The leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1895-1905, 1903-10-28
A FEW CAMPAIGN REFLECTIONS, ETC.


All along since the primaries
passed over and the echo of the
geat political guns has died away
in the distance, | have been think
ing Of writing a few lines to let
the people know what think Of
myself. Well, | think just as
highly of myself as ! did before
the campaign opened, and have
not the least shadow of regret of
having made the race. | have
gone down to the bottom of this
thing and have left no stone I'M
turned in search of the cause of
my defeat, and the findings are
that / fell short of about one hun
bred and fifty or seventy five
votes, there not being voters
enough in the county to elect all
three of us.
THE race for representative
was the cleanest race in the coun-
ty," is what many good citizens
have been heard to say since the
storm passed over. / know this
to be true as long as / remained
in the race, but can not tell what
kind of capers were cut by Drs.
Applewhite and Watts after !
came off the Christmas tree.
Soon after the election a white
niger" said to me, "Did you
know that you were cheated out of
whole lot of votes at such and
such placesg" / informed him
that he was mistaken in the mat
ter;-that | believed every vote
cast for me was placed to my
credit; that two votes were cast
for me even at far-off Caseyville;
that four men out there promised
to support me, but two of them
were kept away either by sickness
or high water.
With reference to my two dis
tinguished opponents, can say
that, as far as l am concerned,
we are stronger friends today than
when the campaign opened, and l
have no cause to count single
man my enemy who cast his vote
for either of them.
Now | come to the so forth pant
of my subject. In many respects,
there never was a more corrupt
political campaign in all the his
tory of Lincoln county than the
one through which we all passed
during last summer. Men of high
social standing threw themselves
on the political market as so many
mustang ponies, and said to OPP
posing candidates, eff you will
not give my price, the other fell
low Wills" and in some instances
did sell themselves to more than
one candidate for the same office.
Recognizing this horrible state of
affairs, as the campaign was grow
ing to a white heat, [ decided to
declare myself in favor of a law to
the effect that after man is elect
ed to Office, if it can be proven
that he used money or whisky to
influence votes in his favor, that
his Office be declared vacant and
that he and his boodlers be dis
franchised; that a man who will
sell his vote or buy one is totally
unworthy of citizenship in any
county.
Up to this time, my prospects
for election were very ffattering
indeed, but l soon discovered that
| had cooked my goose" Some
of the candidates and all the
white niggers'' and boodlers,
under whip and spur, turned their
guns on me, but | stood to the
rack until my colors fell in the
first primary.
/ further believe that there
ought to be a law forbidding a
candidate treating his friends OIL
giving to any charitable. object
during political campaign. This
would prevent many a poor fool
from being feeced, for which he
repents at leisure after the cleo
ton. Let him do his giving,
treating, etc., after the election is
over. If the brakes are not put
on some where, the time is on
when no honest man need seek
an Office in Lincoln county.
Notwithstanding my defeat, /
yet hope to see this question agi-
tated in our next legislature, and
if | am permitted to see such a
law grace the statutes of our great
State, as did Simon of old, / can
exclaim, Now, Lord, letest Thou
Thy servants depart in peace, for
mine eyes have seen Thy saliva
ton" | have conferred with DR..
Watts, our next representative,
relative to this matter, and he fully
assures me that he can be counted
on if the good people of Lincoln
county favor such a law, which
should relate to all candidates for
Office from Governor to constable.
| am quite sure that the All men
who cast their votes for me in the
first primary and scores Of others