The Tupelo journal., 1913-10-24

men in the state that was undertaking
to draw the state out of this mire, l
wired The Pitchfork / would still write
my story on Mississippi and simply
write the truth, stating only facts
which were a%budantly proven, in the
name of justice and for the benefit of
the people who might otherwise be de-
ceived.
This governors name is Earl Brewer
born in 1869, in the rural districts of
the state; served a term in the state
senate and made a fine record; served
for several years as district attorney,
and no better record was W. made by
a prosecuting officer in the state. He
is an indomitable worker, entirely un-
selfish. seems to care nothing for po-
litical p~referment, takes the course he
believes to be right and in accordance
with the oath of his Office, follows the
law, whether it leads to the popular
or unpopular route, and all the arrows
of tyranny and calumny that have been
hurled at him by the combination of
crooks and grafters have fallen as
blunted and profitless at his feet as the
arrows of tyranny fell at Llberty's feet
more than one hundred years ago..
1t is the policy of this writer to at
tempt to let the public know if they
have a rotten officer: it is equally my
ambition to let them know if they have
a good one. l went to Mississippi very
much prejudiced against the governor,
as these stories from the sources above
described lind permeated other states.
and | determined to have the facts.
Without having met the gentleman
personally, but taking the stories from
his enemies and from the people | came
in contact with, | came to the con
clusion that before his advent upon
the political horizon, honesty in Mis-
sissippi politics has been as unexpected
as childbirth iii a house of prostitution.
| believe the governors presence at
this time in his state, in this day Of
corruption, when grafters were UNDER
taking to rob and plumber and steal
from ov%er-ridden tax-bearers; when in
legislation with regards the creation of
new counties the ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS is
alleged to have openly solicited brides
and received them; when he is al
legged to have debauched the hopes of
younger men than himself, such as
Senator Hobbs, now a willing tool in
his hands, when he had taken from
the position of confidence and esteem
of the people of his district who had
made Hobbs state senator, and made
him an ordinary pettifogger with an
underlying, smoldering street talk;
when during the governors absence he
is reported to have peddled pardons for
money; and in view of the fact that the
receipts from the ~penitentiary alone
shows or increase of over Aqoarter ofa
million dollars for the next year after
the governor went inso Office and
checked the grafters off, l believe,
gentle reader, that the governors pres
ence in his state at this time Is re-
freshing as a hail-storm in hell.
This is not a studied defense of the
governor; only a plain statement of
facts. The Pitchfork is a Socialist
publication and will support any can
didate for governor the Socialists of
Mississippi nominate.
Having visited many Of the states of
the Union, observed the trial of the
crooks and the watchdog of the treas
ury, having been through New York in
the days of Hughes, through Missouri
in the days of Joseph Folk, and observ-
ed the manner of great men who made
the political hlgh-binders hide out,
must add that l never visited a state
where the Shiny. ugly and debauchlng
grafters feared and hated a man more
than the bunch in Mississippi fear their
present governor.
There will be a hue and cry raised
about newspaper ethics" yet these
grafters stood around and encouraged
and assisted me in what they believed
would u~njustly faint the name of the
governor. They watched me as joyfully
as a niger preacher watches the plug
hat during collection. They furnished
letters of introduction, one to another,
asking aid in finding out something
that would cast a stain on his charac-
ter. Senator Hobbs stayed wei two
days with me in Memphis and Meridian
for the purpose OF aiding me in what
he knew was an s'unethicap' act on the
part of any self respecting newspaper
man. w. C.. Blount of Water Valley