The Starkville news., 1918-05-31
Popular Government.

Popular Government.
Realizing as i do that popular gov
ernment is possible only when 1ndlvla-
own lives on moral principles, when duty
IS Of more Importance than pleasure ana
Justice than material eXpediency, ana ana
with an implicit faith that wavers not
in the honesty and patriotism OF the
white men and women of MISSISSIPPI 1t
affords me pleasure to be permltted 20 20
my stewardship as your publlc servant
and to ask your Judgment upon the ser
vice which / have rendered in your De-
half.
There is no man whose Judgment and
wisdom equals the composite Judgment
OF the white citizenry OF Mlssisslppl; lst ar,,
and free government can not last very
long anywhere unless it has for 1tS
foundation, freedom Of speech. liberty
of thought and freedom OF acton. Al
public must be derived from the con,
sent OF the governed if the republic snail
live.
In the Shadow of a World Disaster
If | consulted my own feelings fshould
feast or until the war is over. In the
shadow Of a world disaster, when the
blood is flowing from the veins or our
precious boys in the trenches of France
like water over the rugged rocks or NJ
agara and the circumambient air is vi
brant with the cries of broken hearted
mothers, the lamentations of loving wives
and orphaned children-when old age
and infancy are alike periShing in the
consuming breath of war, to sound a
note of personal partisan interest is sc
much in discord with my own feelings
and the prevailing spirit of the hour
that / hesitate to mention, even INCL
dentally, matters of personal private con-
Germ to me- At no period in the world $
history did the interests of the individ-
uaI wither, and the welfare OF the whole
world become more and more, than ar
this unhappy tragic moment.
Whatever may have been our views
regarding the entrance of the United
States into this war, there is but one
matter for the patriotic citizens to CON
slider now. and that is, the defense OF the
Nations Flag. This is no time TO ques-
ton the wisdom or unwisdom of the ut
terances and the acts of the President OIL
the United States and other men in au-
1916 and the early part of 1917 The die
In cast The order to go forward has
been issued, and the patriots of America
stand as one man behind the Admins
tration in the prosecution Of this war
There is no division in the ranks of true
Americans.
your Judgment upon my record. May
urge upon you to take 1t as II Is Writ
ten in truth not as 1T IS presehfeid ny
the hired slanderer. the malicious per
jurer, or the mendacious newspaper:
There is necessity for any man VINO
wants the truth to go to those partisan
poisoned political instrumentalties te
find out my record. What have writ
ten. WOulu Ilal> 1t were WbIliicI. HA wv
nothing to conceal from you in that rec
ord. | have no apologies to offer fol
anything that | have done. except TO eX-
press the wish that / might have beer
imbusd with greater power of mind ano
soul to serve my worthy constituency
better. My record has been made with
cfrcumspection, thoughtfmlly. inspired
with an altruistic spirit, and with ar
eye single to the public service. and
would not change that record in mate
rial matter insofar as dotting an '1' ol
crossing a "t'' for the Presidency of the
United States I could not change II
and still maintain my intellectual self
respect and have the approval of my owl
conscience in the matter of performing
the functions of the office / hold.
If / may be permitted TO borrow fig
ure of speech from one of America s mos
patriotic and gifted sons, ] will say, Yot
may question the wisdom of some of my
acts, you may dispute as to whether o.
not I have made a good fight and rui
my course, but no Mississippian except
the one whose heart is moral desert
whose mind is ignorant of the facts o.
distorted with malicious falsehood WI
aAx that I have not. kent the faith. o.