The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1911-03-17
SPEECH OF
HON.. c. \. ALEXANDER
Delivered at the County Court
House at Jackson, Miss,
January ~, 1911.

sippi. We are falling ON evil dayss1
There was a time when craftsmanship
made its appeal to patriotism and made
it in words eloquent with reason; when
Mississippians followed with proud and
auickening steps while towering men
like Davis, Lamar, George and others Of
lustrous nam led them on the way.
men they were, strong yet gen
tie, brave yet tender, masterful yet
modest. They hated q lie and scorned
the ways of the demagogue. Ii ! can
not hope to reach that high table.land Of
thought and discussion, l can at least
turn away from the low levels where
de~magoguery makes its appeal to pas
sion and makes it in the language o. the
vulgarian; where vituperation is the
weapon of selfish ambition, where epithet
is preferred to argument and where
bravado is accounted for courage.
Lam not a politician, much less am
I a professional politician. The word
politics in its true and highest sense 10
the science of government, but the cor
ruption Of latter day politics has de-
graded the word politician until it means,
in popular p~arlance, the man who is
concerned only with office. The profess
sional, whether in the realm Of sport or
politics, IS the man who is in it for
gain. Ii there be any way that leads
through vulgar applause to public office,
| have never sought or found it. | shall,
pay you, my friends, the compliment of
casting aside the rounded period and
tinselry of rhetoric and appealing to
your highest thought. I have no ap-
peal to your passion or prejudice, nor
have l any appeal to any special class.
l hold that any man in public life who
seeks to array section against section,
class against class, the country against
the town, or labor against capital is
worse than a ~demagogue. He is a public
enemy. / shall exalt the citizen. l see
in every man before me a sovereign as
well as a subject-a sovereign because
of the citizens high prerogative to
make laws and participate in government
"a subject because his highest duty is
to obey the laws. How shall / come
before this composite citizen? Shall I
come with words of homage and praise
to the sovereign Shall 1 fiatter you by
exalting before you your rights, your
liberties and your supremacy, or shall
| come with words of ~admonition for the
subject? If l sought only popular favo-
the choice would be easy; but, believe
me, my fellow citizens, the time has
come when patriotic men should boast
less of liberties and talk more of laws,
when they should think less of rights
and ponder more their duties. With this
as my profound conviction, l am enter
ing into this campaign.
For the first time I am before the
people of my native state asking the
bestowal of an office. Its dignity chal-
lenges my pride, its honor appeals to
my ambition, and it's duties and difficult
ties would call out my highest powers of
thought and endeavor. When l contem-
plate the gravity of the trust and the
Cudl ACtCl LII dCiACN CIuCiltS " tuOSc VIII
have filled this office, I am burdened
with the feeling that he who covets this
dignity or seeks this service should zone
in humility to his task. My experience
in advocacy has never been in my own
behalf. 1t has been confined for the
most part to the court room. 1t is true
l have never hesitated to turn aside from
the beaten paths of a profession over
burdened with labor to bear my humble
part in every movement for the public
welfare, in every crusade for civic and
governmental purity, and always with
out money and without price, yet my
career has led me Oftener to reason with
Jurors than voters. l know of no way to
reach and nov the springs of human
action except to appeal to mems noblest
natures and highest thought with that
candor and simplicity Of speech in which
honesty and earnestness always find ex-
preston. But, do not forget, my friends,
that there are qualifications for the
juror as we'll as for the advocate. What
is the first question that is asked OF a
juror? Have you formed or expressed an
opinion? Is it a fixed opinion? If you
answer yes, you are not allowed to sit
even on the smallest case. Now, our
case is before the greater jury of all
the democratic voters of Mississippi. The
legislature had no power to do more
than fill the vacancy. The democrats of
the state have reserved to themselves in
a primary the nomination of a senator
for the full term. What are your quail
fications for serving on this greater
juryi have you formed and expressed
an opinion! Is it q fixed opinion? Have
you already rendered your verdict, ever
before hearing the evidence! Have you
signed up, and that, without waiting
to give the new man a chance or a
hearing! Or, if you give a hearing
and l know the people of jackson are
always courteous-will it be a hearing
like that given by the old justice of the
peace who told the young lawyer, $50
OF if you want with your speech, but l
tell you plainly you are leading of a
furloin hope,'" or that other Justice,
who seeking like q chancellor to appear