Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1904-10-05


4. ] !. 4. !
mi 80 sacred. II is not only the blOodless
N E1sb weapon with which he must defend
EKTRN Il ~ his civil constitutional liberty; not
h99SzO j only his individual expression Of
@NSN& - political opinion as to the men and
$1(SeGA-IJ the measures which shall rule the
ES6se land, but it a trust delegated to him
lSsc1S$@ by the hero martyrs Of the long
Ef-1A~IT struggle for freedom. From ont
the past comes the Of those heroes saying, II
won for You that ballot that franchise, by paying
the price OF toll and sacrifice OF blood; WTested Il
from tyrants who we're Oppressidg humanity. 1
fought for il and died for it, 10 order that you tne
plain citizen, the cOmman man, might have voice
and vote in the making OF the laws upon which your
prosperity and your liberty depends" Use that
ballot in a spirit Of conservation. Be worthy oi the
heroes who it for you. Don't betray the sacred
trust Consult your reason before you vote, Let
your heart 20 with your hand when you vote. Do
that, and no matter who gets your support 1t VIII
come to him in the spirit which patriot statesmen
always contemplated when they gave you tae right
OF self.goVernment. Cast that ballot IN any Other
way, with any other mOtive--prei0dice, passion,
blind obedience to party-aLd you Will have done
that which makes the political student despair OF
government by the people; that which shows you TO
be unfit to exercise the trust committed to your
hands by the heroic men Of the pasti that when
lowers you as q man, ingers your nelghDor as l6
does yourself and weakens the lives OF those VINO
strive upward for better laws, better rulers happier
homes.
Voters! In this year of grace, 1904, for God sake
for the sake of yourselves your children, your coun
try, consider, consider, before you vOtel
A political party has no right to exist mas no
right to the support of intelligent honest men, un-
less that party is in fact combination OF men who
hold the same opinions have q common purpose,
and who seek to unite their individual strength 10
order that the common purpose may be enaeteu INTO
law. ANY organization in the body polite Whicn
can not be- measured By this standard, has no egtl.
mate right to be considered political party Unless
it has a creed which can be put into plain words
which the average man can understand: unless u
has q common purpose, to the accomplishment OF
which it can move with unity OF actlOn--a purpose
which it is able and willing to proclaim to all the
wOrd--it has no moral right to exist. Il it ls
mere conglomeration Of irazzled, discredited self
seeking political odds and ends, it will amount TO
nothing on earth but scramble OF the outs to dls'
place the ins.
questions agiating the people, no wrongs to be re-
dressed no abuses to be reformed then 1t might in
terest the voter to select the honest abest men, and
he might vote for that reason alone for nominees
who had been tried and found true rather than Tor
those who had been tried and found wanting But
IT, as in 1904, there principles at stake Whlcn
OvershadoW any mere personal preferences If there
are wrongs and abuses which threaten the very LIE
Of the republic then every voter owes It TO himself
to ask, which Of the political parties now in the
field stands for those convictions which are nearest
hearti
A simple question, vital question, question
Which goes to the very bottom Of the situation.
must be asked;t should be answered.
Before you vote, COMPEL the candidates to speak
out like honest men, 90 that you can vote your
honest cOdvictions. And remember this: The only
ballot which is ever s'thrOwn away' is the ballot
which violates your sense Of right Every vote
which runs counter to the sincere opinions OF the
voter is q prOstituted ballot; is traitor to the
cause Of good government; is an apOstrate from
principle; Is political eper, which ought to stand
forth in the highway and cry, ''Uncleanl Uncleani
In every speech have made In this campaign
have declared my undying hostility to the Hamilton
ian principles represented by Theodore Roosevelt
and the republican party. For the last fourteen
wears have been doing the same thing. II every
hook which has been written by me there lives ai
earnest spirit OF Jedersonian democracy IS can b
found in the libraries Of the world. My position
todav il absolutely consistent with what It was Il
1896 or in the year 1900 challenge any man q
nrove the statement untrue. For the holding o
these opinions have been made to suffer; but
was ready to suffer for them, and am ready to do g
again.
Once more now proclaim that the principles an6
policies Of the republican party have 10 enem!
more inveterata and incorporating than myself
Tfvon win pardon ne for alluding to ny own book
viii aav that IN ny sIlife and Time q Thomas
Taferaon, the dOct0rines Of Hamilton and the liter
sauhIiltr oi Roosevelt and Lodge and other repub
iican authors upon the South and upon tie southeE
sfsteamen Of the JeHsrsonian school ere Eepele'