The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1889-05-14
NOMINATE HIM AND ELECT
. HIM.

THE good people OF Mississippi
l. want Gen. S. D. Lee, President
of their State Agricultural College,
for Governor. So strong is this feel
ing, that Gen. Lee, in Difference to it,
publishes a communication, which, for
the frankness and unselfsh patriotism
which characterizes it, is really re-
freshing in these days of fawning and
demagoguery. We regard Gen. Lee,
with his nobility and purity of charac-
ser, his broad culture and his devo-
ton to the educational and industrial
development of his State and section,
as one Of the very foremost men In
the South, and his State is fortunate
to enlist his service in any capacity.
He may be justly termed the pioneer
of industrial education in the South.
By his untiring and jealous labors, he
has struggled against Acknowledgements
and opposition and given to the boys
of his State one of the finest and
most efficient Agricultural Colleges in
this -country-an institution which,
through all coming time, shall be a
blessing to his people and an endur-
ing monument to the name and spirit
which developed it. We fondly hope
that the day is near at hand when the
farmer boys of North Carolina shall
have access to a similar institution.
In his published letter, he says that he
loves his college and his work. He.
believes he can serve the interests of
his people better in his present posi-
ton than he could as. Governor, and
that he would rather be President of
his College than to be Governor. He
could not, under any circumstances,
consent to be a candidate if he is to
be required to make a canvass of his
State. He, however, believes that the
will and judgment of the people
should be respected, and if the nomi-
nation should be rendered him he
would not feel at liberty to decline.
He states frankly and plainly the
great central and controlling idea that
would govern his course, if nominated
and elected. He leaves no ground for
doubt, it would be for the progressive,
educational and industrial develop
ment of his State. He concludes his
admirable letter by saying: "From a
personal acquaintance with each of the
gentlemen who are now candidates for
the Office, I can truly say that the peo-
pie of the State would be fortunate if
either of them we're selected as Gov
ernor of Mississippi"
Mississippi and the South needs
such men in our executive offices, in
our Legislatures and in the halls of
Congress. But the slop-fed, small,fry
politicians of his State may discover
that Gen. Lee is a Jealous and ardent
Alliance man. If so, although they
have held him up to the dear people
last summer as a superb leader on the
great politico-economic question on
which the Alliance voted almost as a
unit, and by whose votes many ene-
mics of that order were foisted into
Office, yet if he or his friends should
so far forget their true status politi-
cally as to presume to aspire to make
him Governor, the contemplate dem
agogical howl will be raised hat the
Alliance is going into politics" The
Alliance will not elect a man to office
simply and only because he belongs
to the order, neither will it reject him
for that reason, and we hope the
brethren in Mississippi, and all over
the country, by their high and patri-
otto bearing, will learn this class of
political bummers this fact.