Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1912-01-18

blishcd that II hs- acquired the force
W., the tradition ii this occasion re-
the Governor-e II at this time to
fr an Inaugural Address, and en-
therein the neral policies he
& for, and viii. he hopes to have
allied into law by the aid of the
lative dapartms I of the state
Party D srmony.
efore entering 10, the discussion Of
problem OF goss 'nment, and before
hmitting for yoe- consideration sug-
kstions Tor their Eolution, moment
bay be gwen for n lea to harmony and
pod will without -,-ansgressing the ca
IONS Of good iait, and with the hope
hat the spesker II escape the charge
bf attempting Ia pe y the role of teacher
br mentor
~ is Easy to f.lecast that the Gov
fnor whose terra office begins today,
b reason of the u ique conditions which
rought about fis unanimous selection
a the standard III rer of his party, will
I've trouble all sss own during the en-
hing four years. lon the other hand, it
ki(eems clear also, That he occupies such
flations to the tvcral factions within
u party that imperative duty is
sreby imposed ppon him to make an
pest and cour: 7eous effort to restore
tty harmony, pecially while We are
engaged in &c transaction of the
business Of the hole people However
fhankless this tax may be, and however
liable to minscof truction and criticism.
mt of a sense II duty | have decided
Devertheless 10 --ssay the role Of peace
aker.
Standing at c very summit Of my
nbition ard ntved by a fixed purpose
use every leg4 innate effort to advance
u conserve moral and material
Hare OF the tate, and to give every
Dment Of my me and thought for the
It four yeaf- to the interest of the
bple, 1t is suely not amiss for me to
i'm the eoo,eration,, sympathy and
pport of Aery department of the
ate govcrnmfnt, so long as my official
nduct gives evidence of a desire to
romplish soisething for the prosperity
u glory OF tie Commonwealth.
IN order Il we may serve the people
q. We mn frst have peace and har-
my; the ? sions and animosities en-
nndered and hhamed by the white heat
~ political lnbaat must be forgotten.
u there are hose who must indulge in
ordinations Ind recriminations, let IL
b. postponed fIutil election years. when
they can AZ at offer as an excuse for
using such Questionable methods the
degenerate ptetiees Of later day politi-
cal warfare.
We Of thd South have q problem
which, IN it-imo-t acute form. does not
exist in thrtStates north Of the Ohio
river. That may find some righteous
solution of his problem is the equally
sarnes; de- + Of all and, TO that end,
il is essent hl that the virtue and intel
hgenee Of pc State should stand to-
gether, ana frown upon any and all
things viii, may tend to create dissen-
sion and 4 fision in our ranks.
e ha' two schools of political
ght ir our State, and this Is true
Of III the States. We have patriotic
Y D who re extreme conservatives, and
- have lso many good men who are
1dieals il their progressiveness, but the
great haas. of our people are neither too
radical OF too conservative. Because y:e
disagree iPon men or measures, is no
reason WY We should suspect each 9TH
er of lasS of sincerity or honesty. The
maintennee of white supremacy in all
its vigo, is OF infinitely more impor-
tance thin the advancement of the po-
litical f,,tunes or the political cruci6x-
ion of asS man or group of men in this
State.
Belle ing this, and being inspired by
no motive other than the good of my
N1ate. earnestly summon my co-labor-
ers-ro put aside all thought Of faction,
or schism. and let us enter upon our
duties with a fixed purpose to welcome
the counsel and aid of all who may have
anything to offer which promises to ben
eht the people whose interest wefhaye
been chosen to represent.
Reformation Of Criminal Law and Pro-
eedure.
The common law Of England is the
law OF Mississippi except where changed
BY statute, and therefore the courts of
our State are bound to archaic prinei-
pies, wise enough when made, but often
entirely untitled to modern conditions.
The safeguards thrown around per-
sons charged with violations of the Grim
inaI law, by judicial construction, were
designed to soften the rigor of the law
ct time when what would now be re-
garded as trivial misdemeanors were then
denounced As feionies and punishable
by death.
The judges of thas period were more
humare than the laws they were called
upon to enforce; 30 il was that the
courts began to build barriers around
miserable and helpless victims of a bar
barous code Of laws for the purpose of
rendering il more difficult 10 shed hui
man blood.
Aiscarrisges Of justice are improperly
attributed to the ineffcieney of the
courts and the parties charged with the
duty Of law enforcement. Experience
and an intimate acquaintance with the
Judges who have presided over the courts
OF his State for the past twenty years
justify the assertion that the fault does
not lie in any degree at the doors Of
judiciary; and only to a limited ex-
tent are the other officers of the law re-
sponsible fofe the lack of efficiency of
the machinery of the law.
The courts must be unshaekled and
the paralayzing influence of the ont
grown rule Of practice and procedure
must be brushed away Bya general over
hauling of our statute. The enforce
ment Of the law lies close to my heart,
and am convinced that nothing is of
greater Importance to the people and
t-~ftAttceo aHu PioopShhy- VIC ait
no better and no worse than the other
states Of the Union, but il seems that
our faults are magniiec and advertised,
while other communities escape such un-
desirable pu1iicity. In order to free the
courts and provide them with modern
code Of procedure and practice, by the
aid Of which much can be accomplished,
the Governor should have the authority
20 employ = commission to recast and
moderuise the practice in the criminal
ocurts. Other States have laws far in
eayancs Of ours, and such commission
snould examine the laws Of al the
1tsfss and the working thereof, and then
81 thsir laSors: md. II nscesssry. could
o4sr : bill locking TO an Improvement
Of cur laws. The cost Of the commission
venld Be- small compared to the value
Of the service, and the work could be