The Semi-weekly leader. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1905-1941, 1908-03-11
1.-THE GOSPEL OF GRAFT"


Before any one proceeds to read
this article through, he is request
ed to look up and read an edito-
rial in The Leader of Feb.26, cap
toned, THE Tempter and the
Tempted, or, the Gospel of
Graft" (if he has never read it,
and next turn to and read the
article in another column of to-
days Leader, copied from the
Lincoln County Times and signed
by Mr., A. M. Summers, and in
tended by him as reply to The
Leader article mentioned.
At the outset of what is said in
reply to Mr.. Summers. we shall
try to make clear and distinct
few things that appear not to have
been clearly understood by him
and possibly others. In his clos
ing sentence, in discussing The
Leaders, former article, Mr.. Sum-
mers says: II could not let this
veiled attack 60 unanswered, and
especially when am doubtful as
to the real motive and purpose of
its author, whoever he might be, }"
thus expressing doubt both as to
the real authorship and motive of
the editorial referred to, and
strongly intimating that but for
this doubt. he might not have
been SO ready to rush into print.
We will state for the informa-
ton of Mr.. Summers and any
others who may share with him
this disturbing doubt, that every
line of the article he criticises,
except the ones embraced in quo
tation marks, was written by the
editor of The Leader, and be
alone is responsible for it.
No other individual on earth
ever saw it, knew it's contents, or
when it would be published until
it actually appeared In these col
umns, excepting only the printer
who set it up in type. There
we're good many persons who
knew most all of the facts recited,
but no one else wrote, suggested
or inspired the article. AS to the
motive, that was simply in accord
with the oft-expressed sentiments
and intention of The Leader and
it's editor to exert whatever intiu-
ence they can to discourage and
break up graft by publicly expos
ing it whenever We are sure it has
been practiced, and also in direct
line with the expressed sentiments
of the candidates convention and
citizens mass meeting held at the
opening of last years campaign.
And, as said before, so far as The
Lender is concerned, this policy
is going to be adhered to, let the
chips fall where they may; not
that we find qualification in ex-
posing or humiliating any man or
set of men for wrong doing, but
to check, and destroy, if possible,
an evil that has already spread
and fiourished too long in Lincoln
county for the welfare and best
interests of her people.
II feel it my duty to take no.
tice of a part thereof in justice to
my boy who has been attacked, es-
pecIally, and also in common with
all other county treasnrers and
sheriffs, all of whom have trans
acted business through the Comz
merciaI Bank" F." is the ostensibIe'
reason given by Mr.. Summers for
his plunge into print. When Mr..
Summers quotes The Leader in
another newspaper he owes it to
himself as we'll as to US to quote it
correctly and not garbIe what was
said nr make loose or reckless
statements, as is done in the open
ing part of his article. In the
first place, it is not true. as a mat
ter of fact and history, that all the
treasurers and sheriffs Lincoln
county has had in the past, trans
acted business with the CONNER
cial Bank" What The Leader
actually asserted in that connec-
tion was that "the political mana
gers of that institution had, by
one shift or another, managed to
get every Lincoln county treasur-
an13 - dnxoa;k GL - oonokn ,oonou
there for "the last sixteen years. "
We stand by that statement, and
challenge a successful contradic-
ton; but it was never intended
and does not necessarily imply
official corruption on the part of
all or any former treasurer who
had accounts there during "the
last sltxeen years. Sheritfs
were not mentioned even in the