The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1899-01-14

||*"Nth A1opluhloil1 OilhOIhlik JUG
Inland for feappointment, In til,
Dther two counties, Sharkey anC
I1shquena, it was understood tina
public sentiment was very nearly i
not quite as strong in favor of him
a mass meeting Of the citizens o.
Y|cksburg was held in that city ant
a|lhough in the busy season an(
a|ihough the rain was pour
ing in torrents, six hundred
representative CT { ems Of
VIC city of Vicksburg assembled in
the opera house and by a rising vote
unanimously endorsed Judge Gil.
land for reappointment and appoint
cd a committee of twenty represen.
iative citizens who visited Jackson
and urged upon Gov McIlaurin that
ludge Gilland should be appointed.
Appeals made by some of the
aentlemen of this committee to Gov.
NeLaurin for re.appointment of
IHige Gilland were eloquent and
H9llld have been convincing to any
one who wanted to respond to the
popular wish, and had not already
fnade up his mind not to do SO.
Judge Gillandw as a scholarly
Gentleman, a learned lawyer and a
hy common consent one of the
aplest judges that ever sat upon the
bench in this state. OF great dig
nifty of character and of blameless
life his department as q citizen and
q judge had firmly fixed him in the
INJECTIONS of his people and inspired
their admiration of him as man
and their unlimited confidence in
him. After this meeting a member
Of the bar who had visited Jackson,
fNturned and stated that the Cover
non had informed him that he had
would not re-appoint Judge Gilland
and that he would either appoint
Judge McLaurin, his brother, or an
other member of the bar whose
name was given. AS between this
Other member of the bar and Judge
McLaurin, some few members of the
ban endorsed Judge McLaurin. In
this way '"strongest recommends
tiRns'' were obtained.
pa another instance involving
nepotism the Governor exhibited his
. peculiarities as a constitutional law
ven. The Supreme court judges had
wandered an opinino affirming the
right of the legislature to elect the
penitentiary farm commissioners.
This was accepted as good law
by Gov Stone. In the exactly an
aloguos case of the election by the
legislature of the capitol commission
Gov McLaurin in his veto pro
n0nnced such election unconstitu-
tipnal; and turned down the SUI
preme judges. But when it came to
electing his brother Walter warden
Of the penitentiary he and the board
III control were confronted by sec
ton 1884, which reads as follows;
4 Nepotism forbidden: 1T is not
lawful for nay person related by
afhnity or consangiunity to any
member of the board of control OF
| to any other officer of the penitenti-
ary, having the power of appoint
ment to hold any Office or employ
ment in the penitentiary"
In this case, however, he recog-
|nized as valid a construction of this |
section b ythe supreme judges dur
ing Gov. Stones administration,
which allowed the election of his |
Brother.
He states that at the time of the
| appointment of Judge Stevens, now
bis son-in-law, he avs no relation Of
lis, but he does not have the candoT
D state that at the time that Judge
Stevens was appointed, it was a
matter of common knowledge that
ludge Stevens was engaged to be
Married to his daughter and subse-
Inently did marry her He does
' lot state that his brother Sylvester
McLaurin was an applicant for ap-
ointment to succeed Judge Mayors,
md that he was in Jackson when
be legislature assembled in 1898
|ndt hat in accordance with a hither-
|ounknown custom in Mississippi,
he senaet had been polled to find
but if they would confirm the ap-
.ointment of his brother, Mr.. Syl-
lester McLaurin, and he does not
| tate which is matter of common
history, that the senate had con-
euded that they had enough of the
I0Ternor's brothers and kinsfolks
.pDn the bench and in Office and
|hat careful poll of the senate as
Ley computed the figures showed
hat only about II out of the As
anators would vote for the con
rfpation of Mr.. Sylvester McLaurin.
nee his name was never sent in.
Id SLUR ON EX-JUSTICE
COOPER.
| NJ his speech at Hazlehurst, he
Med that "the railroad company
VIZ man off the supreme court
nch who had been in the best of
~ Judgment, deciding justly be-
peen the railroads and the people,
b gave him salary in their
| npl0y.u This reference cannot be
1nstrued as applicable to any other
AN Hon. Tim E. Cooper, formerly
' ae of the supresme judges of this
Ate. The facts in that case are
liz no railroad took Judge Cooepr
the supreme bench, but Gov.
eLaurirt himselE took him off,.
sdge CHser he'll already rendered
pesiQ alton, which resignation !
heen accepted by Gov Nc
lrSe Some days after the ac- !
tance Of Judge Coopes resigna-
"a, Gov. MLcau1in through ex-
~. Lowry requested Judge {
oper to give him, Gov. Lowry, {