The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1915-05-21

In discussing public questions we do not lean to vehement ex.
expression. No very strong cause is made stronger by Incorporate
speech, and no weak cause can be made strong by violent language.
Besides, in debating matters OF public concern only the reason
should be appealed to and you cannot pro6tably assault the reason
with a club. Further, there is a bare possibility that we may our
selves be wrong and we can only arrive at truth by careful and tenn
perate thought, carefully and temporarily expressed.
With this much understood we ask you to come let US reason
together" Thomas Jefferson once wrote, II readily supposed nv
opinion wrong when opposed by the majority. This statement
will admit OF debate. The majority of the Children of Israel we're
opposed in opinion to Moses when they clamored for a Golden Calf
to which they might lift up their hearts. Clearly Moses was in a
minority, but Moses was right Daniel was right in dealings with
NJ edes and Persians, but he was in the minority Then again a ma
jorty may have formed incorrect opinions, opinions founded upon
incorrect information. Or still further, the majority may have had
fasehood offered to them in the gnise OF. and labeled as, truth. If
such be the case is it not our duty not to yield unquesioningly to
the opinion of what may seem the majority, but rather to see that
the majority has correct information;
For the past four years the minds of the people have been
greatly vexed by the clamorous and unceasing claim Of one man to
popular suffrage. The claim of martyrdom was tor a long time put
forth and even to this day that posture is assumed when it seems to
offer valuable result. a martyr is one who suffers vna iously for
some other person. or for a vrtuous cause. Now the man of whom
we speak suffered only for his own imprudent and violent expression
about others. He was cudgeed once because his language about a
mans old mother was such that no selfrespecting man could toler-
ate, and by another man of whom he had spoken in such terms of
abuse and disrespect that, under our present way of thinking, the
victim of his verba! assaults could do nothing less than reply by
corporal chastsement. He was simply the victim, it seems to US,
of his own folly. He suffered for this folly and not for any one, or
anything else. On this he founded his claim to martyrdom. With
this he has appealed for public sympathy.
A brave man would resent public pity; a good man would not
be willing to profit by undeserved sympathy.
Now bear in mind, at the time he suffered his "martvrdom" he
was not known IS a public character and did not eve then know
that he Represented the farmers" or the people" as he is bold to
claim. His first advent to public notice was as a witness in a case
involving a charge OF bribery in which his own position was of a kind
from which men sensitive about their honor usually shrink. He was
of so little public fame Or reputation that the attorney prosecuting
the case in which he was a star witness, for the state spoke of him
as "a little piney woods devil" We cannot say that we approve the
language in which the district attorney couched his thought but the
1pinion he expressed seemed to be the opinion of the public at large
at the time. Out Of that case our subject emerged with a reputation
it is true, but a reputation which men even of "evl mind and man.
ners and dishonest conversation" usually try to avoid, and if &C.
CURED usually try to live down. The Jury failing to see any truth in
any of his sworn statements in this case promptly acquitted the
person whom he accused and then he went before the peopIe them
selves and made statements where the laws penalizng perjury do
not run. Any statement may be made upon the stump without vo-
lating any law except the law of God, and that law ur subject does
not seem to fear.
But softly; our adventuref into the blazing field of publicity
had to have a excuse for appealing to the popular ear. He used
to notes in his bugle call to people to assemble. One was the
9mmon one of curiosity; curiosity to see a man who had made such
a sudden and finished reputation as a-wen, say worthy member of
the Ancient and Concatenated Order of Ananias. Anv reputed
monstrosity, two headed calf. train robber. murderer or other dis
tineunhed variation from the usual course of things in nature will