Mississippi leader. (Jackson, Miss.) 1892-1895, 1894-10-02
Rich in Official Picl<ingS and the
Political Pot Boiling.
The Question of II Mississippi
Friend Answered.

Editor If the Mississippi Leader:
am just out of a remarkable meet
ing at Sloan, Ga, which continued
two weeks. 1t was the second meet
ing have held there. In all | have
preached there twice per day for three
weeks during the past seven weeks and
| am not near so worn as | thought L
would be. | am in right good shape,
in fact. do not know how many were
converted l have learned since | came
home of some who were converted, and
there may be others l know nothing of
yet.
During the meeting | visited one of
our members, who was 100 years old on
the 3rd Sunday in July. She is Won
derfully bright and generally very ac-
tive. She has been widow 10 years
and has lived under every President
this country has ever had. Five gen.
erations Of her descendants attended
her last birthday celebration. Living
not far from Augusta, Ga, in South
Carolina. is negro man, Arson Camp
bell. who is 127 years old. He was per-
sonally acquainted with George Wash
ington and delights to tell things
WASHINGTON said to him at different
times. Auson says, Il has been child
of God 81 years and expects to live
forever He gets about cleverly and
attends to business for himself. | have
recently read an account of IA mule in
this State that is % years old. 1t went
through the entire war and has car
ried to their appointments some of the
most noted politicians ever in the State
and is reported in good condition yet.
| would not make the impression that
people and mules never die over here.
We have more office seekers now than
we can accommodate, and do not want
any of the hang on till-death tribe to
come over from Mississippi with the
idea of holding office a long time.
Georgia has produced some of the
greatest men of this nation. l never
knew until recently that DR.. T. Dewitt
Talmage, the great Brooklyn preach
er. is a native Georgian. | am told he
was born not far from this place. The
home of A. II. Stephens, Vice-Presl-
dent of the Confederate States govern
ment, was at Charlottesville, 30 miles
east of here. l.. @. G. Lamar, b. IL.
Hill, Robt S. Toombs, and an host of
other Industrious characters were Geor
gia products The famous DR.. j. B..
Hawthorne, Senator Pat Walsh, Ed. l..
Martin and several otherS-and 10y no
means the least(?) the undersigned
are not natives of Georgia, but we are
here now, which is not to be forgotten
when YOU make list OF distinguished
Georgians.
That man Jos, S. Burns, who fooled
that good Wesson woman into marry
ing him, has written me to explain why
Georgia is such great Baptist State
and there are so many saloons here.
That is a proper question and l will
answer it.
|. The people have never voted the
saloons out of the State. That is the
first and best reason | know of.
. Politicians, not patriots, as rule
make the laws here as they have done
in Mississippi for years. Politicians
take care of themselves not ''the dear
people,
3. Georgia has q miserable local OPP
ton liquor law" under whose provis-
ions the saloons in large towns and
cities cannot be reached.
4. The franchise regulations i'll this
State are such as to put the morals of
the people largely in the hands Of the
ignorant. vicious elements. From what
know | would Judge that the suffrage
question is in worse condition here
than it ever was in Mississippi.
5,Good men tell me that the politicians
count the negroes In a local option
election. and count them out in polit-
ical elections, just as they used to do
in Mississippi.
g. Baptists do not control elections in
this State. There are multitudes of
other denominations that vote. AS in
Mississippi, there are too many of all
denominations in Georgia, who love
whisky too we'll to vote against its sale.
If Georgia had Mississippi's election
machinery and could have square
vote on the saloon question, there
would be happiness in many home
now shrouded in sorrow and punched
with want. am told that 'the men
who control are opposed to any change
in election methods there are noble
exceptions. Some of the leading men,
in politics, of all parties in Georgia, see
that present methods are ruinous and
they want change, but the odds are
against them. The change will come
in few years, however. Many of the
best men are growing FESTIVE under Il
system that makes the ignorant and
vicious elements the arbiters of the
States destiny.
/ am told that of 1877 counties in the
State, 100 have no saloons. Very few
small towns have saloons. The bust
ness is now entrenched in the large
towns and cities mainly, Many of the
people think it is terrible to drink
whisky and awful for "a man to sell it,