The Brookhaven leader., 1889-03-07
REFORM CALLED FOR.
DEMOCRATIC MACHINE GOVERN
MENT GROWN INT0LERABLE
MISSISSIPPI POLITICS: AND POLITI.
CLANS REVIEWED WIN MER-
CHESS CANDOR.
Honest and Patriotic Men Must
Come to the Front and Re-
deem the Democratic
Party. -.
From The New Mississippian ]

The following private letter, written
by Mississippian of high standing
and responsibility, to friend and
fellow-c citizen, presents clear-cut,
startling analysis of the political sit
uation in Mississippi.
1t is letter which reveals an i'm
pending crisis in the affairs of the
State, that can only be averted by de-
termined and patriotic effort Oh
the part of every good citizen, and
should be carefully read and pondered
by all who hold dear the principles of
good government and the future well
fare of Mississippi and Mississippians:
DEAR FRIEND IL promised you
would write again soon. Now few
words about the political questions
discussed in your recent letter.
The political situation i'll MISSISSIPPI
pi at this time is a grave and peculiar
one, such as to fill every true patriot
with serious concern. | agree with you
that the present State Administration
has grown almost intolerable. A
large surplus left in the State Treas
ury by Gov. Stone has been spent
and the State has since been run in
debt million dollars. The taxable
wealth of the State, with all its boosted
progress, is scarcely as great as when
the carpet-baggers were driven out
fourteen years ago. Taxation, i'll
stead of being reduced, had to he in
creased by the last Legislature to
meet the interest on the bonds issued
by preceding ones. Then there is the
Penitentiary defalcation and jobbery
of hundred thousand dollars, and
the disgraceful scandals on the State,
growing out of brutalities and cruel
ties under the Leasing System, and
on the other hand the outrageous
abuse of the pardoning power i'll be-
half of influential criminals, or of con-
vets who, on account of inhuman
treatment under the leasing system,
are simply turned out like old army
horses to die and save the lessees the
care and expense of burial.
Also, the fragrant and open SYM
pathy of prominent State officials
with influential law brcakers, where
by the administration of justice is
literally paralyzed-the squandering
of most of the public domain to foreign
syndicates, railroad corporations and
rich individuals, and many other
things with which you are equally
familiar-all forms a gloomy picture
indeed to contemplate.
But | regret to hear you say you
have reached the conclusion that the
only chance for delivery is for all
reform Democrats like you and me to
secede from the party. You say ''the
Alliance will strike the first blow this
year, and will probably put out Il
fall State ticket" Also that "if
llarrison's Southern policy is liberal
and conservative one, the ruling
party in Mississippi to-day will soon
be knocked into outer darkness
Neither of us is an Office seeker.
but only private citizens with an I'M
selfish desire to see subserved the
best interests of our beloved State,
and it really pains me that we should
differ about matter so important us
the method of accomplishing the de-
sired end. You are driven to your
conclusion, you say, because you
think the desired reform cannot be
accomplished inside the Democratic
party, and that that party will con-
tinue to be ruled and dominated by
the present Oligarchy and Penitentiary
King. Have You ever thoughtfully con-
sidered what would he the result of
secession of the best element in the
Democratic party and the Farmers
Alliance from what is known as the
regular Democracy One of the first
results would be the throwing of the
new organization into fellowship with
the negroes and the old white Repub-
lican element.
Think of an honest Democrat, who
left his own party for the sake of re-
form, having to fellowship Bill Gibbs,
Dick Kerr, r. F. Beck, McGill, Chal-
mers, Jim Hill, probably some of the
old Penitentiary Lessees themselves,
and scores of other white aud colored
Republican politicians! True, these
men are not any worse than many of
the present Democratic State ring,
and have been on very friendly and
intimate terms for long time with
the "pOwers that be" at the State
Capital. but no true patriot or reformer
wants them as political allies, in fact
or in name; and you may be sure the
crowd that is now in control of State
affairs would lose no time in casting
on the new organization all the Odium
that the names and association of
these old Radical leaders implies.
They'd also "whOop-up" "the negro