The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1909-11-05
NOT MlN ImS I'M.

NOT 6ulN ms Inn.
The editor of the Jones County
News is seeing things" and he
really ought to take something for
it.
In It's current issue Jul Jones
county contemporary makes the SEN
satlonal charge that Governor Noel
is In league with the Gulf & Snip
Island road, and that the officers of
that corporation dictated the ap
paintment of the new district attor
ney Of the thirteenth judicial dis
trict.
We don't believe it. Fact is,
knowing Governor Noel as We do,
we don't believe he is in league
with any corporation. faction or in
dividual. He is in a crowd all ty
himself these days. and if any per-
son should come to him with a prop
osltion for a league, combine or COM
pact, he would drop dead with as
constituent.
Stating it more clearly, the gov
ernor is pursuing the even tenor of
his way, doing nothing save the
regular routine work of his office,
attracting little attention at home
or abroad, and apparently putting
forth every effort of which he is ca
pable to earn the salary attached to
his Office.
In the appointment of Hon. A. w.
Dent, of Mendenhall, as district at
torney in the thirteenth district, the
governor used good judgment. Mr..
Dent is an able lawyer, we'll equip
ped in every way for the office, and
ought to make a splendid district
attorney.
1t happened this way. Mr., R. L.
Dent, who had been serving as as
sistant to the general counsel of the
Ship Island road at Gulfport, re-
celved a voluntary offer to become
a member of a prominent legal firm
at Vicksburg, succeeding the late
Hon. Murray F. Smith. The offer
carried with it a salary larger than
Mr.. Dent was receiving. Naturally,
he accepted it, and, naturally, the
Gulf & Ship Island road desired a
new assistant to fill the vacancy
caused by Mr.. Dents resignation.
For some time Judge ]. H. Neville,
general counsel of the Ship Island
road, had had his eye on Hon. Bar.
ney E Eaton, district attorney in
the 18th district. He was impress
ed with the exceptional ability that
had been shown by this young Of
fetal, who, by the way, is a grad
uate of Millsaps College. Mr..
Dents place was offered to Mr..
Eaton, and accepted. All of this
happened without Governor Noel's
knowledge. He was not aware that
Mr.. Eaton intended to resign until
the resignation reached the exec
utive office. For several years Hon.
A. W. Dent, of Mendanhall, has
been a close personal and political
friend of Gov. Noel. It is a habit
of our chief executive to think of
his friends first, and in this in
stance he thought of Mr.. Dent. By
the way, it's non of our business
it the governor sees fit to give first
thought to his friends. This has
; been the policy Of all governors in
the past, and will doubtless be the
policy of other governors in the fu-
ture. At any rate, Hon. w. A
Dent was rendered the judicial va.
cancy, and accepted it. This tells
the whole story.
Contrary to the opinion of the
, Jones County News, no great crime
was committed. The avocations Of
three men have been changed, all
are satisfied with their swaps, and
all are well qualified for their new
positions. What's the use of howl.
ling about it?
Governor Noel receives enough
deserved censure without hopping
on him when he is not guilty. The
charge that he is being dominated
by the Gulf & Ship Island road is
not even respectable nonsense
Jackson News.
Il of M fnnthall stock WAS DIV.