Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1903-03-04


hands Some, however, are dominated by political
combinations possessing sufficient wisdom to hold
the confidence of the public by at least eigning to
give semi-decent and broad guaged administra-
tiOn Of the public business. OF course the design.
ing fee and salary grabber is in evidence every.
where, but the people Of Mississippi are persuaded
just now that they are up against about the most
unblushing gang of rulers and ctatOrs it is pOssi
BILE to imagine, about the worst If possible, Of any
Of the fOrty.fv states.
Those who have taken the pains to keep them.
selves informed, have no difficulty in assuring
themselves that the gang in control of affairs at
Jackson will go down into history as the most cor.
rupt arrogant and malicious combination ever in
charge Of the states business, with perhaps the
exception Of that nOtly crowd which iOurished dur.
ing the, reign Of the carpetbaggers.
One OF the startling circumstances connected with
this condition Of public abuse is the fact that the
metropolitan newspapers published in cities in close
enough proximity to circulate throughout the state
should allow their news departments to be de.
bauched BY this gang at Jackson to the extent that
they almost branded with contempt by the read
ing public. The management Of these great dailies
cannot possibly be ignorant Of the abuses to which
be such papers are merely subtitle tools to be thus
diverted from that which should be their legiti-
mately missiOnf II so, what is their compensation
What proportion OF the "swag'' do they receive
from the numerous schemes perpetrated upon the
people of the statef 1t is certainly not sufficient
that the representatives OF such papers are enabled
to fill their places at minimum salary, by reason
Of practically the entire force being in one way
another in the pay Of the state.
The scandals connected with the present admins
ratiOn have fast, one upon the heels of the
other that it has really been difficult task for the
general public to keep up with them. Especially
has the true status Of these scandals been difficult to
obtain since all the reports sent out through the
state house gang's new bureau of the various pa
pers have always been cOlOred with a view to
serene rather than expose the guilty perpetrators.
Thanks to an intelligent and daring state press,
though ignored by the administration and it's pets,
there have beenseme exposures Of much Of
the reprehensive conduct. And it may be noted
here that it is to the state press after ALL that the
public look for the unvarnished facts as viii doubt
less be realized, to the sorrow and humiliation Of
many who have imagined this jackson gang the
whole thing, before they are many months older
The hour is near at hand when the reckoning
must come. The combinations formed at jackson
for the mutual gain Of those in the ring have been
having practically everything their own sweet way
now for more than three years. The people bave
not only been ignored, but scarcely taken into con-
sideratiOn. The time has come, however, when a
new deal is about to be made. So easily has the
gang seemed to glide along, through the assistance
Of the outside metropolitan press, through the
gangs employed force composing the sO-Called news
bureaus, that the fellows who imagine every thing
is going their way have fallen into glaring error.
They imagine all that is necessary is for them tC
shuttle and cut the cards, and have the news bu
reaus telegraph the people, through the metropolis
tan press, what is trumps. In this delusion they