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


way charged with the responsibility
OF ts fixture or success. You can
take the governors speeches an !
his own record aud It will show you
how absolutely falseand groundless
this charge is and how he is trying
to becloud the issues which are now
before the people. You can exam
inc the governors record as shown
in his messages and in his acts up to
january 1898 and be never by word
or deed did one single thing with
reference to the back tax suit of the
Y. and M. ". r. r. Co. up to Janu
airy 1898 and although this tax suit
has been pending since December
1892, and yet he produces testimony
in the shape of a letter from Mr..
Armer which is IA bsolutely false in its
statement, that before the speclai
session of 1897 had declared wal
upon his administration. If as fan
back as April 1897 / was then dis
posed to criticise his administration
it is certain that this criticism wa:
not caused by any action of his hos
tile to the railroad.
I make the suggestion and the
suggestion is not without reason
that because of my criticisms of the
governor during the special session
of 1897 that then he commenced his
supposed attack upon the Y. and M.
v. r. r.. Co., and / further make
the assertion and his as .ertion is
we'll founded that he possibly
thought that the influence that he
might exert in this way might have
some effect upon me because of the
fact of my being attorney of the Y.
and NJ. V. r. R. Co.
Iwant to say further that have
never either directly or indirectly,
either by letter or verbally. commu
nicated with or had any communi
cation with any officer or official OF
lawyer of the Y. and NJ v. r. r.
Co. about any stand that l should
take with reference to state politics
and if the governor asserts or in
sinuates anything of that sort in the
future he can class himself with
those gentlemen who deliberately
assert that which is untrue.
l have only one regret, ladies and
gentlemen, in making this speech
and that is this-that you in future
will be classed by Gov. McLaurir
as supporters of the /. G. R. r. Co.,
or its tools and puppets. I have
made no address in the state of Mis-
sissippi that I was not invited t.
make, unsolicited on my part, BY
reputable qualified voters of thu
state. The invitation so courteously
extended to me by the citizens Of
Meridian was signed by nearly 20t
voters of that city-the chairman O.
the democratic executive committed
of the county united in the. invita-
ton. A large majority of the gentle
men who joined in that petition hai
been enthusiastic supporters of Gov
McLaurin and yet afterwards at Me
ridian and last week at Winona h,
endeavors to insinuate that they Sc
lected me because of my being tn,
attorney of the Y. and M. v. R. r
Co.
The invitation that you have ex
tended to me and which have en-
deavored to the best of my ability t.
comply with tonight, was signed b,
IT'S of the citizens of Columbus, mel
from every calling in life and !.
have no doubt that the next speed
that the governor makes he will in
sinuate that you were in some wa,
instigated or prompted thereto b,
the Vaccinations of the l. C. r. r
Co.
have no other interest as stat
ed in the beginning of my speed
than that which 1 conceive ever,
good citizen should take in tn,
affairs of his state. l have fairl,
and as l deem impartially statet
the facts pertaining to Gov. McLau
rims administration as shown by tht
records. He has announced his can
didacy for the u. S. senate upon tn,
platform of his state administration
and solicits an endorsement thereo
and confidently asserts that II hav,
no doubt but what l shall be tn,
next senator from Mississippi" I
the people of Mississippi want sucl
government as he has givei
them they will endorse it; if the.
don't want such Cover nment in flu
ture they will not endorse it bu
whatever the majority of the peopl'
shall decide upon that will conten
me because / am a democrat and ,
believe that the voice of the major
ty is for the best interest of the PEG
pie.
Although Mississippi has not a
yet placed in Statuary hall in TIN
National capital at Washington an.
statute in marble or bronze of AM
one of her deceased statesmen it il
not because of any paucity of mate
rial. As we glance over the list o
lllustrious men that she has honor
ed in the past by seat in the mos
august legislative body that tn
world has ever seen, any one cal
see that her senatorial standard ha
been exacting enough to meet TIN
most critical judgment of the futur
historian. That standard has beel
on steadily ascending scope. cul
mlnating with Lamar, George ant
Walthall.
Lamar, illustrious for ability, elo
quence and patriotism. his leader
ship OF his people was ever wise an
unquestioned. Dreamy and mood,
though he may have seemed hi
lance was ever poised. against tn
enemies Of Mississippi, and ever