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

AlNNuue OF LonRlno IN Dis
speeches this summer, suggested the
peculiar willingness Of the executive
to defend the attitude Of the Repub-
ncan president on the negro question
as he has forced It upon the South of
late, ard with humiliation we have btel
forced to admit that had Roosevelt
sent members OF his cabinet to this
state to make speeches in defense Of
bis position they could not more de-
family stand for everything which
leads toward absolute equal suffrage
than our own Governor stands today.
It lie probably 3 hobby with this man
who Is himself a sort Of departure in
blood as an occupant in the executive
chair, and as the old adage says blood
will tell, probably that lie the cause.
Perhaps be just can't help it. On
this point of the Governors record on
the negro question, Il may not be un-
parliamentary to cite at least the fol-
lowing chapters from bis official life.
Decidedly nearest and closest to the
heart of every Mississippisn is that
fear t. c%ountenance or recognize the
slightest approach to social equality
with the negro ace On this point the
public as well as the private record of
Governor Longino seems even more
radical than if he were a disciple of
the silly clan Of long haired men and
short haired women of Boston, sent
here especially to espouse their foolish
sentimentalities. In the Governors
message to the legislature soon after he
became Governor, while discussing the
question of lynching negroes for rap
ing white women and little white girls,
the Peacock Governor, among other
things, said: Il would therefore recon
mend to the legislature the wisdom
and expediency Of passing a law giving
TO the family Of anyone who may be
hereafter iynchsd the right to recover
in the chancery court a fixed sum dam
ages against the county wherein the
lynching occurred. Let the amount of
said damages be sufficiently large to
engage public opposition to the pay
ment thereof and let the right Of re
covery be %predicated upop the fact that
the lynching was done in the county
where the recovery-is sought. 1t is not
unusual that prisoners are taken by
mobs from Jail aud from the custody of
the officers without resistance and
lynched. ] recommend to the further
serious consideration of the legislature
the expediency of providing by law
that the Office of sheriff or constable
shall become vacant, ipso facto, when
ever any prisoner is taken from the
jail or the lawful custody of such
officer or his deputy and mobbed."
Governor Longino appointed B. Q.
Branch, a negro who had been kicked
out of the Federal service by Judge
Niles far dishonorable conduct in mat
tiers of fraudulent pensions, a notary
public at vicksburg, in spite of the pro-
tests of reputable people Of that city
who apprised him of the negroes vile
character.
Governor Longino appointed a negro
as election commissioner in Wilkinson
county, over a popular white Republi-
can, and against the protest of the white
people OF the county, thus giving en-
couragement to the negroes political
ambitions, and to that extent negativing
the purpose and intent Of the Constitu-
zion of 1890, which the Governor says
settled the negro question for all time
to come.
Governor LONGING appointed J. G.,
Chapple, editor of the Delta Light
Horse, at Greenville, one of the most
dangerous class of (occupation) ne
groes in the South, as notary public.
Governor Longino denied at Licking
ton, May 9th, 1908, having known that
he had appointed q negro. Emmett
N Thomas, of Greenville, says the Gov
ernor even spoke TO him about making
the appointment, and at Greenwood,
June 18th, 1908 Longino, forgetting his
former denial 1t Lexington, produced a
petition to show that he was justified
in appointing the negro. Senator Money
nailed the Governor to the cross on this
incident because Of the falsehood shown
against him, either way he desired to.
turn.
Governor Longino commuted the an
tence of death pronounced by the trial
court in Quitman and confirmed by the
supreme court of Mississippi, upon a
notorious negro murderer condemned
TO die on the 10Th Of June, this year.
Anegro shot an officer at Gulfport.
The citizens wanted q reward offered
for his arrest, aud the Governor refused
to offer the reward unless prominent
citizens would guarantee that there
would be no lynehing. This Of course