The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1909-12-31

Tx MCkAu1N CUOU1S0eUN
The following pertinent editorial
a recent issue of the esteemed
Memphis Commercial Appeal is
appreciated by all patriotic
Mississippians, and The Common
wealth reproduces it with the most
approval of the sentiments SO
admirably expressed:
Governor Noel will leave the
work of selecting a successor to the
late Senator Anselm j. McLaurin to
the legislature of Mississippi. The
contest will be sharp.
Before McLaurin's death, Mr..
Vardaman was active in preparation
to make the contest against him, and
other prominent men were being So.
licited to make the race. MI. Var
daman will doubtless press his can
didacy before the Legislature for the
vacancy.
"The Commercial Appeal has no
thought of suggesting to the people
of Mississippi what man they should
send to the United States Senate,
but The Commercial Appeal does
have a large circulation in the State,
and, feeling that a Senator from
Tennessee, and all the other South
ern States, we believe that it will not
be regarded as an impertinence if
we suggest the sort of a man that
should be selected.
mississippi is a State of splendid
traditions, some of which had their
beginnings in the Senate of the Uni
ted States as we'll as on the battle
field.
I'm some of the Southern States
there has been a decline in the stan
dard of ability of man in national
life.
"Time was when Senators from
the South, because of their great at
tainments, impressed their character
upon the nation, and we're instru-
mental in shopping national affairs.
"This decline is the character of
public men was not SO great in Mis-
sissippi as in some of the other
Southern States.
Indeed, the Mississippi delega-
ton in Congress has generally been
strong, and forceful.
ITO have had four United States
Senators of the calibre of Jefferson
Davis, George, Walthall and Lamar,
is an honor of which any State may
pc proud.
I'm this coming contest, we be-
lieve the people of Mississippi,
through the deliberations of the leg
islators, will be apart from that per-
sonal element of politics, which so
often causes men in the heat of pub
lie debate on the stump to declare
for their preference on personal
grounds rather than to make up a
decision and act upon it after claim
and mature deliberation.
Senators from Mississippi in the
past have been neither "swashbuck-
lers" nor fanatics. Mississippi has
been fortunate indeed in having men
in the upper house of the national
Congress- who appreciated the great
dignity of the Office, and conducted
themselves accordingly.
I'm their work they have not been
sensationalists, nor extremists
"The next selection should be
that of a man thorough in knowl-
edge of the philosophy of a Republi-
can form of government, with a keen
appreciation Of human liberty and
with that broap democracy of spirit
that dominated the life of Jefferson
and which was so we'll understood
and appreciated and lived up to by
George, Lamar and Walthall.
mississippi is a big State. In il
today r many big minded men
and the choice for the Senate shoulo
be the biggest Drained men in tha'
State.
"It does seem that a State having
such splendid types of citizens a.
Longstreet, Whitfield, Leroy Percy
Alexander, Scott, Sexton and Maye'
should make a selection of a maj
to succeed the lamented McLaurin
who would serve his State well, ant
serve the nation we'll"