The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1899-02-09

lieved that the Democratic party of
the State could be induced by them
to adopt the principle of the gold
standard, and to test the matter they
put forward for the Democratic nomi-
nation for Governor an excellent, up
right, Christian gentleman and able
| lawyer, Hon. H. G. McCabe, of Vioks-
bnrg. They did not want free sill
yer man for Governor; they made
the fight against me for that reason,
and Senator Murray F. Smith is one
of the men who engaged in that fight
against me.
1t was said by them that when they
went out upon campaign Of educa-
ton and explained the matter the
party would adopt their gold standard
ideas. While the party had always
been bimetalist party the question
had never before been put to them
thus in this State. l was one of
those who believed in the gold and
silver money. of our fathers being
given equal treatment by the govern
ment, and that we need all the gold
and silver money obtainable for the
transaction of the vast volume of
business of this unequaled country.
l went before the people, as did my
| friend Mr.. McCabe, and we discussed
the question. 1t became apparent
before the time set for the State con-
vention that my nomination would
be unanimous; that the people be-
lieved with me on this question, and
Mr.. McCabe withdrew and l was
unanimously nominated. I was
elected in November and inaugurated
on the 21st day of January, 1896.
THE ATTACK BEGAN BY GOLD BUG
had not been in the Governors
Office two and half months before
the New Orleans Picayune, through
it's Jackson correspondent, began the
| attack on me because Of my financial
opinions. The attack commenced
with a misrepresentation of fact,
charging in substance that in bor-
rowing $3.50, 900 for the State from
bank in Vicksburg, I had refused to
accept silver, thereby discounting my
faith in the efficacy of silver as a
money. This charge, Col. Jones, an
elegant and accomplished gentleman,
| the president of the bank with whom
l negotiated the loan, Immediately
refuted by an explicit denial. The
denial, by sound money man, was
so explicit and the REPUTATION so COM
plete that further assault was held in
abeyancefor the time.
AS time passed on and my inability
to appoint every applicant for office
was supposed by those men who
were ready to assail the administra-
ton on any pretent or quasi pretext
to be sufficient to unite in opposition
those who were disgruntled because
disappointed they made their COM
bine, not for just and legitimate criti-
cism Of Democratic administration,
but for vilification and abuse.
NAMES THE PAPERS.
Chief among my assailants I find
the New Orleans Picayune, the
Greenville Times, the Vicksburg
Post, the Vicksburg Herald, the
Commercial-Appeal, the New Orleans
States, the Memphis Scimitar and
the Jackson News. All of these
papers are avowedly opposed to my
financial views, except that the Com
mercial-Appeal claims to be for hi
metalism, but its proprietors are not
so, and supported Patterson against
Carmack, the former free silver edi-
tor. The nominal editor Of the Jack
son News is harmless man If left to
himself, who allows his paper to be
made the medium of abuse which /
do not believe his conscience en- !
Lorses. If indeed he has not narmitfAA