Mississippi leader. (Jackson, Miss.) 1892-1895, 1894-12-25
TEXAS LETTER.

Bill Sides Writes About Texas and Mis-
sissippi Matters.
Editor Mississippi Leader:
In compliance with my promise and
to crafty my propensity to gossip, l
will drop you few lines about men
and things in Texas and Mississippi.
Navarro county seems almost like a
Mississippi colony. The District
Judge, District Attorney and District
clerk are all Mississippians, and also
the untiring clerk of the District
conrt. The leading lawyers, farmers
and business men are likewise former
citizens of dear old Mississippi. Dur
ing the recent campaign just closed,
a certain Democratic journal, made
an attack on Hon. T. P. Gore, the
"blind boy eloquent"of Webster coun-
ty, who was canvassing Texas in the
interest of the Populist ticket, calling
him a "soap-tail carpet Dagger from
Mississippi" A few days afterward
Mr.. Gore delivered an address to the
Populist camp meeting at Frost, and
when Hon. j. II. Anderson, a former
Mississippian, arose to introduce him
to the immense audience, he referred
to this attack and requested every
man in the audience who had carpet
bagged to Texas from the older States
to rise es rebuke to such campaign
methods. At least 95 per cent. of the
voters present rose. Of this number,
nearly one half were from Mississippi.
The whites largely predominant in
this county. In Frost, where 1 spent
my first year in Texas, there is only
one negro family. Down on the Trim
ity river, which bounds the county on
the east, the negroes are more numer-
Gus, many Of them owning their own
farms and making good citizens.
Strange to say, however, they nearly
all vote the Democratic ticket.
Navarro, although the home of Sen
ator Mills and Lieutenant Governor
elect Jester, is the banner Populist
county of the empire State. Senator
Mills has lost the wonderful popular
ity he once possessed. There was
time when between the Trinity and
the Brazos he was more wOrshiped
than the Almighty and if a God had
to be chosen by popular vote, he
would have beaten Jehovah two to
one. But he reached his meridian in
the great Prohibition contest of 1887,
since which time he has steadily lost
his influence till now he couldn't be
elected constable in any precinct in
Navarro county. All the county Off
GERS and nearly all precinct officers
are Populists.
This is also a strong Prohibition
county-all being under Prohibition
except the county seat-Corsicana.
Prohibition has kept pace with the
growth of Populism. What pity we
can't have organic political union. 1t
is bound to come. All reform parties
must get together and quit wasting
time and ammunition fighting each
other. The Populist vote in this State
increased about 10000 in the past two
years and we really elected Congress,
men, but they were counted out by
majorities less than 500. 49,
l regret to see disposition on the
part of Mississippi Populists to attack
the franchise provision of the Consti-
tuition. They are making grave mis-
take. Make them quit it.
Rev. T. j. Walne we'll known through
out Mississippi, is pastor of the Bap-
fist church here.
Revs. Mullen and Freeman, former
merly of Copiah, also live here.
The new District clerk, G. j. Toal,
was former resident of Washington
county.
Farmers are feeling the pinch of
hard times, but nothing like the ones
in the older States. Nearly all raise
enough hog and hominy, and while the
low price of cotton is distressing, it is
not disastrous.
The LEADER is always looked for
ward to with much pleasure.
BILL SIDES.