The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1917-06-29
next STATE CAMPAIGN
y.xoo County Man Suggests Sentinel
Editor For Covernor-Editor Says
Such q Thought Never Entered His
Mind.

Editor The News 1T will not b.
long before the people will begin to
think about who are to fill the Offices
in Mississippi from Governor to Beat
Constables, and while the writer is
never in favor of a prolonged cam
vass, still he does think that under
the present conditions in this state,
that the people should not wait until
the cards are stacked by the. politi-
clans and the favored few picked for
the position.
If any state in the Union needs a
political upheaval that state is Missis-
s;ppi. For almost a decade. it has
been overrun by lot of pot-house
politicians, whose only desires were
TO get the positions and then proceed
TO 90 for the fees and salaries with
out regard to the welfare of the state
at large or of the downtrodden tax
payers-of whom during the cam
paigns they are always so solicitous,
but whom they consider legitimate
prey after being elected.
ANY one not too blinded with pref
udice can be blind to the fact that
during the past dozen years taxes
have grown out of all proportion to
the wealth and advancement Of the
state, and that each succeeding legis-
lature We'd with its predecessor to see
what new avenues of taxation could
be opened and then proceeded to pile
up the taxes. This game has gone on
50 long and apparently unnoticed,
that few, if any, ever now even sug-
gest the possibility of attempting to
call halt. Burdens have piled up
on each other in such rapidity that
the speed of the 60-mile speed maniac
autoist. is but a snail in its path.
am not going to hold anybody re-
sponsible for these conditiQns--suf-
ficient is it f6r as t6 know. that they
are facts, and that unless halt is
called bankruptcy stares the state in
the face, and the absolute inability of
the people to meet the burdens that
are being placed upon them. Anoth-
er four years of such profigacy can
have butt one result, and that Of in
creasing the already Oxertaxed peo-
pie to the point of almost confisca-
ton of their properties. Are the
people willing to quietly sit down and
see these things come to pass without
so much as raising their voices in pro-
test? If so, then they will only have
themselves to blame, for they certain
ly have itsin their power to weed out
the class from Office that are respon-
sible for present conditions, who if
they are given a new lease on
the Offices will rightly conclude that
their policies are approved by the tax
payers.
Of all the state officials who has
the power to control legislation, the
Governor is that man. Upon him de-
wolves the duty of looking in detail
after the welfare of the state, and if
he is a man of mediocre ability, or
one with no knowledge of the state
and its needs, or one who has no busi-
ness ability at all, then certainly
from such a one no Improvement
could be reasonably expected-in
fact, with such men in the Governors
office instead of there being improve
ment the chances are ten to one that
conditions would grow steadily worse
under his administration.
Mississippi has any number OF men
who are competent to worthily DIS
charge the duties of the high office
of Governor, and there can be no
sane reason given why one of them
should not be nominated and elected.
To select any other kind with the
lights before the people would be
equal to saying that the people are
not competent to select their own Of
ficials, and they would deserve but lit
tie sympathy if their burdens were
added to instead of being lightened.
Among the many men whom l be-
lieve would fit the governors office
during the four years-from 1871
to 1924-is the Hon. o. F. Lawrence,
the able and conscientious editor of
The Grenada Sentinel. No man in
Mississippi has unselfishly fought
more battles under the Democratic
party for the good of the entire state
than this gentleman, and while some
have at times differed with him, none
have ever questioned his integrity or
his honor; nor has his ability ever
been questioned. He knows every
need of the state and no man has
greater love for the people as a
whole. The position that he has held
for several years as Secretary OF the
States Higher Educational lnstitu-
tions, has given him opportunity to
acouaint himself with every part OF
the state and to come in contact with
the best thought and thinking people.
Being a successful business man him-
self. assures the people that in trans
acting their business, he would see TO
it that all useless and expensive roaos
to the state treasury would De cut
off, and the affairs of the state con-
Quoted upon business principles