Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1911-06-01
OKOLoNA MISSISSIPPI THURSDAY JUNE 1911
EDITORIAL WORTH READING

Cdl 10 NlCClClo'
Take Mississippi Up and down
and all through the state, highbrows
low brows alike are Tuning and luss-
ing and sometimes fighting over one
seat in the u. S. senate; when, rid of
all prejudice, acrimony and animosity
the paramount issue" Of that cam
paign is the personal ambitions of
three gentlemen: each of them with
merit, neither Of them without some
fault or weakness or short. coming.
And while the electorate Of the
state is engaged in this more or less
fruitless controversy, candidates are
running for the state legislature with
out platform or record and the law
making body Of the state is being
elected without thought or purpose.
1t is a great pity there is so much
sentiment and prejudice in politics,
and so little business. II is a great
pity the electorate will not connect the
politics OF the country more in their
minds with the business Of the coun-
try
The old convention system for
nominating candidates, with all its
abuses, had one strong, feature; 1t
wrote a platform.
When the state convention net if
there was something or anything the
people wanted, they asked for it in
their platform; and that committed the
party to it; and it that was the domi-
nant party and elected the legislature
was supposed to and generally did
write upon the statue books the plat
form promises of its parts.
Now, Tom, Dick and Harry run for
the Legislature, every fellow for him
self, and the one who gets it having
previously had no admonition or ad-
vice or instruction from his constitu-
tents at home, suddenly becomes so
wondrousIy wise that no advice thes e
same constituents can now give him
is worth a cent The glare of the city
lights dazzI him; the swish of siIken
pettcoats and whirl Of the social
world confuse him. A great light,
dawn upon him and he is amized to
learn what he didn't know at
home was a whole heap: and there
are so many obliging and engaging
gentlemen at the capitol, and a few
sweet-scented ladies', to tell him how
to get away" from his old fogy" no.
tions; and he has no platform, and
has made no pledges, and so he does
as he dern peases, And, as rule,
the less he does the more fortunate his
constituents are.
1t is too late for this year, but at the
very beginning Of the campaign for the
next general election, we believe il
would be we'll for the state executive
committee of the democratic party tc
call state convention, delegates to be
r elected by counties, to write platform
for the guidance of the governor anc
the incoming legislature.
This state is growing too fast for it.
business to be run in a haphazarc
way. The business men of the state
and by business men we mean every
man who works, whether in the GeId Oh
the shop, ought to meet and resolve
what they want and then send men tc
/ represent them and to write their
wishes into laws.
Every day Mississippi goes withou
= Juvenile Reformatory, is a reproacf
upon the state and waste of its re
sources. The talk about conversation
The biggest asset any state has is it,
boys and girls, and what is Mississip
, pi doing to conserve its boys and girl,
!. from the weaknessesEand bad envir
! onments?a94 A Juvenile Reformator,
, would be self supporting in this way
It would save the state more in crimi
nal costs then it would be a money
m taking institution for the state in thi.
way; 1t would take unfortunates, wbc
: in time would become burden and
c haage upon the state, and make pro
ducers Of ,hem.
The weak are not always vicious
and those who fall are not always a
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