. 22-and generally
snaps. lie is a man with one idea,
and that idea is infsmously internal"
Ia Mississippi, where the editor Of
the MESSENGER is well known, such
sourrilous charges excite only pity or
contempt for the author but the Ava
lanche's circulation is not confined TO
this State, and we feel sure that the
spirit Of fairness aud justice which
should actuate great daily, such as
YOURS, will prompt YOU 10 give place
e. to the following statement:
! The Hon Frank Burkiit, editor Of
r the CHcKAsAw MESSENGER, was born
D and reared in your State. When a
, boy in his teens he enlisted in Ten
r ucsseo regiment, aud served the Con-
fcderacy faithfully from june Is. 1881,
to May Is. 1868, during which time
! he was engaged in active service,
which i ate-ted hy several battle
sears on his person. Shortly after the
war he removed to Mississippi, and
q has been a citizen Of Clj5yasaw coun-
~ for more than twenty-five years,
for eighteen of which hc has been cd
itor and proprietor Of the GnckAsAV
u MgssENGER, and through an these
years that paper has maintained an
Il influence as a bold, fearless advocate
Of the peoples rights, and has a pat
Il ronage second perhaps TO no week.,
published in the State In 1879 Capt
q Burkitt was elected Grand Master of
n Masons Of this State. when but 3G
n years Of ace. and was The Youngest
, man who ever attained that honor ia
i this jurisdiction. lie IS to-day one Of
! the most houored and influential mem
bers of our Grand Lodge Many
years ago he was an officer ofthe State
q. Grange and is now one Of the officers
s of our State Alliance, and we believe
p a delegate 20 the National Alliance.
Z In politics a Democrat always, he has
, twice b en- elected 10 represent this
Z county In the Legislature by over
+ whelming majorities. and in our Dem
ocratie primary this year though he
n announced in his paper be was not a
a candidate for any office, he received
1888 of the 1908 votes cast for Govern
r or of the State.
We don't know from the extract
taken from your paper to what state
ment OF the MESSENGER the Brandon
y Republican refers, nor are we concern
ed about that natter We simply wish
TO say 10 strangers who read the all
d wOol-and-yard-wide Avalanche. that
d in this section Of the State. even the
n enemies of Capt. Burkitt concede that
! he is an original thinker, honest in his
E convictions, earnest in his advocacy
y Of any cause he espouses, and tolerant
r of the views Of others. and his mum
/ erous friends who admire him for his
candor, his boldness, his ability and
his personal and political integrity.
{ know him to be incapable ofa Thought.
: word or deed that can be Justly clar-
l. acterized as unmanly. much less -in-
q famouslY internal
: I. ~ TepE.
j. w. WiNrEn.
Representatives elect for Chickasaw
no