Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1908-01-16


and sir,us. or possibly have prevented
the child FROM entering the path Of rec
ti,ude and virtue at all.
Department Of Education.
The department. 81 education hs. b..
cone one af tho mo~i Important. " not
b. most important. department oi the
state government. Therv are many
made IN Sursrintens'
tut Power. report TO the legislature
which de-ervc~ scrious consideration
Ne class ot our people contribute more
to the well being of soeirty than the
men and women who have cnn-ecrated
their lives 20 the elucatinn and develop
ment - the minds and b..lie- of thu
loys anil girls. Upon whose shoulders N
few years an the responsibilities ~
hrue and government viii rest. School
traching has becume profession. The
relation of the teacher to the child u
almost a. sacred a. that of parent, and
sou cannot expect teacher To discover
and bring out In the child the better
Part. of It's nature mnie.. the teacher
shaii h. trsinel. any m"rr than you can
expect doctor. or lawyer or
preacher to suerecd in their professions
without preparation.
Abolish the Saloon.
n I were called upon 10 name the on~
thing that has wrought the most harm
in the world. caused more poverty,
hesrtaehes. hlightsl lives. frustrated
ambitions. than all other agencies for
evil combined. I shouid ssv the intsm
perate use oi Intoxicating liquors.
Whisky taken imm0deratrly j. hurtful
20 man physicaliy. spiritually. mentally
en- financially. II i an evil. without
a mitigating incident II il the deadly
drug into which the Jewels of the hearts
best L,ys are dissolved and pourcl into
the mouths Of men "a madden the brain
and destroy the soul u J. verify the
Circesn vortex from whose voluptuuus
whirl. comes human swine 20 scatter
the SEEDS of sin AMI death. from which
will surely spring the tares u sunless
sorrow trust that yon NAV >ee NJ
To cuast laws at once which viii forever
~ipc this stigma from the state Of Mis-.
sissiPpi.
Public Service Corporations
The right IT the state Of Mis.i-sippi
To regulate public service corporations
in intra srate matters i settled beyond
dispute. anil the duty of the state 20
regulate them does not admit Of quss.
tion. The public must h protected
against The greed and cuuidity of these
corporations. AMI the public convenience
demands that there - some remedy f0r
their iniifTsrcrce There il M question
before the American people toslay which
touches more vitality the material in
terests 20 the masses than the matter
Of passenger aui freight rates on the
railroais
The Jssieiary.
Ordinarily. a poorly paid public oFi
cial a. an economic agency Is failure
The state should not ak it. citizens 20
render efficient anil intelligent serVice
v ithout giving 10 that citizen fair
s-,tapen.aticn Tor such service The cost
of living has increased. and all the eN-
renses of maintaining a home have
nearly ,.eubls-i in the last decade. The
circuit afd chanccry Judges receive to-
iay N. same salary that was paid them
hv the ,tEte twenty wears ago-twsuty
seven haadred and fifty dollars psr year.
This salary l. too small 10 tempt a law
ycv who J. capable Of performing the
functions a. that great Office. even II
there were no travelling expenses and
hotel hills to pay. but with these not
incensiderable expenses added. II makes
the compensation for efficient scrvice
exceclingly small.
Elective Judiciary.
While I think there j. no cause of
complaint or lust grounds for criticism
OF the men who have served the state
az Judges under the apopintive system,
nor do | believe the character of the
i,slees will b. improved by change in
the method of selecting them. still ! he
lievc the method of electing bv the
psotle more nearly acenrd- with the
Democratic idea Of government, aud out
ri respect and Difference to demand
throughout the state for change in
the system.
State Depositories.
Experience in other states has demon
Strated the wisdom Of state repositories.
! believe that a prudent. Wi>e system of
state depositories will facilitate the
collection Of taxes. simplify the dis
bursement Of public funds. prevent the
congestion of money in the state treas
ury. Keep the money in circulation
performing the bcnefceut function for
which money was created-snd az the
same time add to the states reseBue-
This recommendation i made. of course.
with the idea in view that the legisla
ture -halI provide by law for such safe
guards as will render impossible the los-
Of the states funds by peculstiou. bad
investments, OF misfortune on the part
Of the borrower: and to also provide
against the possibility Of such deposi-
tories becoming corupting influence in
state politics.
Soldiers Home.
Your attention j. directed 10 the ~,
port of the board of trustees of the Sol
diers' Home. I cannot too highly com.
mend the fidelity to duty and the EFF
cheney of this board in carrying out the
legislative viii in the management oi
this splendid home for INDECENT and
homeless ex Confederate soldiers While
there has been some little friction. and
now and then little complaint on the
part of the unfortunate old fellows. still
| am OF the opinion that the home could
not be managed better. more care and
kindly attention given TO the old sol
diers than have been accorded them In
this home by the board Of trustees, the
superintendent and the matrOn.
The State Militia.
The state militia of Mississippi Is in
better condition today than ever before
within its history. Under the wise and
devoted direction of Adiutant General
Fridge, degree of efficiency has been
attained which it has never enjoyed be
fore and it is a golden augury OF wha,
may be accomplished in the future.
County Convicts.
One of the necessary reforms that
should be made in our penal system is
the care or disposition of the county
conviets. No convict should be worked
under contract on public works, at saw
mills and ON plantations by men who
are interested in the product of the con
viet's toll. Some of the most atrociou.
and conseieneeless crimes that have beer
perpetrsted in this shate are ehargeabls
to the county contractor. ! have known
the poor convict driven to exhaustion
or whipped to death TO gratify the greed
or anger of be eonseieneeless driver ol
contractor.