The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1897-09-29
GREENVlLLE'TIMES
WEDNESDAY. SEPT 20, 1897
SMITH AND SIMPSON

Governor McLauriu may be the
right man in some respects and for GER
tain purposes, but be certainly possesses
a peculiar faculty for being in the
wrong place, While he bsskad in the
smiles of the Girl from Paris the spirit
oflawlessuess walked abroad IN Mis-
sissippi, aud the name of the State be-
came a proverb, both on account Of
occurrences at home misrepresentation
abroad. When the fever broke out
at Edwards and panic aud demorsliza.
ton seized the capital city the gov
ernor was again absent from his post,
seeking to build up the broken and
dlapidated fences behind which be is
trying to corral the sturdy farmers of
Smith, Simpson aud the east Missis-
sppi counties. Tne governor probab.
Iy thought the veto fever which was
making havoc among his friends in
chat locality demaBded his presence
more urgently than The epidemic
which threatened Jackson; but it is
asserted that when the scare" broke
out be telegrsphed to Ylcksburg for
jug of oblivion, which was sent to
him at Pearson, village a short
distance from Jackson, and with
which he retreated to the fsstuess of
Brandon. This statement Is not Of
fcisl, being a private matter between
the governor and the saloon which be
honors with his patronage. Howbeit,
after a sufficient interval had elapsed
to exhaust the fountain Of comfort,
His Exeeneuey sought to re.enter the
capital city The action Of its people
in refusing him admittauce is known
to all the country. Whether the
Jseksonians quarantned against the
Governor per Sc, against the jug,
against plague and pestilence, or
against the whole combination, Is
matter for them to determine. At all !
events, they prepared 10 face death
without the Countensuce and support
of their belated chieftain. 1t would
be Interesting to know what would
have beeen the course ola J. NJ. Stone
or Robert Lowry under the same
circumstances.
As time goes on the Governor mani |
tests au ever increasing sohcltude for /
Smith and Simpson. These counties
are his native heath-his city of re-
fuge, his rock of defense. 1t might |
naturally be supposed that be would /
feel himself secure in the love and
loyalty of his faithful subjects in
Smith and Simpson, and turn his at.
tention exclusively to the contums-
cious citizens of the black jack country
of north Mississippi, or the sea wash
ed shores of the South, or the glor-
ious Delta, whose gratitude be no /
doubt claims for his efforts to save it
from destruction by overflow. The
Governors fences in the North and
south are getting into a pretty rotten
aud dilspidated condition, and the
overflow has washed them away en-.
tirely in the West; but what can be
she matter with Smith and Simpson,? |
The truth is that the people of the
piney woods are like the trees their
native soil produces They are big, \
and straight, and strong and rugged. |
There is no ioolishness about them
The soil that produces such vegetation
must produce men whe resemble it in
character They are people of the
simple straight forward kind who can
be fooled for time, but not al the
time and the claim that "Onr Anse"
went barefooted until be was shod
for the army, and still clings to the
good old custom of eating greens with
bis knife is not sufficiently powerful
10 chain them to. their allegiance IN
he face of the many countertests to
which it has been subjected.
1t does not appear that Smith and
simpson have strained themselves to
sill any fatted calves in honor
# their returning prodigsl The
veil known delicscy of the
Governor where yellow fever is con-
erned will efectually keep him GU;
# the Gulf countries The capital
ity does not yearn for him The
.reat Delta deprecates bis visits as
n honor too costly aud overwhelm-i
ag to be borne. The black jack coun-
~ is the only haven Of refuge left
i'm: and should that fail, it Is hard to
lggest any place at all for him in
Lississippi.