The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1891-03-21
PRESS OPINIONS
m AND OUT OF THE STATE
lon Senator Walthall's Letter of
DeclinatiOn.
k.rator wslthalls Retirement From Pub
lie Life.

AOV11AA&SVAVA4s
.rator Wslthalls Retirement From Pub
lie Life.
Senator Walthall, Of Mississippi, has
announced, In . card on another page,
bis determination not TO be 9 candidate
for reelection, but at the close OF his
nresent mr. term in the Senate to retire
from that body and from public life.
Thia will be q surprise to the people of
tha State and will be learned of by
most mo- Of them with sincere and deep re-
'rret No man in their service is more
s,asnected by them, and there Is not
,na who better deserves their conf
6enca and esteem. A sterling Demo-
rat he was called by their united and
Unanimous voice to represent them IN
Ehe Senate, succeeding to his friend
Mr.. Justice Lamar. who desired that he,
hove ali men in the State. should take
Rhe nlnce wherein he had renewed and
.trencthened reputation for oratory,
tatesmanship and erudite ability which
bone of his companions on either side
ff the chamber could surpass, and few
eoual. Senator Walthall shrank
rom An honor 80 conspicuous, but
vas finally persuaded to its acceptance,
nd took his seat In the Forty-ninth
Congress, giving most satisfactory ear
nest from the first, OF the possession
n an ability equal to the duties devolv-
mo- upon him. Modest and with the
uary high standard Of excellence of
n;s predecessor before him, he, never
heless. at the close Of the session salts
Ied his constituency that he would be
(oual to all that they counted upon
I'm for as public servant and Demo-
ratio leader. And he did. He satis-
led them in every respect and disap-
bointed them in nothing. With pleas
ire, therefore, they reelected him,
Ind with equal pleasure would have re-
Elected him again, notwithstanding the
bbtrusion of the ridiculous sub -Treasu-
ly scheme, which, upon inquiry by
some of those who were as near neigh
Ibors to him, he did not hesitate to con-
|demn as unconstitutional and impracti-
cable. In this position, we have reason
Ito believe, he was and is sustained by
more than a majority Of the farmers Of
the state. He is sustained in It by 80
excellent an authority as Mr.. M'Allister
the Assistant State Lecturer Of the AL
lance, who, II any man in Mississippi
does, knows the members Of that or
garlizatiOn. Senator WalthalL LShad,
therefore, nothing to fear Of ysf seri-
GUS opposition from the Alliance peo-
ple. Thousands of them had served
under him in the Confederate army,
and these had learned to have conf
dence in him, and to know that he
would not lead them save as honor and
principle dictated. We believe that
they would willingly and freely again
have focked to his standard, glad Of an
opportunity to sustain their old COM
mander and give him the most signal
proofs of their devotion. We believe
they would have cleared away all oppo-
sition from the front, as many a time
they did in the tide of battle, and by
re-electing him to the Senate, have
vindicated the wisdom and the manly
courage he displayed in his recently
published letter in opposition to the
most absurdly impracticaple OF all
schemes that have ever been presented
for the consideration or acceptance of
any portion or class of the American
people. But this too, he declines. He
will not be a candidate; he will not be
in the way Of ambitious politicians who
c0vet the honor he willingly lays down.
Which one of them will be his success
sor will now be the problem. Who Of
them all is to succeed to his place?
That will now be the question with
de democrats in every part Of Mississippi.
The selection Of the right man will d.
vide theparty into as many cliques as
there may be candidates, and there
will be re-casting Of many political
horoscopes in the State. That there
are plenty Of able men to fill it was
made abundantly evident in the Consti-
tutional Convention, the contentious in
and about which developed that fact to
the satisfaction Of people in and out Of
the State. In the selection Senator Wal
thall himself may and can II he desired,
have q great deal to say. He can de-
eide the fate Of any candidate, for he
Will be stronger now than ever with the
people, who will regard his retirement
rs another and q signal proof Of the in
Of one Of the truest gentle
men whom they or their fathers ever
conferred public honors upon.-Men,- |
phis Commercial. +.