The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1916-05-08
A WARM ROAST IS
GIVEN GOVERNOR
DEMOCRATS STATE
PLAIN VERSION OF USE OF
THE STATE TROOPS.

adopted by the Democrats OF COahoma
Icounty, assembled in convention, con
Icerning Governor Bilbo's unwarrant
ed and unconstitutional use Of state
troops to Dust Sheriff j. O. Baugh:
Whereas. at the last general election
the Democratic nominee of this coun
ty for the office OF sheriff was elect
ed; and,
Whereas, it was claimed by certain
people that he was Indebted to the
state of Mississippi and to Coahoma
county for money which he had failed
to collect as sheriff in a previous term
and,
Whereas, the complaining parties
| appealed TO the attorney general OF
the state to institute legal proceedings
| in court 10 ascertain whether or not
/ the aforesaid sheriff was in default
| for public monies due to the state or
county or any subdivision thereof;
and,
Whereas, the attorney general Of
this state had instituted a suit in the
proper court for the purpose of deter
mining definitely whether or not there
IeXisted any shortage, and had also in
stituted quo Warrant0 proceeding to
GUST the aforesaid sheriff in case il
should be shown that he was short in
his accounts; and,
Whereas. these proceedings were
pending in the proper courts of com
perent jurisdiction to try and deter
mine the matter in legal and order
~ manner: and
Whereas, at this time Of profound
peace, the governor Of the state called
out The militia, asserting his deter
minatiOn to pat the duly elected Dem
Ocratic sheriff of this county out Of
office and put another party in the Of
fee, and thereupOn issued an order
declaring the office of sheriff vacant
and appointed a citizen of the county
as his successor; thereupOn an in
junction was sued out before one Of
the associate justices Of the Supreme
Court, returnable before the proper
court, enjoining his appointee from
serving Or attempting to interfere with
the duly elected sheriff in the dis
charge OF his duties; and,
Whereas. the governor with full
knowledge Of the pending injunction
and with full knowledge that the mat
ter was pending in the courts of com
petent jurisdiction TO settle the con
trOversy, OVERRIDE and set aside the
orders of the civil authorities, and in
disregard of the rights Of the parties
to the litigation, with utter disregard
of the rights of the public in this
county, and is disregard Of his oath
Of office and of the constitution of the
state of Mississippi, had a detachment
Of the militia to disregard the in
functions of the court ana to dispos- /
sess the Democratic sheriff OF this /
and place in Office his ap-
pointee; and,
Whereas. the sheriff and his friends. /
earning of this demonstration, caused |
1 notice of the injunction to be brought /.
20 the attention of the adjutant gen
eral of the state and of the military /
officers in command; and,
Whereas, they communicated this to |
he governor of the state, yet the I
military authorities. acting upon the /
from the governor, pro
:eeded to the court house at Clarks- /
iale, in COahoma county, Mississippi. /
n the dead hours OF midnight, broke
open the sheriff's office of Coahoma
county and took possession OF it. and
inally so unlawfully in possession
broke open the largs iron safe i'll
Which the books and records were
Iept, and trampled the authority of
he civil courts beneath their feet;
nd,
Whereas, the military authorities in
harge of the court refused permiS-
ion to private citizens and TO Off
ers of the law to go to the court
louse or 10 transact their business
herein, but stopped them at the point
f the bayonet and threatened to
boot them and expressed a contempt
or the injunctions issued by the civil
when the injunctions were
erved upon the military authorities
" the civil officer they stated that
hey would not obey the process of
he court issuing the injunction or
he process of any other court; that
hey were instructed by the governor
o disregard the orders OF all courts
nd pay no attention to any civil au-
hority and to obey only such orders
s he issued to them; and,
Whereas, after the injunction writ
Iod l,ao,, carvo,i ,,por t5,o y,,ilitorxv of