The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1907-07-25

district attorney for this district for
the next four years. | have served
you in this position, as you know,
for several terms, and am candi-
date for the election to the ensuing
term. 1t is, therefore, for you to
determine on the first of August
whether you will dismiss me from
your service or continue the Of
flcial relations that have existed be-
tween you as people and me as
your district attorney. In either
event shall be satisfied with your
decision; for this being your office
! fully appreciate that it is your
duty to yourselves as we'll as your
right to bestow it upon him who
will give you the best service.
further appreciate that you are the
judges of this matter. have heard
it said that the only objection
against me is that have held the
office so long. If long and faithful
service dis4ualifies. a district at
torney ! suppose | had as we'll ad-
NIT my disqualification. The dis
trict attorney never handles public
money. Every year he occupies
the office better qualities him for
the peoples service in this position.
The office of district attorney was
not created to divide out among the
lawyers. If it were apportioned
among the lawyers, each lawyer
would be entitled to it about six
months in lifetime-not more than
that. | do not believe there is a
lawyer in the district who, if elect
ed to the office, would resign it to
some other lawyer at the end of
six months; but he would hold it
for the four years term and want
/ it again. The office was created to
serve the people, and very i'm
portant duties and responsibilities
devolve upon its incumbent.
While the district attorney is not
allowed to participate in the deliber-
ations of the grand jury, nor to say
who shall or shall not be indicted,
he is to attend the deliberations of
the grand jury, whenever required
by the grand jury, and give the
necessary information as to the law
governing each case. He is to
draw indictments for the grand
jury; which requires law knowl-
edge sufficient to draw indictments
that will withstand the attacks of
the ablest lawyers and the closest
scrutiny of the courts and tests of
the law. He is to prosecute in
dictments in court, with a view to
the conviction of the guilty and
protection of the innocent. His
prosecutions should not be vindict-
i've but with an aim to obtain just
ice for the state and for the de-
fendant.
The office was created for the
people. To get the best benefit
you get the best lawyer who offers
for the place. If | am right in
this-and believe you will agree
with me-long and faithful service
lis no disqualification. | say faith
full service because those who say
they have no objection to me ex-
cept my long service thereby. ad-
nit that my service has been faith
full, for if there is no objection to
my service except its length it
naturally follows that there is no
objection to its faithfulness. But |
am told that there are some who do
not stop their objections at the
length Of my service. They say,
if | am correctly informed, that they
object to me because have not.
sent enough white people to the
penitentiary. The district attorney
does not send anybody to the
penitentiary. The grand jury in
diets; the district attorney draws
the indictment and prosecuteS it in
court; and the petit jury convicts=
or acquits If the jury convicts and
a motion for a new trial is over
ruled the duty Of the district at
torney in that case is ended, except
to pass on the bill Of exceptions if
ono is ever presented: 1t is for the
judge to impose sentence, and with
that the district attorney has no Of
ficial connection. Some times the
grand jury indicts and the indicted
one pleads guilty. In such case
the district attorney is not required
to do more than draw the indict-
ment and afraign him who is in
dicted; and after the plea Of guilty
=