The Tupelo journal., 1918-02-08
HON. JOHN M. ALLEN.
When information was conveyed

departed this life / was overwhelmed
with gloom and sorrow, and | cannot
realize even now that / will never
again see his bright and cheerful face
nor listen to his words of wisdom
and cheer, but | take some comfort
and solaces in the thought that he is
far better off and that | was blessed
for a long number of years with his
intimate friendship and close associa-
ton, a pleasure and a joy which |
can v forget as long as life lasts.
Mr.. Allen was indeed a remarkable
character. He was a great man, great
in every phase of life which he touch
ed. My acquaintance with him began
in 1874 while he was District Attor-
ney in one Of the northern districts
of the state, and | was impressed with
the fact that he was a great lawyer,
and his career as a lawyer demon
strated that my judgment of him was
correct. He was a great lawyer. He
was a great trial lawyer, and before
h. left the bar and entered the arena
of politics no man in North or North
East Mississippi could stand before
him successfully in any cause into
which he threw his great ability and
his soul. | have often times thought
that, while he achieved great fame
as a statesman, it would have been far
better for him and far better for his
career if he had remained at the bar
actively. He was engaged in some of
the most imortant cases, criminal
and civil, that were yer tried IN
North Mississippi, and his success in
the criminal law was as great after
he left the District Attorneys office
as it was while he was representing
the State. He was a great counsellor;
his Judgment of the law was accu-
rate, and his magnificent common
sense always led him to the right con-
clusion as to the course to be pursued
in all matters; he was the confidential
advisor of great business interests
when he entered Congress and was
enjoying rewards for his practice
which no man in the State at that
time approached, but he concluded
that he could serve his people better
in the halls of Congress and for years
represented the First Congressional
District of Mississippi in that great
body, the House of Representatives
of the United States.
| have heard some Of the greatest
men in the United States, and | say,
with all sincerity, that in my opinion,
the hustings he was the greatest
DICTATOR that Mississippi eve saw /
have seen him on many occasions
wrest victory from defeat, and have
him sweep audiences off their
feet when all kinds of appeals by 9TH
ers had failed.
He rendered extraordinary service
to Mississippi during the period of re-
construction, but in my judgment the
greatest service he ever rendered the
state and the Democratic party was
in the fight waged by him against
what was known as the "Sub-Treas-
ury" idea, which some Of the Demo-
Gratis in Mississippi undertook to fas-
TEN upon the party in MISSISSIPPI.
Senators George and Walthall were
before the people for reelection, and
just as surely as | now write, John M.
Allen saved the state of Mississippi
to Democracy and secured the re-elec-
ton of these two senators. His voice
was heard all over the State, his mag
nifcent reasoning, his great informa-
ton, and his splendid humor brought
the people back to their senses. He
the leader in that contest; he
dominated the State Convention at
jackson and had a platform adopted
by the party denouncing the Sub
Treasury, and on that he went to the
p6OplG anu SCCQISo OIIO VI IlC SIdI-
est victories in my judment that has
ever been won in the State of Mis-
sissippi. His career in Congress was
brilliant. He was barely in Congress
before he became a prominent fig
,ure, and was listended to as no man
before him had ever been listened to
from the South, unless perhaps it was
Mr.. Lamar. / have often thought
that to Mr.. Lamar and John M. AL
len was due more than any two men
from the South the reconciliation be-
tween the two sections of this great
country. Mr.. Aliens humor, always
carrying with it good feeling and dis
closing some strong point which he
could have never made otherwise,
was pleasing and never Objectionable
to any one. He was never offensive,