The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1914-03-03

and made the proposition square ana
nat that If would have the case
against Bilbo mol pressed that they |
would pass the bills to pay the Burns
Detective Agency, confirm all my ap-
pointments and do other things men,
toned at the time, all of which was
fatty rej5ct by me, stating that |
never have and never will traffic in
any legislation, nor traffic in any case
pending in any criminal court"
The governor then refers to a sec
/ ton in Pittman's letter, in which the
statement was made that following
the exoneration of Gore, friends OF
Bilbo and Hobbs contemplated a res
olution generating them, which caus-
this statement, Brewer declares he
never had any anxiety that the legis-
lature Of Mississippi would pass any
such resolution. He reviews the Hobbs
case in brief, and declares Hobbs
should have besn convicted on his own
testimony.
Brewer denies absolutely the state
ment in Pittman's letter to the effect
that records of Mr.. Davis commissary
clerk at Parchman farm, had disap-
peared after the investigation by thu
detectives. He quotes Davis own tes-
timony to the effect that no such re
cords ever existed. Other witnesses
are cite d to prove this contention
He says, further, that during the pen
itentiary investigation, he was met by
opposition mot only by the crooks
who were turned up and convicted,
and their imme date friends, but by
your beloved lieutenant governor, who
is doing all within his power to en-
barras the administration" He says
the circulation of prejudicial state
ments like that published by Pittman
is calculated to destroy public conf
: dence and render the governor power
less to cope with the strong influences
that have been robbing the state" He
severely scores those members of the
legislature who are supporting the con-
victed men and their friends and
whom, he says, ars trying to prevent
| the state from recovering. He pays
tribute to the Burns detectives work,
and gives them large amount of the
credit for increasing the prison reve-
nuss from less than nothing to $780,
900 annually.
81 am going to say to you Mr.. Pitt
man, in plain, English language that
| have honestly and conscientiously
tried to stop thieving and grating in
the state of Mississippi; that have
tried to stop bride soliciting and traf-
ficing in legislation and all kinds Of
corrupt dealings, and that do not ap-
preciate being accused of this crook
edness by a member of the legislature,
and | don't care if it does come
from a legislator am going
to tell you that it is wholly with
out foundation, and | am going to
tell you furthermore that this fight with
the crooks and grafters in Mississippi
l have had to go up against all kinds
of distractions, law suits for $1,000
threats of personal violence, threats
and attempted blackmail, and then I
have heard it whispered for political
reasons that I'VE will cut off every ap-
preparation to pay for any investiga-
ton he makes, cut off every species and
form of patronage from him in order
to weaken him and turn him out to
fight the states battles without the re-
sources with which to do it and make
him failure, and all the time we rep
resent to the people of the state that
he is doing corrupt things, like giving
entertainments to cajole legislators to
vote against corrpt bills, and that he
is trying to barter legislation for cases
pending in the criminal courts. In
other words we will break down the
governor with falsehood and calumny
for the benefit OF politics.
Now / want to say to you that
am not candidate for any office on
the face Of the earth. nor do expect
to be candidate; that If God knows
my heart have no object in view save
the welfare and glory Of Mississippi
and her people who have. honored me
as they never honored any man before,
and 1t may be by this kind of misrepre-
sentation they will succeed in breaking
down every effort at enforcement Of
the law and turn this state over to the
crooks, but I will promise you that be |
fore 1t is done, that If God Almighty |
gives me health, strength. vigor. voice |
and vitality, with which He has so |
nobly endowed me in the past, before
they do this, will take them before