The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1915-01-08
MISSISSIPPI'S POLITICAL PURI-
FICATION.

In their published statements. State
Land Commissioner NJ. A. Brown and
Attorney V. OTIS Robinson. denied the
allegations Of the bill Of complaint in
the suit flied against them by the At
torHey General. at the instance Of the
Governor. The land Commissioner very
broadly intimstes that another motive.
which he alleges, than the public in
t~"rrst, inspired the suit. The case
se"ms to forecast another wash day
in addition to the many that have been
pulled off in Mississippi in recent years.
Quickly following the kettle of fish
above referred to. is a publication in
the Jackson News with the following
Introductory:
Some time last summer ! offered
you II communication calling attention
to the unauthorized expenditures of the
Mississippi legislature at lts last ses,
sion. Gov. Brewer used it in his re-
ply to Senator Russell, so stated by
the newspapers. and Russell was with
out a comeback Of any kind for it was
too true. | see that members Of the
legislature in Indiana were indicated
some time ago for this Identical thing.
and hear that there is some uneasiness
on the part Of our legislators. Well, |
only told half Of the story before, and
no" ask for a little space to complete
it,"
The published completion, consist
ing Of an enumeration Of alleged "un-
authorized expenditures, through
padded rolls Of employees, extras and
eXtravagant allowances, was COM
pressed IN a little space" Of a column
or so only. VIZ are not sufficiently in
formed to pass an opinion on the mer-
lts of such Il bill of particulars. While
it looks like petty graft, in which Ger
tain members of the legislature shared
and all acquiesced, it may be, in its in
spiration, a mares nest Of faction. 1t
will probably be made to do service
next year as ammunition in an assault
on the Offices by a fresh band Of patri-
OTIS and purifiers.
OF such charges, Investigations, ex-
posures and prosecutions against and
among our elect. there seems to be no
end. The latest contribution is made
the occasion for rcmarking, without
comment, that the scandal statistics in
official circles in the State since the
defeat of the BOSSES" the political
publication that was 30 boastfully hail
ed in the election of Brewer, Varda-
nan and Bilbo, goes beyond all that
have befallen the State since the days
Of the baggers. What these
1911 triumvirs have been saying Of leach
Their recently, contributed not a little,
toward the enlightenment of the peo-
pie upon what THEY gained in that
famous victory
The scandal thread has run unbroken
since the triumph of the purifiers the
legislature in its 1914 session devoted
the larger part of its energies of vocif-
GRAFTON and gallery play, to probing and
running down official graft and corrup.
ton. 1t appointed a select committee,
with plenary power and no limit Of
costs; to travel over the State under a
sort of rowing commission and hunt out
grating upon State institutions. They
well proved that the reports on which
they went forth were not all smoke.
AT the same time the Governor and his
detectives were as busy as bees hoeing
out another row of the same sort. Nor
is this the end of the chapter. Lieuten-
ant Governor Bilbo proposes to change
from the hunted to the hunters; in a
recent speech at the home of Governor
Brewer he thus established member
in the stop thief class:
Beginning January |, 1916" said
Governor Bilbo, II will commence a
thorough nva Of the State, and
will speak in every nook and corner.
1t is my sincere belief hat the people
Of Mississippi appreciate the work |
have done, and will show that they do
by voting for me in the primaries. At
any rate | have done my best to show
up the c~rookedness and graft that has
existed in Mississippi, and | am willing
to abide the verdict of the white vot.
ers."
With Gov. Brewers promise to speak
Yellow Rabbit to Vinegar Bend
uncancelled. and Lieut.. Gov. Bilbo Sin
every nook and corner" upon the same
mission of showing up crookedness
and graft and the members of the
legislature lodging or defying threats
Of indictment, there is indeed q New
treat in store for the voters of
Mississippi. - icksburg Herald.
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