The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1916-08-04

yincible courage he had SO often
manifested on the field of battle.
If he had ever modified, in a slight
degree, his views on the money
question he would have gone to the
United States Senate without any
trouble, but he sternly refused to
! WELD one inch Of his honest convic-
tons for a seat in the United States
Senate.
That is the kind of man the peo-
pie need to represent them, because
they can go to sleep and trust him.
The country will learn ultimately
that men of honesty, candor, cour-
age and steadfastness Of purpose
are the safest and most reliable
custodians Of the common interest,
regardless of brilliancy, fluency, or
even q wide range of miscellaneous
information. Jefferson said SINGER
ity was the strongest bulwark in
the character Of a representative.
He said: II esteem sincerity above
all things" But for the valor and
fidelity of the Ku Klux Khan the
South would yet be under the heel
of the oppressOr and the hand of
the despoiler, and this beautiful
and prosperous country of ours
would have been as chaotic and as
revolutionary as Mexico. i well
remember the eloquent antics of
some men who pandered to both
sides while playing the game of
"watchful waiting" to see who
would come out winner SO they
might safely step to the front and
claim leadership. We have the
same class with US yet; some of
them enjoying fat places.
Never having sought or desired
official responsibilities, l have nat
urally been a free lance, speaking
without restraint or apprehension Of
losing political favor, from the
platform and through the press, my
honest views of men and measures.
standing as l do now at the sunset
of life and calmly reviewing the
rugged highways which l have
travelled in peace and in war, l
am inclined to the conclusion that
in my more vigorous years l may
have been too aggressive and too
antagonistic to those holding oppos-
ing views. If the same faults
should attach to Willim G. Ward, it
may be largely attributed 10 inheri-
lance and home associations. From
his boyhood we have read together
studied together and discussed to-
getner moral and civil problems,
the duties of citizenship and ques-
tons of state and national interests.
Their are some considerations
involved in the pending campaign of
more interest to the people than
the election of either one of the
candidates. One Of these consid-
e%rations is the long tenure of office.
Long tenure Of Office is the offspring
of the old rotten convention system
where nominations for Office were
always made without the slightest
regard or Difference to the will
of the people and the general pros
at the county sites. and select dele
gates to the state and district
conventions who proceeded to make
the nominations by barter, trade
and political combination. After
that the incumbent would only
have to look after the selection and
manipulation of delegates in order
to secure subsequent and repeated
nominations. The Primary Elec-
ton Law was intended to destroy
this vicious system. 1t sent the con-
ventOn to its grave, but c~arelessly
neglected to strangle it's cunning
progeny. the long tenure of office.
which still lives and thrives and
~fattens upon the good nature Of the
people. Thomas Jefferson, who
was the wisest and greatest states
man that ever lived upon the Ameri-
can continent, and who perhaps did
more for the rights of man, liberties
of hte people, and the general pros
perity and happiness of the human
race than any man who ever lived,
was a strong believer in "short
elections" He said representa-
ton should be frequently changed in
order Ito prevent them from form
ing a cabal,' by which he meant in
trigue and combination among them
selves to secure the retention of each
! other in Office without regard to pub
lie interests. The very cabal
against WHICH Jefferson warned US
has existed in the National Capitol
for a long time and is there to-day.
Every Democrat incumbent who
has had formidable opposition is
frankins out literature at the expens
of the government, trying to convince
their constituents that it would be
bad policy to change representatives
under present conditions" If the
people of Mississippi can be fed on
such fodder as this until thy are
convinced that it is bad policy
at any time to change rep
~resentatives under present CON
ditiOns," then we might as well
change the constitution, abolishing
general elections, elect the incum-
bent for life, and orly hold a special
election when oneof them should die
We may as well say to our brave,
brainy, strong, patriotic young men
you may just as well lean upon the
hoe and gaze upon the ground" for
we have concluded to establish mo-
nopoly in Office holding just as we
have in commerce and trade. We
have concluded to elect no man to
Congress who has not been there be-
fore.
These present conditions will
last always. They riseup serenelv at