Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1899-07-27
rlisslssippi's Political Needs.
Editor of the Clarion-Ledger:

Editor OF the Clariou-Ledger;
Things are in bad way in Mis-.
SiSSippi. Il is folly TO deceive our
selves aud useless to try to disguise
the truth. In large part Of the
State, If not in all, the people are
poor and getting poorer year by
year The struggle for life is very
hard, with very unsatisfactory re-
suits IN most instances. The out
look is gloomy enough. Discomfort,
reatesSncss, IA disposition to turn
away from ordinary pursuits, is
widespread. Never has such a
spectacle been presented as now.
Besides six candidates for governor,
there are in Mississippi many thous
auds of candidates for offices re
garded as affordingpecuni gains.
counted one hundred ana thirty
names of candidates for the various
Offices announced in county news
paper lately. This is evidence of
the dissatisfaction with private life,
aud OF false notions of the advant.
ages OF office holdi ig.
There is a great deal of over.
hauling needed in onr State. Re
vision and reimbursement in many
respects are called for to meet
changed conditions. There are
many abuses that should be cor.
rected. Some exist by law, and
+ nau4r uithout Ian, rT,xoc o,o
high, debt is being incurred: bonds
are beng piled up; Che country is
progressing rapidly in the way of
debt;) extravaganza prevails; great
'lherality Is shown in spending the
peoples money; useless Offices
abound; unwarranted salaries are
in many instances paid; govern
ment costs entirely too much. while
the burden bearers are struggling
for living and a very poor in mul.
titudes of cases.
Our government is entirely too
expensive for the time and circum
stances. 1t is a pauper, has moth.
ing, and lives off of the people, and
has no rigkt to more than a neces.
sary support and decent living,
while it serves those for whom it
exists. Not supernumerary office
should exist, or an unnecessary ex-
pendlture be made, or more than is
required to secdre proper service
be paid. All beyond that is wrong.
[ affirm my belief that tens of
thousands of dollars are annually
expended IN the public services of
Mississippi unnecessarily and. much
of it improperly. | am sure that a
great many thousands of dollars of
the peoples money could be saved
to them, without detriment to the
public service, and with advantage
TO them. Indeed. do not think it
eXaggeratiOn to say that counting
State, county and municipal eXpen
) ditures, a hundred thousand dol
/ lars or more are needlesSly exppDd.
ed annually in this State. | am
amazed by the silence on the sub.
ject, and can account for it obly by
assuming the prevalence of igno.
rance of it.
What is needed for the correc-
flon of many wrongs is a capable
man for governor, who is acquaint-
ed with the constitution aud laws,
and the condition of the country,
its evils and their remedy, who will
in Office know nothing but duty.
and will "cry aloud and spare not, !"
whoever may be effected, and who
can and will impress himself on the
country and its legislature, and be
a pioneer in the reformation of
abuses; and Legislature of like
kind, all animated by the high re.
solve to correct evils, reform abuses.
check unwarranted expenditure and
reduce taxes, while legislating for
the public welfare, by promoting
what will rebound to the general
good. With such a governor and
legislature devoted to the correc-
ton of abuses, we may hope for
good results. But, if these offices
are occupied By incapables, or by
those who care for none OF these
things, evil will continue and in.
crease until they will no longer be
borne. TIL )se who perceive them
are now unwilling to submit to
them, but the multitude seems I'M
aware of them, and the object of
this paper is to arouse them.
j. A. p. CAMPBELL.