The Semi-weekly leader. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1905-1941, 1906-09-19
JUDGE r. n. HOFFMAN
Makes 4 Statement to the Voters Of
BrOOkhayen.

! write you this letter to let you
know that / am neither drunk mol
out Of the race for mayor, all re-
ports to the contrary notwith.
standing.
4 II Is true that the Police jus
tice muddle which has Gin my
Iopinionl been illegitimately in.
ljected into the election has caused
tsome confusion, but the little
Ischeme is not causing me any Sc
rious concern.
TRh proposition to elect Police
Justice was precipitated at the
mass meeting which was called for
altogether different purpose-it il
was not germane to the occasion.
True it is, that no one opposed it
there; but why because those who
were opposed to it understood that
the question was to be submitted
to. the people at the primary cleo
tion in such shape that they could
approve or disapprove it IN an in
telllgent manner after having Civ
en- the subject proper considera-
tion. Some of the advocates of
this little drama, = claim that
this is not true, but say it is
true. ). w. Hoskins, P. Ell. Har-
rington and others say it IS true.
Hon +. z. Jones, who was chair
man of the meeting, says it is
true and Mr.. T.. FL. Bowen, who
/ am sdvised is the New Orleans
PicaElne's Rrookhayen cores
pondent. SO understood it and had
it SO published in the Picayune on
the following Sunday. | am will
/ ing to rest my assertion on the
testimony of these gentlemen.
Some of the friends of this moth
erless child are, in my opinion,
practicing some very questionable
methods in their efforts to raise
it. A distinguished citizen uf
Brookhayen has recently said over
his signature in letter published
in The Leader that this Office is
created by law, and must be fill
ed, !" that the law commands the
election of this officer and we
must obey" But not so the law
commands no such thing and we
do not have to obey unless we
have a pOpulation of more than
1000. The law, SO far as Brook
haven is at present concerned;
remains as 1t was, and / am IN
favor of the joint Office of Mayor
and Police Justice remaining as it
was. except that / am not alto
gether in favor of Mr.. r.. d.
Lanier remaining III the Office.
The CREATION of this extra Office
would necessarily entail heavy
additid lal expense on the tax
payers and would bring no bene-
fits whatever. ANY man who is
competent and worthy to fill eth
er of the Offices is fully able to fill
both, unless he is down with the
gout or was born tired. / am a
candidate for both and am oppos-
ed to any separation and | believe
that an overwhelming majority of
the people concur with me in this
view of the matter, regardless of
whether they intend to vote for
me or Mr.. Lanier or for some
other statesman who has yet not
emerged from behind the curtain.
The question naturally arises,
What are you going to do about
it," Well, ! would suggest that
those who are opposed to the
measure get together and deter
mine on some plan by which their
opposition may be known and felt.
One very good step would be to
be sure to elect a Board of Alder
men that would not be so arrogant
as to wholly disregard the voice
of the people and the promptings
of reason and common sense.
j have been accused Of being
politician and pronounced unfit to
hold the Office of Mayor, because
/ have held a few very small
Offices in my life. That is ''coaI
oil. /" If holding a little insignifi-
cant Office makes a man a politi-
clan and is evidence of corrup-
tion, then the only difference I
can see between myself and nv
Inconsistent critic, is that when /
ran for an Office the people elected
me, and when he ran / reckon they
cheated him out Of it.
1t seems TO me that the whole
thing is about as glaring a politi-
cal scheme as / have ever been
called upon to consider.
AS ] expect to meet most Of
YOU personally in the near future,
/ will close this communication by
telling you a sort of compound
secret, viz: 1t has been reported
that George Washington was the
father of his country, that Thomas
Jefferson was the father of the
Declaration Of independence, that
Henry Clay was the father Of the
Missouri compromise bill. and /
suspect that Mr.. Hiram Cassidy,
the gentleman who seems to
leschew politics as be would some
loathsome disease, is the father Of
1.-THE Police Justice.
Yours very truly,
n III HGEEM al NJ