The leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1895-1905, 1904-01-23

pilsl III MlSsl5Slppi, anu dS IL is III
| Mississippi SO will 1t be In all of this
States where the negro lives in large
numbers. The white man will not,
and should not, share sovereignty and
dominion with him. / will be par
| doned, in this connection, for quoting
the following wise words spoken by
Abraham Lincoln, September 10, 1855.
He said:
Il am not, nor ever have been in
favor of bringing about in any way
the social and POLITICAL equality OF tho
| white and black races; | am not, no:
ever have been, In favor of making vot.
ers or jurors of negroes, nor of quail.
tying them to hold office, nor to inter.
marry with the white people: and 1
will say, in addition to this, that there
| Is physical difference between The
white and black races which l believe
will forever forbid the two races Nliv-
ing together on terms of social and
| political equality. And inasmuch as
thsy cannot so live, while they remain
together, there must be the position
of superior and Inferior and as much
as any other man am in favor of hav-
ing the superior position assigned to
! the white race"
Ii these words were true when
| spoken by Mr.. Lincoln, they are true
today, and will be true to the end of
time. Now this may sound a little
harsh to those unfamiliar with the
facts in the case, but by every intelli.
gent white man and thoughtful negro
in Mississippi 1t will be accepted as
absolutely true, however much the
| question may be gilded with co1serva-
tism or be clouded by discrimination.
| The time has come when the truth
should be told about this matter; it
matters not how disagreeable it may
be to hear it. The first step towards
changing the educational system of
the State, so as to meet the demands
of both races, it occurs to me, is for
| the legislature to submit to the PEG.
pie proposition to amend the consti.
tuition. SO as to give the legislature I'M
restricted authority in dealing with the
public school question. Surely the
legislature, elected every four years
| by the people, can be relied upol to
do the proper thing in this matter,
without constitutional prescription.
1t is quite certain that little can be
done to relieve the present most I'M
desirable condition Of things, while
the constitution remains as it is.
A liberal system of pensions for
| INDECENT and helpless confederate SOL
diers, is a matter which should COM
mand the most ardent support of every
patriotic Mississippian. Aside from
considerations of humanity, a sense Of
| profound gratitude should move the
people of this State to provide for
these old heroes, to drive from the
door of poverty and old age the raw
enous wolf Of want, whose discordant
growls make hideous the twilight of
their honorable lives. 1t is not a mere
matter of charity that ask, my coun-
trymen, but, on the contrary. l wish
to remind you of a moral obligation
resting upon every citizen of this
State, and one which he should thank
God for the privilege Of absoKing.
Man is the creature Of heredity and
environment; the most useful lessons,
are the lessons learned from other lives.
The value of the example of incom-
parable self-sacrifice,. devotion to prin-
ciple and loyalty to those cherished
ideals which have gloriffed and en-
riched Southern civilization, of which
they are the embodiment, cannot be
measured by dollars and cents, or ade-
quately rewarded by all the genera
tons yet to come. Some of the newspa-
pers complain that the number of pen
Sioners is increasing and that the bur
den upon the tax payers is growing
heavier every year That the num-
Der of pensioners is increasing, is but
in accord with the eternal order of
things. The veterans are growing old
er every year, and, consequently, more
feeble and less able to support them
selves. But few years more, and
the number will begin to decrease, and.
then, it will not be long until the last
name will be dropped from the roll
the last pensioner upon the States
love and~gratitude will have crossed
over the river AID taken his place
with the heroes in eternity AS long
as there is one left, however, want
it. understood that | care not how
heavy the burdens of taxation may be,
just so long as the money is needed
and properly expended for the sup
port of the helpless ex-Confederate SOL
der. Indeed, I'count myself fortunate
that l am permitted to bear a part OF
the burden and contribute to so noble
and worthy a cause. l think the pen
sions should be increased, and | am
also il favor of providing a soldiers
home. Remember, my friends, that in
manhood's prime, he gave the spring
time of life to the service of his coun-
try; he spent his strength in doing
battle for a constitutional right; he
lost, it is true; we all lost, but that
should not lessen our love or absolve
our obligation to him. 1t is a duty,
and should be our pleasure, out of the
bounteous gifts with which a kind
Providence has rewarded our efforts,
TO provide for him a house ald
hearth in which he may spend the
December of his years and warm his
worn and shriveled hands at the fire
of home maintained by the State.
These are some of the matters, prin-
ciples and policies to which | have
thought it prudent to call to your at
tention. That they are vital and per-
tinent, pregnant with good for the
commo lwealth, If treated by the wise,
patriotic and courageous statesmen,
there can be no question.
The experience of all the generations
dead, the footprints. along the high
way of Time, leave no doubt about the
road for Mississippians to follow The
distilled wisdom bequeathed to us by
our sages and our heroes of the past
should inspire us with confidence
and courage, and provide the pillar of
fire to light the pathway of duty.
Ald now, my fellow citizens, go to
the work to which you have called me.
My experience in public matters
three terms as member of the legis-
lative department of the State govern
ment, and many years of patient study
of our system of laws and economic
rroblems-gives me some knowledge
of the difficulties and grave RESPONSE
bilities Of the office OF chief execu-
tive.
shall make mistakes, through de-
feet of judgment, for which l shall
suffer uncomplaini1gly the penalty.
But how often, when right, shall be
thought wrong by those whose point