The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1910-06-03
The Claim of Right Does Not Cover
the Smirch of Wrong.

United States Senator. is indeed
pitiable In their desperation they
have deserted the precedents oi
State and have invaded the sanctity
of the church to seek some prOce-
dure which they can foist "a par
allel to the iniquitous methods OF
their own dark caucus. They pa
rade the manner of the election of
bishops by the late Methodist Con-
ference at Ashville az justification
Of the dark proceedings resorted to
in overriding the Will of the people,
and cautiously avoid making any
com parsons in support of the par
allel. There is no informed man
but knows that Methodist bishops
are elected according to usages pre-
scribed by the church, and never
repudiated by any element OF the
faith. 1t is also known that the
method Of ballot used by that body
has always shown up clean in church
elections, bat corrupt rs sin when
employed in politics. In other words.
method in church and "A method
in politics present the opposite ex-
tremes-one is perpetrated IN right
eOusness; the other. scarcely ever Is.
Every one knows that Methodist
bishops are chosen in a manner en-
dorsed and acQuiesced in by all mem
bers % that faith. Also that they
are elected in obedience to church
polity, with the view of subscribing
the ends of good will and wisdom.
The Conference does not ignore the
of its constituency, nor III
high handed arrogance resolve itself
into secret conclave to defeat can
whom it believes, in fair
conflict, would he elected. It's bish-
OPS are selected in a manner ap-
proved by all, and without violating
any responsibility to those whom
the Conference represents.
Do not the two cases present about
the same parallel as two lines drawn
each to each? Let us see.
Did not the people Of Mississippi,
years ago, repudiate the dark elec- |
ton methods of conventions and |
submitting therefor the
fair and open method of primaries /
Did they not do this in the interest
Of honest politics, to relegate the +
shrewd trickster and To break the
back of the machine that was then
debating the officials of the cOun-
ties and State2 Is it needful to par
ticulariZe as to examples here?
Would not the mention of few of
the conventions held in this county,
the will of the people was
Dverridden and the nominations
we're dictated by bosses, suffice to
show why secret election methods
are SO much under the ban of our
people? Surely, and yet. certain
gentlemen of the late Senate, re-
solved themselves into a secret eau
Gus and practiced the very methods
so phatically repudiated by their
and. in some instances,
10 defeat that man whom their dis
tricts endorsed in the same election
that made them a Senator. Does
their disregard of obligation parallel
the purity of the election of bishops
at Ashville? Was their method
adopted with equally righteous mo-
tive and employed to conserve the
ends of peace, justice and the inter
ests of their constituency? Hardly.
La one case polity was rightously |
adhered to, in the other common
obligation was miserably transgress-
ed. This truth is evidenced by the |
results. Contentment. harmony,
peace, reign in the household of the
church. Discord, dissatisfaction and |
alleged corruption divide the polit- /
ical family. Does the cause lie in
the difference of motive that con-
trolled the electing bodies? If one
acted in righteousness to express the |
popular choice, and the other in |
to defeat the will of |
the people. would it not look so? If |
one earned the plaudits of a duty |
performed, and the other
reaped condemnation merited by |
high handed arrogance and injus- |
tice, is there any wonder? And is |
it strange that bribery, debauchery.
and corruption have been alleged
and charged as addenda to the mys-
terious doings of this famous eau
Gus? Would not its reputation of |
open methods, to give each candi- |
date before the legislature fair