The Scranton chronicle. (Scranton, Miss.) 1897-19??, 1904-07-23

mas not been Industrious and faithful
for the moral and material unbuilding
of his section. So The Chronicle
must hunt for some other reason on
which to base its opposition to Mr..
Bowers. Its bare assertion that he
has not done anything is overwlehm-
ed by the facts when presented.
The third reason offered by The
Chronicle is that the Gulf & Ship
Island Railroad Company. the cor
poratlon which he represents, has
been manifesting too much interest
in his denomination. that men are
travelling up and down the Gulf &
Ship Island Railroad on transporta-
ton furnished by the railroad com.
pany, electioneering for Mr.. Bowers.
and then The Chronicle charges, by
insinuatlon. that this corporation has
arrayed itself in Bnhalf of Mr. Bow
ers' candidacy for congress.
This reason might be good If Ii
were true. but like all other reasons.
when tested by the facts, absolutely
fails to materialize. We beg The
Chronicle not to indulge in insinua-
tion and innuendo or by merely charg-
ing thing. And We beg it to give
us something more than the mere
statement I'VE are informed" So
confident are we that there is nothing
in this charge that We now and here
defy and challenge The Chronicle to
produce the name of a single person
whom the Gulf & Ship Island Rail-
road Company has ever undertaken
to influence in this canvass. Mr.. Bow
ers has personal friends connected
with the Gulf & Ship Island Railroad
Company, and we presume these
friends of his. in the employ Of the
railroad company, either as the heads
of departments, as brakemen, con-
ductors, engineers or section foremen
have possibly spoken their views In
of the Gulf & Ship Island Railroad
Company? We challenge the Chroni-
Gle to give the name of one single
individual in the State of Mississippi
who has been furnished pass by the
Gulf & Ship Island Railroad Com
pany, or any one in its service with
the understanding or even intima-
nation or hope that that person was
to vote, or to open his mouth for Mr..
Bowers. Aye, more than this, we
defy The Chronicle to produce the
name Of a single individual in the
State of Mississippi riding on a free
pass over the Gulf e. Ship Island
Road who would not have been fur
nished that pass whether Mr.. Bowers
was a candidate for congress or not
We have taken the trouble to investl
gate this matter and we now here
state the fact TO be that there are
people in this congressional district
riding on free passes furnished them
by the Gulf & Ship Island Railroad
Company, who are lodd-mouthed In
their support of Judge Devours' can
didacy for congress and some Of these
gentlemen can be found in the home
town of The Chronicle, IL it desires to
look for them II is easy to say that
thing is true, but the people want
more than assertions-even from a
newspaper. They have right to de-
mand that the facts shall be present
ed to support such grave ohargfs
when the facts are called for, as we
now call for them at the hands OF
The Chronicle.
The fourth reason given for its op-
position to Mr.. Bowers is that all,
or nearly all, of the postnasters In
this congressional district, who re-
ceive $1,000 a year and up, are for
Mr.. Bowers. This reason, as the 9th
ers. Is on a mere understand" We
know nothing at all about this. We
do not know whether any of the post
masters in this district are support
ing Mr.. Bowers or not. But we can
truthfully say that we know OF none
in this section of the country sup
porting Mr.. Bowers Nor do we
know OF a single one who has ever
expressed an opinion on the congress
sional race, but We suppose they are
continuing to manage the affairs OF
their own party. We venture the as
sertion that the Laurel Chronicle can
not furnish the name of single Fed
eral Republican postmaster In this
district who is supporting Mr.. Bow
ers for congress. But we are advised
that at least one very prominent Re-
publican postmaster is making him
self very active In his advocacy of
Judge Devours.
There are some Democratic post
masters in this district. and IL they
are supporting Mr.. Bowers, fact
about which we are not advised, then
we presume they are doing so be-
cause they prefer him to Judge De-
yours, and il they are members OF
the Democratic party. they have a
right to express their choice and pref
erence, and We venture the assertion
that all will be permitted to vote in
the Democratic primaries whenever