Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1903-07-08


been practically the cause of a revolution in tt
worlds affairs, not even thanking God for the ten
perng OF the winds
! The Governor, six months in advance Of the con
pletion of his duties as chief executive of tn
state the position to which the people uniortunate
II not OOlishy elected him, has taken himself ava
entirely from his post Of service for which he draw
his salary, however, and is parading himself as
candidate for another position. In the early part
his campaign he was elaborate in pointing wit
price to his administration, but here and there
bumped up against snag until he is now content t
refer only to the brillancy of his official tenure an
to tie progress OF the state and nation under hi
magic touch.
Of course this sort of rot will not settle yer
deep in the minds Of the thinking people who ar
appealed to for votes to continue this man in Office
without the further inquiry as to his honesty am
his ideals along those lines most dear to the peopl
of the South, people who must be relied upon a
the main stay, if enduring civilization is to OBJ
tain and this Republic stand
Ii requires small effort to recall the attention o
all reading people in the state to the fact that tn
LOngino administration Of state affairs has been h
most corrupt most disgaceiul, most humiliating
most extravagant of any administration since th
days Of carpetbaggers and highwaymen during th
dark period of socalled reconstruction In fact it i
not necessary with those who have kept track o
Che events they occurred to specify, and one sen
saton has followed so swiftly on the heels o another
that n reality the people have practically resolved
to 4 their teeth and patiently await the SLOW
highs Of time to be relieved Of this shame, in th
hope that they may forgive if not forget Il is no
wholly Inappropriate to recall The act however, tina
in the great scandal Of loanng The funds OF the state
which suddenly sweed to such proportions as tC
stggerts oastodians The court records fixed the drs
step in tnat direction absolutely upon the Governor
himself when be recommended that part Of the easl
should be placed in the jackson banks. This pre-
cedeat o. course was the license to others, who
perhaps were Of speculative turn, to loau more o.
the money, which few have ever doubted was taker
from the treasury with the full knowledge OF its 90
ing patent 70 the Governor, and when the time
came for sensational episode, others were made
the scape goats for the dagraut violations o The law
aud Tue Governor was screened as far az possible
lie was not screened, though, to the extent which
vas calculated to held him blameless and the hero
OF the incident he sought to make himself because
bis own evidence betrayed his connection and
brought shame upon the states good name that
must remain there so long as Che records are pre-
served The Governors speculative connection
with the scandals in the penitentiary management
which eliminated in a whitewashing siege covering
padiully long period OF time and the cost Of many
dollars to the state and the development of anoth
er scapegoat to walk the plank but it was not With
out leaving indelible stains upon the Governor
garments which must follow him to his last resting
place. Nor was it wholly diseouraging to him
for when the whitewash brush had been played
TO the limit and the entire matter closed up, tn,
Governor was able to rest easily in his cushioned
chair and reflect that he had been able to have
handsome lot Of his land cleared and worked at th,
state's expense and the profits had been left in hi
own right by the machine he had so adroitly manip
uated. It is going to be one OF the most intrieat,
mathematical problems ever confronted by the people
OF Mississippi, to figure out how Mr. Longino could
during four years term as Governor, net some
thing over 900 IN bis own private right on ,
salary Of $4,000 per year. The only explanation Ii
probably in natural advances enjoyed by everybOd,
by reason Of the wonderful wave Of prosperity the
Governor of Mississippi, by the assistance Of the
few managers Of the Roosevelt crowd at Washing
ton, have been pushing over the world.
Nor are the sOcialistie views Ofthe Governor sucl
as to commend his further promotion at the hands
of the people Of Mississippi Though be boasts thai
he Is born Missisaippian it is. evident that hi
finer senses Of the relations between races are from
an entire different mould than that which the higher
minded SOutherner or any other typical American
entertains. In his speeches be shows plainly thai