The leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1895-1905, 1903-07-22

of the commonwealth, has been
built without bond or tax, and
without hitch, accident or scan
dial! That a convict farm has been
purchased at $4,000 and valued
by practical Mississippi farmers
after two years at $500, 900 and
in two years more, if our levees
are wisely managed, will be
worth nearly 81 100000. The i'm
provement of the University, of
the Industrial Institute and Col
lege, of the Agricultural and Me-
chanical College, OF the Alcorn
Agricultural and Mechanical Col
lege and of the different asylums
of the State have been made dur
ing his administration at the ag-
gregate cost of more than mil
lion dollars, all the property of
the State, and all upon a half mill
reduction of the State tax. Has
he been faulty in these things?
Not all his work, of course, but
all under his guiding hand and
magnificent administrative judg-
ment. The confidence that he
has secured for our State in the
money markets of the country has
brought here many millions of
dollars that are employed in
homes, land, factories and other
enterprises and are making our
people contented, prosperous and
happy, and bringing Mississippi
back to her proud place among
the first in material wealth and
the noblest manhood and best
citizenship of the Union.
Mistakes and faults, indeed!
Has it been in giving to the
State the purest and ablest judic-
larry that she has ever known?
Sykes, Lowrey, Cook, our own
Kimbrough, Stevens, Anderson,
Enochs, Neville, Truly, Hall and
che lamented Larkin, for circuit
judges, with 'Muldrow, Long
street, Moody, McCool, Mayes,
Ventress and Devours for chan
cellors, all young men, pure in
character and in the very prime
of professional and intellectual
strength; has he shown faulty
weakness in their appointment!
Upon the supreme court bench
sit, by virtue of his appointment,
A. H. Whitfield, S. S. Calhoon
and j. H. Price, each the peer of
any Judge in all the land; has he
shown weakness in these? In fill
ing vacancies in, the office of dis
trict attorney he has appointed
from the very highest grade of
lawyers in the State, Thames,
Brewer, Mcclure and Tackett,
while vacancies ir State offices
have been filled by Jos. w. Pow
er, for Secretary of State; Car
Isle and Hampton, for treasur-
ers, and Williams, for attorney
general. Let him who would
critoiSe these men, photograph the
group and try his hand upon an
Improvement. But the limita-
tions of the occasion will not per-
NIT me to recall the brilliant rec
ord that he has made as our Gov
ernor. 1t is fresh in your minds
and all patriotic Mississippians
must cordially approve it.
Do you not think, fellow citi-
zens, that the time has come when
we should live more in the future
than in the past? That We shall
put away the sacred memories of
bygone days in our hearts and,
while not forgetting them, look
more steadily and earnestly to
the material progress and pros
perity of the country? 1t seems,
verify, that until few years ago
Mississippi was asleep under the
narcotic influence of her past sor-
VOWS, bandaged head, hand and
| foot by obsolete ideas and poll
Tcies. Then the fresh blood Of the
young democracy cut loose those
molden bandages like the Savior
did the grave clothes of Lazarus,
and said Loose him and let him
go.' -Four years ago this same
fresh blood selected the gallant
A. Fl. Longino for governor and
the march to the capitol was tri
umphant. Last year this same
fresh hhaod in the rejuvenated
veins of the old State selected
those matchless young..Demoorats,
Gambler, Hill, Humphries, Byrd
and Bowers, to represent her in
Congress at Washington. The
lesson Is significant. The thirst
of the State for aggressive, pro-
gressive advancement is not yet
fully appeased.
But | must quit. | come not to
introduce our old time friend,
whose great heart beats in SYM
pathy with every pulsation Of the
great heart of this vicinity and of
the whole State, but to welcome
him and to tell you that he is here.
God bless Mississippi and all
of her people; may no evil star
overshoot the pathway of her new
life and her glorious advancement
may no harm befall her. For
white supremacy and the greatest
igood to all her people, Gov. Lon
Iigno now stands and he will tell
you so. Here he is; let him speak
for himself.
-e =.