Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1900-10-07

called l0f Il puDilc lDee11ng ab the c0urt- house.
 The citizens of Raymond will never forget that meeting. It was so unlike anyspolitical meeting ever held in Ray mond before that there was no attempt at comparison. The special officers to be nominated were mayor, city council, chief of police. city clerk and city treasurer.
 The Evening News in it's Saturday edition gave full account of the pri- maries and in an editorial column Ed ward Norman spoke with a direetness and conviction that the Christian peo- pie of Raymond were learning to re- spect deeply because so evidently sincere and unselfish. A part of that editorial is also part of this history:
 ''It is safe to say that never before in the history of Raymond was there primary like the one in the courthouse last night. 1t was, first of all, com plete surprise to the city politicians who have been in the habit of carrying on the affairs of the city as if they owned them and every one else was simply q tool or cipher The over whelming surprise of the wire puller last night consisted in the fact that a large number of the citizens of Ray mond who have heretofore taken no part in the city affairs entered the pri- mary and controlled it, nominating some of the best men for all the offices to be filled at the coming election.
 'Elt was a tremendous lesson in good citizenship. President Marsh of Lincoln college, who never before entered city primary and whose face even was not anUW { 70 many or the ward politicians, made one of the best speeches ever heard in Raymond. It was almost lu- dicrous to see the faces of the mon who for years have done as they pleased when President Marsh rose to speak. Many of them asked Who is he?' The constefnation deepened as the primary 1 proceeded and 1t became evident that the old time ring of city rulers was out numbered. Henry Maxwell, pastor of the First church Milton Wright, Alex arder Powers, Professors Brown. Will lard and Park of Lincoln college, Rev. John West. Dr George Maine of the i Pilgrim church, Dean Ward of the Holy l Trinity and scores of well known busi- ness and professional men. most of them church members were present and it did not take long to see that they had i all come with the direct and definite purpose of nominating the best men possible Most of these men had never been seen in a primary They were complete strangers to the politicians, i but tney had evidently profted by the politician s methods and were able by organized and united effort to nominate the entire ticket
 As soon as it became plain that the primary was cut of their control tIse regular ring withdrew in disgust and nominated another ticket The News simply calls the attention of all decent citizens to the fact that this last ticket contains the names of whisky men, and the line is distinctly ard sharply drawn between the machine and corrupt city ! government. such as we have known 1 for years and a clean. honest capable, businesslilze city administration such 1 as every good citizen ought to want it'is not necessary to remind the people 1 of Raymond that the question of local 1 option comes mp at the election That will be the most important question on the ticket. The crisis of our city affairs has been reached. The issue is squarely before us. Shall we con tinue the rule of rum and poodle and shameless incompetency. or shall We as President Marsh said in his noble speech rise as good citizens and be- gin new order of things. cleansing our city of the worst enemy known to i municipal honesty and doing what lies | in our power to do with the ballot-to purify our civic life9
 ''The News is positively and without reservation on the side of the new movement. We shall henceforth do all in our power to drive out the saloon and destroy it's political strength. We shall advocate the election of men nom- mated by the majority of citizens met in the first primary, and we call upon all Christians, church members and low CTS of right, purity, temperance and home to stand by President Marsh and the rest of the citizens who have thus begun long needed reform in our city.
 President Marsh read this editorial and thanked God for Edward Norman At the same time he understood well enough that every other paper in Ray mond was on the other side He did net misunderstood the importance and seri- ousness of the fight which was only just begun It was no secret that The News had lost enormously since it had been governed by the standard of What would Jesus dor The question now was. Would the Christian people of Raymond stand by it2' Would they make it possible for Norman to conduct daily Christian paper, or would their desire for what is called news" in the way of crime, scandal. political partisanship of the regular sort and a dislike to champion So remarkable re-