The sea coast echo. [volume] (Bay Saint Louis, Miss.) 1892-current, 1903-07-25
AAcnoNARy EFFORT SET N.
ianderous Reports Now Doing the
Governor Good.

SHShSons misS., july EZ.--NerV much
to the surprise and dismay Of the politi :
cal enemies who fostered It, the cam
paign Of calumny and Misrepresentation
waged against Governor Longino has
now reached the reactionary stage, and
Is now having boomerang effect on his
opponent, Senator Money, in whose in
terests it WIS launched.
The coterie of disappointed Office
seekers and disgruutied politicians who
are leading the opposition made the ia
tai mistake OF firing their ammunition
too soon. In desperate straits, and with
the certainty Of defeat staring them in
the face, they launched the falsehoods
intended to be kept until a few days be-
fore the primary, and thus the Governor
is given time and opportunity TO make
explanation, which he has done with
promptness, vigor and straightforward
ness, effectually silencing the carping
critics who have searched his political
and personal record in vain to find some
good campaign thunder TO devote to
their own uses.
The past week has been an eventful
one IN the Senatorial contest. II open-
cd at Raymond with the Governors
clear and lucid explanation OF tho few
instances where negroes have been ap-
pointed to small offices, showing con-
clusively In each instance that the an
pointee was strongly endorsed by the
leading white citizens, and that no OBJ
iections Of any nature we're made.
Next came the John Nance pardon
matter, an instance OF where an aged ne
gro-perhaps the oldest on the prison
rolls, was released after thirty-throe
years OF servitude. The pardon was
granted by the Governor at the urpont
request and recommendation Ex-Chief
Justice j, A. p. Campbell, who presided
as circuit Judge at the negro's trial, and
Associate Justice s. s. Calhoun, Of the
supreme Court, who Mt that time waa
prosecuting attorney. The negro un-
questionably deserved pardon, and tho
motiyosofmen Of suchcminence as these
when they request clemency for pri-
soner connot be impupned, but will be
accepted In good faith by every citizen
OF Mississippi.
Perhaps the most notable event OF the
week was the Governors letter to G.. w.
Ellis, a lawyer OF Hattiesburg, who ad-
dressed to the Governor very sarcastic
letter inouiring as to his position on the
Philippine question, and insinuatin0
that he is in close sympathy with Presi-
dent Roseyent and his Republican pie
distributors in this State. The Cover
nor's reply left no doubt as to his posi-
tion on these questions, He stated he
was one OF the delegates from Mississip-
pi who helped TO adopt the Democratic
platform at Kansas City, and that he
still gives 1t his unqualified support;
thatany intimation to the effect that ne
is playing for Republican favor is not
only without foundation in fact, but ia
absolutely untrue. The sting OF the
letter, however, was in its tail, Mr.. Ell
lis was one OF the disappointed appli-
cants for the chancellorship OF his
district some time since, and in con-
clusion the Governor remarked that
the failure of this aspiration might
also place him in the category of being a
| disappointed pie hunter.
Governor Longino and Senator Money
once before had test as TO their popu =
larity. In 1900 a plurality primary was
held in Mississippi TO select delegates to
the Democratic convention at Kansas
City, and 1t is fact not generally known
that in this primary Governor Longino
received ,i03 votes more than Senator
| Money, who was also on the ticket. He
ran ahead OF Senator Money in every
Congressional district in the State ex-
cept the first, and in this district Sena-
tor Money received only one more vote
than did Governor Longino. The total
vote polled was II, 1875 for Governor
Longino and i0,093 for Senator Money
and any fair-minded person win admit
that this was a good test Of the strength
OF the two men, for there was a great
deal of feeling displayed in the primary.
The only question now left open in the
Senatorial contest is that OF majority
for it is certainty that Governor Lon
gino is the winner, and the count Of the
votes will show that he has received an