The leader., 1903-04-29
AR. FOX WITHnRAWs.


gave to the press the following
card, withdrawing from the race:
Aberdeen, Miss,
April %, 1908.
To My Fellow Citizens of the
State of Mississippi,
Much as regret it, / am COM
PEELED by the strongest personal
reasons arising from circumstances
which / could not foresee and
over which / have no control, to
retire Internationally from the
race for the Office of Governor.
Under present conditions it is inn
possible for me to continue &C
lively in the canvass, and unless |
could do so it would De an injustice
20 both my friends and myself to
remain longer in the contest.
1.-The chief concern l feel in
taking this step is for the friends
who have supported me so loyalty.
| owe them @ debt of gratitude
which / can never repay, but
which / will always recognize and
remember. The campaign of mis-
representation, calumny and false
hood, backed by the corrupt use
of money, that has been waged
against me with so much bitter
ness, has only made them the more
jealous in my support. Repre-,
senting, as they do, the best
thought, aspirations and patriot
ism Of the Democracy of Missis
sippi, and of our Christian civil
ization, influenced as they were by
it's factional politics, personal pre-
ferment or petty ambition, | prize
their confidence more highly thar
the Office of Governor, and as
long as | retain it and have thu
consciousness that my candidacy
has to do for truth and the hes
interests of the State, can vel
afford to despise the enemies
have made. If in the canvass
have in any way contributed to
proper solution of public ques
tions, which are of such vital i'm
portnace at this time, ] will b
more than gratitied, / have thu
greatest confidence that the goot
Judgment and patriotism of tn
party will secure a result worthy
of this great commonwealth.
"A, f FOX"
The 1easons and circumstance!
mentioned in the opening para
graph of Mr.. Fox's card are sale
to refer to the unexpected il
health of his law partner, Mr.
Roane, which throws the very
lalge law practice Of the firm fol
the time on Mr.. Fox's hands anc
which imperatively demands hi
attention. Coupled with this
Mr.. Fox had also no doubt dis
covered during the few weeks HI
was actively engaged in the cam
paign, that he started out with {
very much exaggerated idea O.
the demand" or desire among the
people generally for his candida.
cy; hence, having made this dis
covery, it was the sensible and log
ical thing for him to end a candi
dacy which neither popular senti
ment nor any political exigency
called for, and which really hi
ought never to have announced.
The other three candidates will
all no doubt rejoice somewhat al
his withdrawal. OF the three
Mr.. Noel, who for several weeks
has been steadily gaining IL
strength, will no doubt be the
chief beneficiary, due to the SHARP
personal antagonism of Judge
Critz and Mr.. Fox, and that Mr.
Fox's supporters are nearly al
conservative Democrats, opposed
to Major Vardaman's radical pol
icy. Mr.. Fox's candidacy brought
no new State issues into the cam
paign and promised nothing of ad
vantage to the State, for which
Mr.. Noel did not stand before
hand, and hence he should become
the logical candidate of the-Fo1
following.
Leave Of Absence 10 Teachers.