The sea coast echo. [volume] (Bay Saint Louis, Miss.) 1892-current, 1910-02-26
AS TO RICHARD.

/ which drew to a close Win last Satur-
days election, was free from the cal
umnious Campaign he', so homogene-
Gus to every life of struggle for politi-
cal preferment, yet a remark dropped
here and there quite thoughtlessly and
possibly circumspectively, with malice
aforethought, hoping, like the proven
! bal SNOWFALL, to roll along with time
into gigantic proportions and forthwith
to make capital thereof, seems to have
been the exception. These exceptions,
| fortunately, have been rare, and with
little or no foundation to rest upon.
| But the "unkindest cut of alp, although
we know not the source of this miscon-
ception, was evolved and used with an
attempt at much gravity against our
most distinguished friend and peer Of
| them all-Hon. Richard Mendes, nomi-
nee for the office of city secretary and
auditor.
A candidate for the Democratic nomi-
nation for reelection to the Office he
has held nearly score Of years, it was
noised about that he was an applicant
for the appointment as postmaster OF
Bay st. Louis at the hands of Repub-
lican administration, and this, crime Of
all crimes, was heralded with feeling
from certain quarters that was nothing
less than akin to a fiendish glee, and
self-constituted high priests of the local
Democratic party fastened to proclaim
from the house tops that this was not
only in contrayention of party prin-
ciples, but was treachery and only be-
coming to a renegade, and, to put it
mildly, was nothing less than lese ma
jeste to the party, and so it was pro
posed, as Brutus stabbed Caesar,
to assassinase this noble Rich
ard. This Campaign .ie", call it that
if you will, was a dastardly deed, infini
tesimal as it may seem in it's disparity
to real facts, truth and justice, but,
while it was we'll but not wisely calcu-
lated with all the mathematical exacti-
tude and the cunning of method that the
human mind is capable of, it fell with a
sickening thud, and those who would
hurl such petard fell. go, what fall
was there my countrymen!"
Now for a little analysis, a little his
tory, then little comment-and this to
enlighten, not to prejudice; to refresh,
81 fn hi Irrnf To an trIl6 no
stroy.
1t is an incontroVertible fact that
Richard Mendes never made an over
ture for the position, and in no way was
he an applicant. Shakespeare has said
some people are born great, some
achieve greatness, and others have
greatness thrust upon them, and in this
instance, should the powers that be
think him great enough to confer the
office upon him, it will be an instance
where the honor will be thrust upon him
and not achieved.
1t is well known that the recommen-
dation of a congressman or a senator
for the posmastership Of any community
within his district is assiduously sought
and carries with it exceeding weight, SO
much so that it's prestige is generally
appealed to, and once secured is jeal-
ously guarded. And this is the pre-
rogative Of every congressman. When
be fails to exercise it in the interest Of
his party he is branded as not only be-
ing derelict in preserving the principles
of his party, but falls from grace as we'll.
Without disparaging the efficiency of
the present postmaster In Office IN this
city, the services Of a Democrat have
long been sought, for it is in no wise un--
usual for Democrats to hold office under
Republican administration and vice
versa. History, repeating itself as it
does, tells of Democratic presidents ap-
pointing a Republican or more to port
folios in the presidential cabinet, and
today in a Republican Presidents cabi-
net we have a Democrat (from Tennes-
see) breaking bread under the same
IOOl. <alu w SleO hioeOty iiShe az
homeland in the postoffice To-Day
ST. Louis had for eleven years post
master (Mrs. Avery, all honor to her
memory who served, and accepted ap-
pointments, both under Republican and
Democratic administrations, and her
party principles were no less for
that, neither did she sacrifice self
respect or lower her political morals.
If anything, it was to the contrary.
Yes, there are many Democrats in Bay
ST. Louis today who could not accept
the appointment for the reason that they
could not get It'll There are many
Democrats, too, who Will strain at a
gnat and swallow camel, depending
upon whose OK is gorel.
Exercising the accepted rights, in the
premises, Of Democratic Congressman,
some many moons since, when the sum-
mer was young and the feathered song
sters warbled at their best, Congress-
man E. j. Bowers, Democrat sans peur
ct sans reproche, without previous soil
citation, informed Richard Mendes, an
other Democrat of the same type whose
| party fealty and devotion count for
much, that he had recommended him foI
appointment to the Bay ST. Louis post
mastership, and when Mr.. Mendes was
apprised of this both he and his friends