Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1918-04-19
Letter From Big Bud.
Editor The Beacon

When Walter Stokes first told
me that in his opinion the people
wanted me to go back to the Leg
islature in Hon. Clinton Dorroh's
place, did not think | would
like to go, as | knew that the
Legislature at the time they were
elected were mostly Bilbo men,
and | would not be en- rapport
with them; Fred Sullens had said
that most of them We're so green
that they had to be blindfolded
and backed on a street car" But
| found them, on the whole. a
fine body of men, and goodly
number of the young members
were graduates of the A. & NJ,
the University and other schools
of the state, and were men that
any state could be proud of, and
of course that kind Of men had
ceased to be Bilbo men. They
reminded me of an anecdote that
heard when a boy, told in Sell
ma, Ala, in 1860 by a Democrat
speaker to a Whig speaker. This
Democrat owned a fine strain of
dogs, and he said that upon one
occasion he told his Whig friend
that he had a fine puppy he
would give him, for It was a
Wing puppy and he did not want
it. The Whig was delighted, and
said that was the kind of puppy
he wanted and he would be glad
to get it. About a month after
ward he rode over to get his pup
py, but the Democrat said that
the puppy was now a Democrat,
and the Whig asked, How is,
this|' The Democrat said, He
did not have his eyes open when
| told you about him, but now he
has his eyes open and is a Demo,
crat. y So with the Legislators
as soon as they get their eyes
open. they cease to be Bilbo men.
10 show that this is getting to be
universal. | append the following
editorial from the Columbus Dis
patch:
WEARY OF FACTI0NALISM.
The political aspect of Mississippi
IS changing most rapidly. The peo-
pie are wearying of factionalism.
The voter is growing tired of being
regarded as mere chattel Of this
or that crowd, The idea of being
called upon to vote for this man or
that simply because he is sponsored
by certain element has become OBJ
noxlous to the average man, Be-
cause the people were divided in
the political past by some issue
which separated them then is no
reason why scheming end designing
men should capitalize this alignment
to their politica good for all time to
come. The old political alignment
in this state is fas breaking up and
the sooner it is gone the better it
will be for all of us.
The Dispatch received charac-
terstic letter few days ago from
w bC 30 npYgnto,,1i,p for "
prominence he has attained by rid
ing the wave of factionaism. We
were appealed to to do certain
things because "our crowd" IA
vored it. The Dispatch might as
well say now, for all time to come,
that 1t ls not the personal property
of any man or set of men, Simply
because we have espOused certain
causes, represented by certain men
in the past, is no reason for US to
accept blndly and without independ-
ence of thought and action, those
upon whom their favor has fallen,
The only crowd The Dispatch be-
longs to is the crowd which stands
for a higher order of things in Mis-
sssippi, for better standard in Of
fetal life; for cleaner, purer, nobler,
better men, in our official positions.
We are wearing no political collar
and our course will be to obtain for
our people these things, If in our
power to secure them, We rather
opine that this is the sentiment of
thousands of Mississippians who
are weary of factionalism.
This is a fine editorial and | |
hope that a majority of our peo-
pie are like this splendid gentle
man, and that the people will lis
ten to reason and elect only those |
who measure up to the Jacksonlan
standard, rs he honest, is he ca
pable, is he faithful?" and is he
for the prosecution of the war to
the bitter end? Then we will
move Mississippi from the bottom
rung of the ladder; you know
it is charged that Mississippi is
behind all the other states in the
prosecution of the war. To the
top where she rightfully belongsl
We will be called upon to give
literally of our means, and | be-
lieve all will gladly do this. | see
so much more enthusiasm among
the people now than we had when
the first Liberty Loan was asked
for, and our people are more will
ing for their sons and grandsons
to become soldiers, and great
many are proud of the fact that
A L u..a ..a.-. 4 ........- L