Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1915-07-30
FOR WHOM SHOULD WE VOTE7

III IcCeHU YEARS NlAoolSooppl A"o 10 ""N ~
Is, suffering from the excitement of politics-pOlitics
of a low order, at that-hence her rueful thrOes.
The result is evident in undesirable conditions
which hold small hope for improvement In the near
future.
Improper methods have thriven, and the crooked
citizen in official place continues to reap the har
vest which of right ought to go to men Of merit.
Executive watchfulness and persistent effort to
bring merited punishment to malefactors have not
always brought about the ends desired.
How successful Governor Brewer might have
been in bringing rascality to book, aud furnishing at
law the guilty, If he had not been checked at almost
every move, and his desire and intent baked at
every turn by the cohesive power Of graft and the
tainted tricks of the satellites of the schemers
whose political scoundrelism has prospered, it is hard
to say.
To become impressed with the evils Of the cir
eumstances and influences obtaining in the State, it
is only necessary to recognize and appreciate the
fact that self accusation of doing that which every.
where is viewed as low flung or corrupt, and self
confession of immorality-of bribery, and lying
about it-no longer either serves in Mississippi to
deter a man from Offering for high officer or to pre-
vent voters from flocking to his standard.
Again, we find candidates who sought to nego-
tiate a disreputable legislative trahic-sought to
arrange a dicker to swap legislation-to barter pc,
litical power and legislation with the Chief Exccu.
tive of the State flor his official influence shame.
lessly asserting claims to popular favor.
That such guilty persons have escaped the pen.
altles of law and gone unwhipt of justice is a crime
that does not lie at the door of the Governor, how
-. .u..ok, 30 lIo,,o otkoro .poo,, In far ~
Torn by factions, which, in turn, is ruled by self
seeking schemers and t~ricksters, the people seem to
have permitted the love of patriotism to pass from
them, and they have no apparent passion for the
glory of the State.
Designing men, wearing the mask of civic
righteousness the better to gain place and power
through the dissemination of inventions and fabri.
cations-mere lies which are half truths and are
ever the blacklist of lies -ingeniously conceived and
plausibly told-to create prejudice, excite anger,
arouse resentment and pave the way for the retire.
ment of honest worth that dishonest pretense may
occupy her high places, have put Mississippi in a
bad way.
Their success at the polls-the success of these
masqueraders, these wolves in sleeps clothing, was
won by appeals to the uniformed class of people,
VINO are Ignorant vi Vic ltCtS, TdtntT tnhn 10 Cn6
common sense and reason of we'll informed persons
devoted to truth and justice.
To the intelligence that is not swayed by passion
but adheres to truth and pursues the right for its
own sake, and despises the evil -doer seekidg to pros.
per by fraud and deception and corruptions-these
demagogues make no arguments and address no
appeals.
Our Ship of State is encountering rough weather.
She is feeling the force and fury of the angry winds
of a wild gale.
Its situation is not wholly unlike a real ship.
forced by a mutinous crew to traverse stormy
waters over an uncharted sea, while a desperate
scoundrel holds the helm and a s~cuttling cut. throat
walks the deck and commands the officers and sea.
men.
All over the State men may be found running
for office who are so tied to the coat tail of another
they scarce are independent enough to 60 in out of
the rain without being ordered to do so by some
higher.up knave and place man.
That corruption stalks abroad, defying decency
by airing itself in the MONDAY sun, with few to
modest and none to make it afraid in Mississippi,
will not be gainsaid by any well informed person
who recognizes a fact when it is fairly presented, and
possesses the faculty of Intelligent discrimination
between truth and error.
That corruption has ~prospered in Mississippi,
and expects to continue to thrive, is amply sttested
by recorded history and by the current events of
the day.
1t is a notorious fact that during the last ses.
sion of the Legislature the Governor of the State
State openly charged that q corrupt attempt had
been made to induce him to take certain action, in a
certain case, not in keeping with honorable conduct
and violative of official integrity.
The charge was too serious to pass unnoticed,
and his statement was challenged to the extent of a