Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1904-01-21

county officers, to be selected as the
legislature may provide. There is nc
matter in which the people living In
the rural districts are more materially
interested than the improvement OF
the public highways. 1t is indispensa
BILE to their welfare and to the devel
opment of the material. mental and
moral possibilities of the State; the
abolition of the board of control, and
substituting therefor department of
the State government, to be under the
direction of one man, selected as the
legislature may provide. whose duty it
shall be to direct and supervise the
working of the convicts as the law
may prescribe. The disadvantages OF
the present system are, that the re-
sponsibility is divided between five
men, whose other official duties, if
properly looked after, will consume all
of their time. 1t presents a case where
no one is responsible for the acts of
five. Anc her reason-the duties OF
this Office require special qualifications
and training which the governor, at
torney-general and railroad commits
sion may not possess; State deposito-
ries which will facilitate the collection
of taxes and disbursement of public
funds. prevent the congestion OF mon
ey in the treasury, and keep 1t in cir
culation-performin the beneflcent
function for which money was created,
ami at the same time, add to the
States revenue. II is contemplated,
of course, that such laws shall be en-
acted as will render impossible the
loss of any of the States funds by pee
ulation, bad Investments. or misfor-
tune on the part of the borrower; and
also 10 provide against the possibility
of the depository becoming a corrupt
ing influence in politics; economy in
the expenditure of public funds. lest
the burdens of government should op-
press and discourage labor; the en-
couragement of agriculture, the foun-
dation of all material wealth; "a we'll
disciplined militia" properly main
tained-"our best reliance in peace
and for the first moments of war; to
curtail the appointive power OF the
governor and enlarge the elective priv
ilege of the people-the surest means
of preserving democratic institutions
and promoting honest government. |
believe there is less danger in the pos
sible mistakes of the people than in
the assumed inerrancy or superior
wisdom of the chief executive; the
present primary election law perfected
by eliminating the electoral and plu-
rality features, prescribing the sever
est punishment for the improper use
of money and other fraudulent meth
DDS TO control the elections; the main
tenance of system of free public
schools, which will afford equal oppor-
tunities to all of the children of the
State to receive instruction necessary
to equip them for the duties of life
and the performance of the functions
of citizenship. One of the most ra-
government, it SENS to me. is to edu-
cate its children Education means
only the development of the good there
is in mantle vitalizing of those do
mant forces which build and comple.;,
that potential moral entity call ai ehas
acter. 1t is wise economy In hin,
that il man or citizen be n Ale bet
ter by education. the government will
share his improvement, and the en-
Hghtened moral sentiment will write
the laws of the land. But when
speak of the government educating its
children, | wish it understood that |
do not mean that it is the duty or the
hope of the State to give every boy
and girl technical education or
course at college. That is practically
impossible. We have colleges and uni
yersities which the State must main
tain and maintain properly, but the