The leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1895-1905, 1899-04-05

open. free and candid in his expires
sions of opinion to Gov. McLaurin
as he had been to Senator Money.
4 In Aesop's Fables certain AMI
NAL took great delight in kicking
the lion after he was dead, a pleas
ure which was accumulated by the
fact that while the lion was alive ne
stood in abject fear of him. This
thought is further cerroborated by
the fact that although the funeral
cortege in honor of Gen George
remains was formed in jackson and
the special train was there ready TO
carry it to Carrollton, the home OF
the deceased statesman, and al
though the governor was there, that
he let this train proceed without
him, but subsequently he went all
the way to Holly Springs to do hon
or to Gen. Walthalrs memory.
NEPOTISM.
In attempting to defend himself
from the charge of nepotism the
governor at Hazlehurst stated that
he had appointed his brother q cir
cult Judge on the strongest recon-
mendations. / stated that the gov
ernor would never state how this
recommendation of his brother had
been obtained and gave the facts
incident thereto. The governor did
not accept this challenge in his
speech at Meridian, but contended
himself with reiterating that he ap-
pointed his brother on strong rec
ommendations-that l moved in the
senate to conform him without ref
erence to a committee which WAC
done and was an unusual compli.
ment and distinction; but the gov
ernor failed to state that this mo-
ton was made upon the earnest re-
quest made to me in person by the
governor and by his brother, the
late Mr.. Walter McLaurin.
He further states in his Meridian
speech that his brother "has made a
good Judge and Mr.. Smith does not
and will not deny it." Unlike the
governor, who would not accept my
challenge to reveal the true state of
facts attending the strong recon-
mendations of his brother, | accept
his challenge. I say his brother has
not made good judge. I need not
go into further particulars than to
refer the people Of Mississippi to the
journal of the house of the special
session of 1898, page 1906
| The governor in his Hazlehurst
speech also asserted that at the time
he appointed Judge Stevens now his
son in law, he was no relation of
his. l charge that he did not have
the candor to say that at the time
that he was appointed it was mat
ter of common knowledge that
Judge Stevens was engaged to be-
married to his daughter, and that
subsequently he did marry her. The
governor accused me in his answer
at Meridian to this charge of having
intruled into the privacy of his
family. l ask if he did not himself
first bring up his own family rela-
tions, so far as Judge Stevens was
concerned and that it was legiti-
mate for me to state what l did. /
acknowledge the governors state
ment to be correct and that at that
time Judge Stevens was not engag
ed to be married to his daughter,
but my explanation of this error is
this-that l but repeated what was
common, current rumor and gener
ally believed in the Legislature al
that time, which rumor seemed to
be subsequently corroborated by
the marriage of Judge Stevens to
his daughter.
Rut since the governor has seen
fit to disclaim any special intere. t
in Judge Stevens at this time, l
would like to let the people know
some other facts to which my atten-
ton has been called and which l
omitted to state in my former
speeches. When the name of Judge
Stevens was first mentioned as an
applicant for the place, Gov. Nc
Laurin was waited upon by several
gentlemen and was asked if he in
tended to make the appointment to
the vacancy at that session of the
Legislature and was told by these
gentlemen that if so they wouldsike
to be heard and present the names
of some other gentlemen. Gov
McLaurin assured these gentlemen
that he did not think that he
could appoint a judge to this dis-
trict until long after the adjourn
ment of the session and SO they
went home thinking that no ap-
pointment would be made. With
out notifying these gentlemen in
any way Gov. McLaurin sent in the
name of Judge Stevens for ap-
pointment for judge practically on
the last day Of the session, to- wit
the 10th of March, 1896, because
hardly any other business was tran
sacted and the last day of the SEES
sion there was not a legal quorum
in the senate. These facts are
known to many gentlemen through
out that district, who feel and
have so expressed themselves, that
the governor deceived them in the
matter of this appointment.
charged in my Meridian speech
that hC WOulu nave dppOlutcu HIS
brother Sylvester McLaurin judge
in place of Judge Mayors, but for
the fact that careful poll of the
senate showed that his nomination
would have been rejected.
| The governor answered this
charge in this way:
"There has never been to me any
other such strong petition for APP
pointment as was presented for the
appointment of Sylvester McLaur-
in. The petition came from all the
walks, callings and professions. ]