The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1915-05-28
BILBOS OFFICIAL RECORD.

Tor these elgnt years OF political activity? He further says:
LET us apply the science of chemistry to it. Let us apply
the acid test. Will his life stand it?' In the editorial col
umns OF that same paper is an editorial entitled: 1.-THE can
didate must stand for something definite" In a speech
made by the Lieutenant Governor in jackson, Thursday,
May 18th, he made this statement: '.Now. 1 want you to
remember three things for me. if you forget everything
else, and kindly pass the word down the line, the next time
you hear some one telling a lie. l am running for Gov
ernor on three propositions: First, Upon my faithful and
unqualified service to the people of Mississippi for the last
eight years. Second, Upon my fitness, preparedness and
qualification and experience to fill this office properly. You
know most anybody can hold the job; very few can fill it
properly. Third, l am making the race upon my plat
FORM or rather, the views and convictions that l hold in
reference to certain governmental AFFAIRS
Judging from the statements above quoted from his per-
sonal organ and the statement made by him on the stump,
we take 1t that Mr.. Bilbo is willing to have his fitness to fill
properly the office of Governor determined by his record
as a public officer. We are going to take him at his word;
ana, without INDUCING in any persona. reference. without
questioning or criticising his motives, publish his record
and ask the good people of Mississippi to look it. straipht
in the face and say what public act, or action, of his the
conclusion can be drawn that, as the Chief Executive Off
Ger this State, he will procure the enactment of beneficial
legislation.
Mr.. Bilbo is d young man, some thirty five or six wears
of age, a glib, ready talker. a rather pleasing manner. a
splendid collegiate education. Coming fresh from college,
he entered the practice of law. In 1907, he was elected to
the State Senate from the Senatorial district of which his
home county. Pearl River, formed a part. In January,
1908, he assumed the duties incident to that office and began
making his record as a public servant to which he now
points with much pride and assurance, Upon an examina-
ton of the Senate Ju nal of 1908, we fad that Mr.. Bibo
introduced twenty bills and four concurrent resolutions.
That the public may know just how this young man was
trying to benefit the 'toilng Masses to whom he now
refers so affectionately, We here give a list of the bills
fathered by this patriotic young man:
First, we give the four bills which through his efficient
efforts became laws:
S. B. No. 4o.-An act to appropriate money to pay for
clerical help in the Office of Attorney General Spencer S.
Hudson.
S. B. No. asa local bill relative to Lamar county.
S. B. No. 127. -Appropriating money to be used at the
experimental station at McNeill, Miss, (His home county
S. B. No. Asa. -Appropriating money to paw a clerk of
the Railroad Commission.
That was all. From that, we see conclusively that he
did nothing in 1908 toward the upift of his fellowman.
Let US now see what he tried to do, by examining the
bills that he introduced and that failed of passage:
S. B. No. AZ. "A bill providing for holding a constitu-
tional convention.
S. B. Nc. SEA- bill appropriating money to pay cer-
tain expenses incurred incident to the inauguration of Gov
ernor Noel.
S. B. No. s4.,A bill to increase the pay of members of
the Board of Supervisors.
S. B. No. 1o4. "A bill to define negotiable instruments.
S. B. No. 119.-A bill to increase the salary of court
stenographers.
s. B. No. 14s. To increase salaries of Judges and Dis.
trict Attorneys.
s. B. No. 1ss.-To increase salaries of teachers in pub.
lie schools.
S. B. No. 225.-To create a new county, to be called
"Walthall."
S. B. No. 23O. To establish a State Board of Forestry.
S. B. No. 267-A bill amending the game and fish law.
S. B. No. 297. Another effort to hold a Constitutional
Convention.
S. B. No. 1884. A bill providing for the employment of
a night Waterman.
S. B. No. 37e.-To create a new Chancery Court Dis
trct.
S. B. No. 1910. TO reimburse employees of the peniten-
tiary for bond premiums.
S. B. No. 435. -To amend Section 26O, Code of 1906.
with reference to life insurance companies.
S. B. No. 439. Relating to the keeping and indexing of
judgment rolls.
Of the foregoing sixteen bills, six were designed to in
crease the pay of public officers, or teachers; three pro-
vided for the creation of new county Offices; one for the
creation of a new county; two sought to provide for a con-
stitutional convention; and four, only, were of a general
nature, and they were regarded by the Senate as unimport-
ant and unnecessary, and Mr.. Bibo evidently cnocurred in
their opinion, because he does not appear ever to have
pressed them further.
No unbiased man can read this record and find anything
in it upon which to have based, at that time, the prediction
that Mississippi had produced a second Moses, who was to
lead the toiling masses out of the wilderness, and to stand
between the sons of toll and predatory wealth. His tenden-
cies were all extravagant. His mind seemed to run on
measures calling for the expenditure of public funds. When
the session of 1908 adjourned, this young man dropped out
of sight. We are told that he engaged in the practice of
law in his home town until the converting of the session of
1910. which was to play such an important part in his life.
Having had two years in which to study the needs of the
people, this modern Moses appeared in the Senate of 1910
and procured the passage of one lone bill: S. B. No. LAG. -
Restoring the right of suffrage and citizenship to one Sam
uel Merritt of Marion county, and who had been convicted
of crime.
At this session, Mr.. Bibo introduced nine other bills,
none of which were passed. These bills were as follows:
S. B. No. 13.-Making an appropriation to maintain the
Mcneil experiment station.
S. B. No. 18.-Callhng for a Constitutional Convention.
S. B. No. A.-Appropriating $1,000 in aid of the High
School in Pearl River county.
s. B. No. 147s-9.-Designed to restore the right of
jury service to James Martin and George Martin of Marion
county and George Rouse, of Pearl River county men
having been disqualified by having been convicted of unlaw.
full sale of liquor.