The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1904-01-21

Iull anu ample discussion of all
questions, both through the press and
on the hustings, was permitted. but
fortunately, aseis always the case in q
free country, wherever falsehood. vi
tuperation and Misrepresentation were
resorted to to win strategic advantage.
wreak personal revenge, or for any
other purpose, some honest and fear
less man was ever present, armed
with the truth to drive back the hosts
OF error, put to shame the caluminator
and vanguish the enemies of right.
The primary election law enacted
by the last legislature afforded an op-
portunity which was readily embraced
by all white qualified electors to parti-
cipate in the government OF the state
to go to the polls and with their bal
lots register freemens' will
There is no danger in falsehood-
false doctrines, constituencies and ir-
responsible error are harmless, the
poisonous tongue of the sanctimonious
mercenary and sectarian partisan
the Vaccinations of the artful dema-
gogue, the cunning Of the diplomatic
ofiice-seeker, all are absolutely impo-
tent and inocuous, just so long as
truth is untramelled and the source
of all political power rests with and is
vouchsafed by the law in the hands of
the white people of Mississippi
Too much authority and power can
not be reposed in the people, Every
citizen should understand that with
his ballot the laws Of the land are
written-that the government is just
as good as he is and that in the pro-
portion that he is wise and just in
the exercise of the supreme function
of citizenship, so will the laws of his
state be wise and just in their opera
TONS
The ability to govern ones self-to
perform properly the sovereign func-
tons Of citizenship in republic, is
greatly enhanced by practice. The
fact is, it required many centuries of
tutilage in the rigid school of exper-
fence to bring the Anglo-Saxon race
the only self-governing race of modern
times-to it's present condition of SUI
periority 1t is the result of the evo-
luton Of the ages, the education Of the
generations and can only be pushed
forward or maintained, by the agen-
cies that have been employed in the
past. | am in favor of putting in the
| hands Of the people as much power in
the government of the state as can be
exercised without impairing the facili-
ty in administering its affairs. Re-
SpOnSibility produces confidence and
| capacity. 1t awakens an intelligent
and patriotic self-interest-the founda-
ton stone of all free government and
social Observation-Disclosures and en-
courages civic pride, and inspires the
citizen with the truth, that he is the
source of all political power, as his
| labor is the source of material wealth
| Whatever bitterness or acrimony the
| recent campaign may have engender-
ed the wounds inflicted in the contest
| for place, the disappointments and
| h oo RI 11r hot ho
conflict, let us try to mollify, concilate
and mutually forgive, join hands unit
ed in heart and mind, and present a
solid front, as we march forward to
meet the grave responsibilities of the
| future Life is too short to be taken
up in remembering or brooding over
disagreeable or immaterial things Elk
| perience is of no good, unless it makes
man wiser and better. He who hates
hurts himself, for hatred poisons the
heart, beclouds the judgment, and
paralyZes the imagination.
Maj Vardaman then entered boldly
into the race question and said: Il am
confident under the direction of an all
wise Providence which by it's dispen
sation proves that everything was
created for definite purpose and to
perform a certain necessary function
in the economy of the world, that this
paramount problem-the race ques-
tion-will ultimately be settled, and
settled justly-protecting alike the in
terests of the negro and the white
man. That the negro was created fol-
some good purpose, time has demon
strated; but that good purpose is not
participation in the government OF
white men. The crime of all the ages
against civilization was committed
when in the "agonizing spasm of in
furiated men, just after the Civil
war, the North expressed it's hatred OF
the white people of the South, in the
amendment to the Federal constitu
ton, which invested the negro with al