The Brookhaven leader., 1890-05-01

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From the Jackson Bureau OF the Memphis Dai'
! " COMMERCIAL
Rev. j. b. Gambrell, the profound
editor of the Southern Baptist Record,
of Merchants too well-known in Miss
issippi and the South to need intro
duction. His views upon the situa-
ton in Mississippi, and especially mp
on tile doings of the Constitutional
Convention, will attract as much at
tentiOn as would those of any gentle
man in the State. The following in
terview was had with him today:
"Mr. Gambrell, you have been In
favor uf the Constitutional COnven
ton; will you favor the Commercial
with your views? Why have you IA
vOred the cohvention7"
nYes, have been in favor of tire
convention ever since | made study
of the present Constitution and OBJ
served its practical workings. In all
representative government two ideas
struggle for the supremacy, and
arotind these ideas two parties form.
One of these parties favOrs the central
ization of power and the other fife
distribution ofpower. The Republi-
can party represents the former and
the Democratic party the latter idea.
, Our present Constitution is essentially
n Republican document and was
framed for the purpose of controlling
the State from Jackson. Under 1t q
few men from the capital can manipu-
late the politics and the State in their
own interest. This tends to the form
alton of rings, and, with human ma
tute what it is, will forever breed cor
ruption. Mississippi has had album
dant evidence of the truth of this
statement in the past few years.
With the present Constitution the
people may periodically rise up and
crush out ring, but another will
soon form, for all the machinery is at
hand for the purpose. With all the
judges appointed and all the election
machinery in the hands of few men
in the State house there is no adequate
restraint ON the powers that be. ia
vor having as little power lodged at
the capital as possible"
"Give your idea of what the con-
vention should do"
DWELL, let me say. Q) that the con-
vention should do right. There
should be no doubledealing no clap
trap, no wrongs to any race or class
ground into the new Constitution, and
no evasiOns OF the grave issues which
confront us. The real business of the
convention is TO lay the foundation
for social order and POLITICAL safety
in the State. Happily we know our
dangers and the sources of them.
This is much to begin with. The
convention must meet these dangers
in a brave, generous spirit. The rem
edies should be as radical and as COM
prehensive as the sources of the evils
which threaten with destruction all
our hopes as Il people. Mere senti-
mentality should have no place In the
business of the convention. Common
sense with courage, and that fine en-
fightened sentiment which character
ICES the surgeon when he presses his
knife into the flesh of his patient to
relieve lingering pain by a tempo
rary anguish, will accomplish the de-
liverance of the people, and nothing
short of it will. If we cannot discard
the weakness and the cringng policies
of PARTISAN politics, we cannot meas
ure up to- the responsibilities Of the
OCCASION.
SUFFRAGE THE PARAMOUNT QUESTION.
"The chief work of the convention
should be to provide for the mainten-
ance Of white or intelligent supre-
macy by reasonable, righteous and le-
gal methods. The Africanizing of the
State cannot be tolerated, unless the
white people leave it. And just as
true is it that we cannot continue our
present election methods. They are
wrong in principle and ruinOus in Ye-
suits. They debauch the manhood
of the State and compromise us before
the world. AS | favor the distribu-
ton of power. also favor the ereva-
ton and publication of the ballot to
meet the added responsibility put up
on the voters. | am, therefore, with
out reserve, i'm favor of limiting the
suffrage. l am in favor of it, first be-
cause it is right per Sc; and second,
because it will greatly aid in the solu-
ton of our main trouble. | would
limit the suffrage, first by tax re-
ceipt, placing the poll tax at 81 or S.,
and letting every dollar of 1T 60 to
the public school fund: and second,
would limit it by an educational quail
ificatiOny using tlfe Australian sys-
tenn as test. have seen various
objections to this, but none of them
seem to me to rest on any rock bottom
of common sense and right. They are
more sentimental than sapient. tt
need not be argued that no one has a
right to do what he cannot do to Ills
own advantage or to the advantage
of others. Representative govern
ment must rest on two pillars-intel-
ligence and virtue. The illitefate
are am element of weakness to any
government of the people. They
must be carried by the intelligent.
In Mississippi the load is greater
than can be carried with any safety
i to the ignorant or to the intelligent.
The voting age for young men is fixed
as 81 because, in the judgment of
mankind, that is the age at which The
average youth has gained intelligence