Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1918-06-07
Popular Government.

Popular Government.
Realizing as | do that popular gov
eminent is possible only when indvid
usl men and women can govern their
own lives on moral principles, when duty
Is OF more Importance than pleasure and
Justice than material expediency" and
with an implicit faith that waivers not
In the honesty and patriotism of the
white men and women of Mississippi Ii
AFFORDS me pleasure to be permitted to
give, briefly at this time, an account of
my stewardship as your public servant,
and to ask your judgment upon the SER
vice which ] have rendered in your be-
There is no man WHOSE Judgment and
wisdom equals the composite Judgment
Of the white citizenry of Mississippi;
ana Tree government can not last very
long anywhere unless 1t has for its
foundation, freedom of speech, liberty
OF thought and freedom of action. All
public, must be derived from the con-
sent of the governed If tine republic shall
live.
In the Shadow of World Disaster.
If consulted my own feelings / should
postpone this campaign for a year at
least, or until the war Is over. In the
shadow of 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 OF Nj
agara and the circumambient air is vi
brant with the cries of broken hearted
mothers, the lamentations of loving wives
and infancy are alike pershing in the
consuming breath of war;" to sound a
note OF personal partisan interest is so
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 5
history did the interests of the individ-
ual wither, and the welfare of the whole
world become more and more, than at
this unhappy tragic moment.
Whatever via
regarding the entrance of the United
states into this war, there is but one
slider now, and that is, the defense of the
Nation's Flag. This is no time to ques-
ton the wisdom or unwisdom of the ut
terances and the acts of the President OF
the United States and other men in au-
thority, regarding the war in the year
1916 and the early part of 1917. The die
is 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
My Countrymen, I have come to ask
your judgment upon my record. May l
urge upon you to take 1t as it is writ
ten In truth, not as it is presented by
an interested, INSCRIPTIONS politician,
the hired slanderer the malicious per-
1urer, or the mendacious newspaper?
There is no necessity for any man who
wants the truth, to go to those partisan,
poisoned political Observation-Disclosures to
find out my record What | have writ
ten, would that IL were worthier / have
nothing to conceal from you in that rec
orde 1 have no apologies to offer for
anything that have done. except to ex-
press the wish that l might have been
imbued with greater power of mind and
soul to serve my worthy constituency
better. My record has been made with
circumspeotion, thoughtfully, inspired
with an altruistic spirit, and with an
eye single TO the public service, and l
would not change that record in mate
rial matter insofar as dotting an 'f'' or
crossing u for the Presidency OF the
United States. / could not change It,
and still maintain my intellectual self
respect and have the approval of my own
conscience in the matter of performing
the functions of the office hold
II may be permitted to borrow fig
ure OF speech from one of America s most
patriotic and gifted sons, l win say. You
may question the wisdom of some of my
acts, you may dispute as to whether or
not ! have made a good fight and run
my course, but no Mississippian except
the one whose heart is moral desert,
whose mind is ignorant of the facts or
distorted with malicious falsehood will
say that ! have not kept the faith or
Use made by me to the people in former
campaigns insofar as 1t was possible for
me to do so.
A Political Confession Of Faith.
I regard the platform of my party as
my political confession of faith-as bind
ing upon my judgment as the Constitu-
fion OF the United States IS binding upon
my conscience. ! regard the principles
gudepost to point the proper way in the
performance of my official duties My
conscience bids me do the things at al
times that will promote the moral mate
rial and political welfare Of my constit-
uents; and all of those things ! have
done as God gave me the light to see my
duty. When my honest convictions COM
PEELED me to differ with the President Of