The sea coast echo. [volume] (Bay Saint Louis, Miss.) 1892-current, 1911-07-15

ferred to remain in the general prac-
tice. Therefore, he was under no spe.
cial obligations to them. He hae
always, ne sal J, been on the side of the
people in the courts. He said that the
corporations were organized, not te
promote the general welfare of the pub
lie, but to coin money-to control out
puts and sales, and many times thereby
oppress the people. He said man was
needed at Washington City who was
capable of protecting the interests OF
the people against the encroachments
of organized wealth. He thought he
knew how to do this. He announced
himself as unqualifiedly in favor of an
income tax, and, in faot, he said, it was
/ the only fair method in equalizing the
burdens of government. He said, and
he quoted from the record, that Cover
nor Vardaman voted against an income
tax while member of the legislature.
He also quoted from legislative journals
to show that Mr.. Vardaman had voted
to exempt banks from municipal taxes,
to exempt per cent money from taxes
and against an elective judiciary.
AS to the various funds handled by
Gov. Vardaman, he said that the ex-
governor could clear the atmosphere and
show the taxpayers what became of
several thousand dollars if he would
only open the books. He insisted that
the people had right to demand of an
officer an accounting.
AS to the race question, he said God
made the white man superior to the ne
gro and ordained that he should con-
troll the negro, and that about the only
people he heard of that were especially
disturbed about the 'ascendancy of the
negro were those who were running for
office. He said the white people OF the
South managed the negro just after the
war when there were federal bayonets
here, and that he knew they could have
no trouble now. He said we had the
officers, the courts and the iuries, and,
too, that the North had about come to
the conclusion that the problem was our
problem, and that we should be let alone
about it.
He emphasized the doctrine that every
State had a right to make its own laws
and took the position that no federal
statute should operate to nullify
State law. He said that the supporters
of his opponents were just as honest
and just as patriotic as he was, and that
he was appealing to their judgment and
most conscientious thought.
In conclusion,, FL, distinguished
speaker said he had never spoken or
written word rejecting upon the sup
porters of any candidate. | concede
that they are as patriotic as | am and
are as xious to see and do the right
thing. How does Maj. Vardaman refer
to my followers? He writes in his Issue
that Alexander is getting the support
of the "psalm- singing suckers, and
his paper abounds with sneers at my
| Christian professions and efforts to be
consistent-sneers,w which seem now to
have become characteristic of him. In
| deed, ne seems to have sought the spirit
| of that infldel senator from the West
who some years ago publicly pro-
| claimed that the decalogue had no
| longer any place in American politics.
| If this shaft of ridicule had been aimed
! at me, would have let it go unheeded,
but when it is aimed at my supporters,
| who are, I believe, majority OF the
people of Mississippi, l will not let them
go without a word of defense. Who are
these men whom he thus derides? What
he said in derision, accept as praise.
They are the men who dare to believe
that there are heights in public living
and thinking, where politics and prin-
ciple, where duty and devotion, where
piety and patriotism can walk hand in
hand. Thank God there are such
heights in Mississippi. They are the
men who have been foremost in every
fight for civil as we'll as religious lib
erty, in every movement for pure gov
ernment and clean politics, in every
crusade to Danish an unholy traffic from
our land, in every struggle for the en-
| thronement of law and order-in short,
in every movement to make the world
better, brighter and happier. And in
these movements they have been un-
swerved by ridicule, untempted by
spoils. undaunted by danger, and un-
hindered by opposition. They are NOV
ing on to ultimate triumph.
"Yes, / concede that you are a pa
triot, it matters not whom you support.
If you are, then in your breasts time
and again the question comes, are our
liberties safe? Will our government
stand? Will our republic endure in its
glory and splendor and carry the bless
ings of law and liberty to the ends OF
the earth? I do not know. I am nc
prophet. The God of Nations has not
committed to me his oraeles, but this !
do know, that of old there were sproph-
cts, and the chosen people were made
to pass between them while some on the
mount of blessings told their blessings
and others on the mount OF cursing told
their curses. II | am to prophesy
| hope it may be of blessings, not curses
r L L ~. - r., -