The Semi-weekly leader. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1905-1941, 1916-04-01
4. N. MILLER ANNOUNCES.
To the People of the Seventh Con-
gressional District of Missis-

To the People of the Seventh Con-
gressional District of Missis-
sippi:
hereby announce my candidacy
for Congress, subject to the action
of the Democratic. voters in the
primaries to be held in August
next.
/ In doing so, | owe it to you to
state some of the principles for
which shall stand, if elected.
First, | am a lifelong Democrat,
believing in the principles of that
party as expressed in its national
platforms, and believing that the
happiness and best interests of the
people demand this party should
govern the country, and believing
that its supremacy in the ap-
preaching presidential election will
depend on our united efforts; | be-
lieve that Congress should stand
by the policies of our chosen lead
ers, who are in a position to know
what is best for the nation. |
therefore stand committed in ad-
vance, to follow, in a general way,
wherever our great president leads,
SO far as great national and party
issues are concerned.
We have heretofore seen the
baneful effects of a divided party,
which resulted in throwing the
Democratic party out of power
when its services were most needed
and believe in this crisis of the
country's and the party's fate, we
should stand together and stand by
the President, whom all unite in
commencing for his wise leader
ship and for preserving us from
the calamities of war under the
most trying conditions that ever
arose in the history of the nation.
We. are the greatest civilized
neutral power on earth today, bur-
dened with the responsibility of
preserving the neutral rights OF all
mankind under internatinal law,
and guaranteeing the integrity OF
all the nations OF this continent to
govern themselves free from the
monarchial encroachments of the
nations of Europe; and above all,
we have under immemorial inter-
national law the right to travel and
carry our commerce on all the seas
free from obstruction by any other
power or union of powers, and to
do this and discharge in full meas
ure our greatest and highest duty
as a government, / believe that we
should make all reasonable prepa-
ration for our army and navy so
that the head of our government
shall be able to speak, where our
rights on land or sea are involved,
I in the voice of command, instead
of in the voice of supplication.
Thirty days before the breaking
out of this present war, which
involves the making a new map of
the world, and may last twenty
years or more-the greatest war
that ever occurred in all the his
tory of the human race-we would
have said that such a calamity is
unthinkable; and, now, with the
whole civilized earth and all the
seas wrapped in the destructive
flames of this bitter conflict, into
which our commerce must go, if it
goes at all, there is no telling
what day, or an hour, may bring
| forth.
There are even worse calamities
than war, which should only be
made as the last resort, and when.
it is absolutely necessary to pre-
serve the honor of our flag, and
the rights and the integrity of the
nation.
l favor this reasonable prepara-
ton, not for the purpose of max
| ing war. We have seen and know
the calamities of war, and God for
bid that we should ever be forced
to make war. But / favor it as a
measure necessary to preserve
peace. There is no use in putting
a policeman on guard unless we
arm him with the instrument to
overcome resistance of authority.
| believe it to be its very highest
duty in order to secure the domes-
tic happiness of the people that the
Government establish the Rural
Credits system, such as is being
attempted to be done by bill
which has been reported favorably
to the Senate, by which banks will
be established under national con-
troll which will give the farmers
loans on land ss security at a rate
of interest which shall only be one
per cent above what it costs the
Government to sell the bonds to
finance the scheme, and which will
result in giving the farmer money
at not exceeding five per cent per
annum for thirty-s years, as the
present bill provides.
The present banking system of
the government is ample to fl
nance the commerce and general
business of the country, but what
a farmer most needs IS cheap mon
lev on LONG TIME, so.he can i'm
prove his lands and bis herds with
out being compelled TO sacrifice his
property at the end of each year to