The Magnolia gazette. [volume] (Magnolia, Miss.) 1872-current, 1899-05-03
STATE POLITICAL CAM
PAIGN.


The following from the Jackson
correspondent Of the New Or
leans Times Democrat shows that
the administration Of Gov. Me-
Laurin cuts little or no figure in
the present campaign in this
state:
The campaign both for state Of
ficers and the senatorship in Mis-.
sissippi to date is a good illustra
ton of the tendency of anti CAM
paign prophecies to be totally in
the wrong. Before the state
campaign was really opened to
its fullest extent, it was generally
conceded that the state adminis-
tration, or in other words Nc
Laurinism and anti-McLaurinism
would figure in the selection OF
everything from constable up to
governor, and would, in fact, be
the determining issue. The tone
of the press up to that time in the
different sections of the state gave
a certain sanction to the idea and
the present campaign was looked
forward to as a period during
which houses would be divided
against themselves and sons
would be against fathers on ac-
count of divergence of opinion
with reference to the present state
administration. Especially was
it thought that the question Of
mans political affiliation would
be Of prime moment in the elec-
ton of representatives in the state
legislature, since upon that body
will fall the task of selecting the
senator. In spite of all this, and
to the surprise Of many partisans
on both sides, the defects or mer-
its of the state administration are
cutting little figure one way or
another, except in few counties,
where the antagonism of the Nc.
Laurin and anti McLaurin fac
tons is superadded to local an
tagonisms of long standing. The
action of the various county ex-
ecutive committees in submitting
the senatorial question to the
people in primary election, the
results of which will instruct the
representatives and senators, is
relieving the candidates for these
places of the necessity of sub
hitting themselves to the strict
partisan measurement, since the
representatives may all be count
ed on to carry out the wishes of
their constituents, as expressed
at the primaries, even though the
instruction should be contrary to
their individual preference. With
reference 10 minor offices the
same thing may be said, and an
issue which was expected to per-
meate politics even down to the
smallest position is not amount
ing to much.
AT the outset it was assumed
that the governorship would be
the goal in the race for which the
issue of McLaurinism and anti
McLaurinism would loom up
largely. The idea seems to have
been diffused among the oppo-
nents of Gov. McLaurin that he
would desire to perpetuate his in
fluence in the governors chair as
well as in the senate, and to that
end he might be expected to se-
lect particular candidate to
whom he would throw all the sup
port possible and who might be
regarded as 'the administration"
candidate. The presumption has
not been justified by the facts up
to the present time, and as far as
the candidates for governor are
concerned the question of sympa-
thy or non-sympathy with the
administration has not cut the
slightest figure in their canvass
or in their support. To this day
none Of the candidates for gov
ernor have been identified with
anything except their own inter-
est in the race. 1t may be said
that there is no indication of en-
tangling alliances on the part of
any of them, the candidates hav-
ing very properly refused to at
tach themselves to the tail of any
mans kite,