The Semi-weekly leader. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1905-1941, 1907-08-10

uISF6spbClAul toTHlss llHpcdCl HIS
motives, attack his personal char
acter or indulge in mudslinging.
At no time did we make any per-
sonal attack on or apply any
epithets to any OF his supporters
or impugn their motives, and the
only personal editorial reference
to any of his supporters, except a
few of our confreres of the State
press, was in the nature Of a little
pleasantly in alluding to some of
the Williams literature being dis
tributed by the secretary of the
Brookhaven Williams Club. At
no time was any thing written in
spired by passion or malice.
in view of the foregoing which
is fair and honest outline of the
policies and principles supported
by The Leader in the senatorial
campaign, we were very much
astonished few days after the.
election to learn, through street
talk and various rumors, that
there was a concerted purpose on
the part of Williams business men
of Brookhaven, to boycott The
Leader by withdrawing from it
their patronage. These reports
seemed SO unreasonable and eX-
traordinary we could not at first
credit them, and, in any event, we
could not see any explanation,
save that such parties had their
partisan preludices aroused to the
highest imaginable pitch, which
made them intolerant and incapa-
BILE of fair and just Judgment.
However, the first of this week, we
realized that there was something
more about such statements than
mere rumor, when four of The
Leaders, largest and most regular
advertisers peremptorily ordered
their advertisements at once dis
continued. Individual members
of four other firms, which are not
advertisers, ordered their sub
scriptions discontinued. In in
terviews with the heads of two of
these advertisers, they frankly
stated, when asked for an expla-
nation, that it was due to The
Leaders, vigorous support in the
campaign of Gov. Vardaman; the
other two declined to assign any
reason. On the other hand the
two who conceded their disaffec-
| tion to be due to our support.of
Vardaman, as distinctly disclaim-
ed any preconcerted mutual agree
ment or understanding among
themselves that the boycott poll
| cy should be applied. Neverthe-
less, the fact remains that they all
acted, practically, with one ac-
cord, and that street talk, both
before and since The Leader was
given notice, has been to the effect
that such a combination or mutual
understanding was had "a remark
able coincidence, to say the least
We wish to say just here that If
this manifest intention and pur-
pose to boycott The Leader on &C.
count of its political views and
policies were simply a personal
or individual matter with the edi-
tor, no mention whatever of it
would ever have been made in
these columns; but, as we see it
land understand it from facts in
our possession, it is the express
sion Of purpose to try to muzzle
a portion of the press of Brook
haven and suppress freedom of
speech and political action, BY the
parties resorting to this boycott,
when these are not in accord with
the views and policies of the boy
cotters; and, therefore, it is a
matter of vital interest to the en-
tire public and the supporters oi
Gov. Vardanan in particular.
| So far as The Leader and It's
editor are concerned, we believe
in the right of the fullest ano
lfreest expression of political
.Ispeech and action. We are not an
advocate of the boycott in any
instance, for honest opinions
lsake, and it can only be justified,
lin our opinion, when some great
vital principle is involved which
makes its application necessary.
/
/ Ia the instant case. we wish te
say with equal clearness and plain
mess that we have neither invited
4 nor desired il, as applied to any
Imam on account Of his support, OF
non support, Of either of the sen.
!atorial candidates. AT the same
time, we wish it to be just as
distinctly understood that II thai