The sea coast echo. [volume] (Bay Saint Louis, Miss.) 1892-current, 1902-04-12
THE CAMPAIGN
WIDE OPEN.

District congressional campaign
opened here today. Capt. w. II.
Hardy was the first speaker. He
spoke in part as follows:
"For twenty years / have devot-
ed much of my time, talents and
means to the study and the deve-
lopmcnt of the countless resources
and possibilities of this section of
the State. / claim a pretty
thorough knowledge of the re-
sources and possibilities of this
section, and what is needed for
their development. The building
of the Nicaragua canal may now
be considered an assured fact, and
the demands of commerce and
trade make it absolutely necessary
that the improvements of the
harbors of Gulfport, Biloxi and
Pascagoula be planned upon a
larger scale, and pressed with
ceaseless energy to completion.
With the change in the lines of
commerce made by the 1sthmist
canal. the increase of exports
and imports through, those ports
will necessitate the building Of a
customhouso at Gulfport and Pas
cagoula or Scranton, more and
better equipped lighthouses, and
life-saving station will be re-
quired on our coast.
"The rapid increase in popula-
tion and business of the cities of
Biloxi, Hattiesburg and Laurel
will necessitate the erection of
United States buildings in those
cities. The district covers the fin-
est section of pine timber in the
State, if not in the world, and
constitutes at present, our chief
source of wealth, aud if elected |
shall strenuously oppose any ie-
duction of the tariff on lumber,
whether proposed by the Repub-
licans or Democrats. If elected
to Congress it shall be my chief
aim to secure the necessary legis-
latisn by Congress to meet these
demands"
Capt. Hardy spoke of bis war
record, and his record in the halls
of the State Legislature, and SER
vices in the defense of the Demo-
cratic party. His address was
received with loud applause.
He was followed by
HON. e. j. BOWERS
of Bay St. Louis. In his address
Mr.. Bowers stated that the people
of the Sixth District for the first
time for many years possessed a
compact district, composed of
counties alike in population, in
dustries and interests; and that
the congressman who was select
ed to represent the district should
regard himself as the business re.
preventative of the business in
terests of his people. He should
remember that he held the power
of attorney of the district to care
for its industrial needs and to pro-
mote its welfare and prosperity.
If nominated and elected he
should so regard himself, and
would at once proceed to famil-
iarize himself with all the details
and methods of obtaining appro-
priations needed to the upbuild-
| ing of the section. To the obtain
ling of the appropriations for the
Improvement of the harbors of
Ship island and Horn Island and
the deepening of the channels in
to Gulfport, Pascagoula and BIZ
loxi; the dredging and opening of
the bars at the mouths of Pearl,
Pascagoula and other rivers flow.
ing into the Gulf and the general
Improvement of the water section
of the whole coast.
| Mr.. Bowers also advocated the
cleaning out and improvement of
the various rivers that penetrate
the interior, the enlargement, ex-
tension and improvement of the
rural postal delivery, the erection
Eof government buildings at all
places in the district needing the
same, and the establishment of
such life-saving stations and such
enlargement of the lighthouse
service on the coast as investiga-
tion might recommend.
! He spoke of his work IN the
establishment of the experiment
station at Mcneil, on the New
Orleans and Northeastern Rail-