The Atlanta constitution., 1900-11-19
MISSISSIPPI POLL
TICS QUIET.

Jackson, Miss. November 1S-tSpeciaL)
Bryan's majority in Mississippi at the
recent election was 10000 votes less than
he received four years ago. There was
little or no interest whatever manifested
in the presidential election, and or the
10000 registered voters i'm the state less
| than one-h half took the trouble 10 go 10
the polls on election day. The apathy
however e nothing unusual. The aver
age qualified voter in Mississippi displays
little or no interest in political contests
except the state primary. and party prldc
Is almost an unknown quantity. IeW
of the democratic leaders made short
campaign tours through the state ana
whoopod ana hurrahed to some extent
for the ticket, but it resulted in little
good. and in communities where some de-
gree of enthusiasm was displayed the
vote cast was no larger than that OF TOUR
years ago.
The much boasted of republican display
of strength failed to make itself appa-
rent. The total vote east for presidential
electors was 5l.3l4 Of which the repub-
licans polled $3.50, or not quite thousand
more than that of four years ago. Much
of this additional showing was drawn
from the Palmer and Buckner element of
the fold The populist vote shows a very
decided falling of. Four years ago the
populists poled 1,3,0 votes and at the
recent election only 1,4l votes were
polled. lt is very unlikely that the party
will ever again place q ticket in the
field
Federal Pie.
The republicans Of Mississippi are now
discussing a plan to divide the state into
two federal court districts, and it is as
surcd that a bin providing for this di-
vision viii he introduced at the coming
session Of congress. but what the fate of
the measure may be is matter of con-
lecture. The matter has been discussed
fer several years but the attempts ut
consummation have been defeated by rea-
son of the fact that the federal business
Of the state has not justified such step,
one judge being able To attend to all the
business and still have plenty of leisure
time on his hands Some of the party
leaders have slated Hon. a. NJ Lea, the
present district attorney, for the new ju-
dicial berth.
There is likely to be n very lively
/ scramble among the republican leaders
for the honor of standing at the right of
the presidential throne when the federal
pie is distributed in Mississippi after the
9Th of March. Judge H. G. Turley. of
Natchez a brother in law of Judge
Thompson. President Mckinley's former
/ law partner. seems to De the central
figure and will doubtless dictate much
( OF the sIclug. Hon VI. A. Montgomery
and James lin viii also doubtless BE-
factors If some Importance with the pow
crs that continue 20 be- mp I'm Washington.
/ Il IS expected that there VIII be a con-
/ siderable shaking Up of federal office
holders in the state.
Sullivan-Leeton Affair.
Senator Sullivaus political future CON
I tinues to be an absorbing topic of discus
sion with the state press and the seusa-
tioual breach OF promise suit filed by
/ Miss Lucy Lection in the court at Wash
ington has bccn fully aired The papers
l that heretofore have been friendly to
( Sullivan are displaying very conspicu-
/ Gus silence on tho inject, while the anti
. sullivan and independent sections Of tho
/ press are mdulging in some very severe
I criticisms and the Junior senator seems
I to bc without "a single defender, notwith-
I standine his assertion that Miss Lccton's
modest request for $4,000 IS a blackmail-
ing scheme II is the almost unanimous
opinion Of the people of Mississippi that
Sullivan is guilty as charged notwith-
standing the fact that the court has not
1 "A
is growing that ne viii not contest the
suit but vii allow the woman TO secure
ii verdict 10y default having i'm the mean
lime arranged his personal affairs In such
"a manner that she can whistle for her
money" I'm connection with the suit Is
is "a noticeable fact that no sympathy
mas been expressed for the woman in the
case. ass she has sinued as much as she
mas; been sinucd AGAINST. Citizens Of OK
ford who knew Miss Lection at the time
She mot Sullivan describe her as say
and giddy grass widow whose character
was not wholly above suspicion, and that
tho senator's l.othtrio-like advances We're
met in a manner that savored considcra-
INV of cagcruess. sullivan is politically
dead i'm Mississippi and il is extremely
unlikely that he Will ever again offer
himself as "a candidate for office.
Railroad Commission Fight.
epecial sitting of the federal court
will be held NJ Kosciusko during the next
two weeks to hear the celebrated injuuc-
,fon suits brought 10y the Yazoo and Mis-
sissirpi Valley and Illinois Central roads
to prevent the nj sissippi railroad COM
mission from enforcing the new mileage
,.rifr an cnttousced. COY. Lougino has re-
tanned Judge r. G. Beckett. OF West
Point to assist the attorney general IN
Ui. fort to dissolve the injunctious. and
IN is nuparont that the cases will he
. faurht with much bitterness. The rall-
roaa companies contend that their char
tors granted Boy the state carry an eN-
,tnpfiou from state SUPERVISORY ana tldt
7 the rates should mot DE enforced Tor the
reason that they are unjust and unrea-
sonabIc Both sides admit that. whatever
MA, d., tho decision of the lower court
TN ca Will finally reach the United
states supreme court. and the railroad
commission has its hands tied for al
least eighteen months To come. The COM
mission had started out TO make gen
oral revision of local freight rates when
4 the Injunction suits were flea. and the
body will now have TO content itself Win
+ small and unimportant matters unul the
7 courts pass on the question of its powers
The Common School Fund.
At tec reccat election an amendment
1 to tle constitution changing the method
of dfstributiu, the common school luhd
vas adopted by a u 1jority of l2,Vo0 votes
+ The amcnlut MT Is pt very imp'i' 'ah'
+ nature as il provides for a T4dlcdl ch'.iSe
4 in aprattloniuy tho annual app opfl"t''-
/ of 81 oO0Ul1 10 the common schools oi IN
state. I'm hrief the counties whose pom
fax collections are equal 10 one-iourth 81
the pro rata cf the common school luilu
viii be benefited by several thousand q d'i-
t,re ppr wear. while The counties Hh"S"
/ NON lax collections are less than one
/ Fourth of The pro rata will lose I'm equal
4 utonortion. The amendment IS blow ~
/ the delta or black counties where lne ne
/ .,.. .hildrau ara lartp.lV N the nd jOIlty,