The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1918-07-04


Vocational Training.
I'm in favor Of vocational training
for the boys and girls. Beng country
boy myself, l realize that the country
bows haven't had fair chance i'll this
mad rush Of life. l realize that the path
| that thew have had to travel has been
too uneven it's been too rough; there
have been too many things put in their
way; they've had to confront too many
obstacles. So favor vocational train
! ine that will fit the boys and girls for
usefulness You know, If boy can
! take his hand and his brain into partner
ship. the energy that is employed in
those two things will bring him div1-
dends that. will make him prosperous
will make his community prosperous
and will make his country and his ma
ton prosperous. l shall work for those
things for other reasons. You know
the boys and girls are the chief asset OF
the country I'll tell you people, you're
too much interested in bringing fine
cattle to the country, and too much in
terested in bringing into existence pro
sressive measures that pertain to COWS
and hogs, We're doing that and letting
the people alone l believe in develop
ing the boys and girls before l develop
cattle. Don't you, Mr.. Cook?'
Mr.. Cook "Sure!'
Cattle Afterwards.
Eyes, l believe in giving the boys and
girls training, and after they get their
! training, they can handle this cattle
proposition and this hog proposition
better than we can, and shall work for
vocational, training for the country
youth if 1 90 to Washington as your
representative, and I'm just as good as
gone right now. 1 realize that they
must know and understand and appre
ciate the adaptability of the land in the
country.
Homes For The People.
Now, some people will argue that
what I'm proposing to do cant be done;
but I'm going to discuss this next plank
with you and l invite your careful at
tention to it. There are hundreds OF
thousands of acres of cut-over land
lying idle scattered across the entire
Sixth Congressional District. You can
0f 81
mployed---nothing coming into the
government The small amount paid in
| taxes is hardly worth talking about
These lands are, for the most part, in
the hands of few syndicates, some Of
whom are across the great waters 5000
miles away. Did you know, my friends
that out Of 81 families in South Missis
sippi there are 20 families who have no
homes? Now, | want you people to re-
member this---2O families out OF u have
no homes. One family out Of II has a
home Isn't that a reflection on the in
telligence and on the civilization of this
country, or pretended civilization of
this country? Isn't it a reflection on
our people. Twenty out Of u living in
rented houses! Well, you say, Johnson,
how can you remedy that. The Bible
says The poor ye have with you al
ways That is true, but it's the duty Of
those who have been prosperous, those
whom God Almighty has prospered it
is the duty of the man who has been
more fortunate than his neighbor to aid
and assist him, and devise ways and
means to help him in this world; and
say to You that our public men ought to
devise way for doing it; and l, for
one, whether it be popular or un-
popular--you know I've stood and
fought unpopularity of some things I'M
til it has become popular in this county
II, for one, | repeat will do every
Thing in my power, if elected 10 Con-
eress, to wards the utilization Of this
cut-over land. l am in favor of taking
every single acre of this cut-ovcr land
in this section of country that is owned
by nonresident or foreign syndicates
and have the government of the United
States of America pay reasonable price
for it, and let the poor class Of people
Of this country who have never had a
home take up homestead on it. (Ap-
plausel.
You know my friends, l know what
it means to own a home. / know how
it feels to lie down in your home and
look up to the roof and ceiling and say
This is my home! l know how it feels
have lived in a rented house in this
town. I know what it means TO have
the rent collector come to the door and
knock when you haven't got the money
and you're ashamed to so to the front
door. l know how you feel when the
| collector comes around and you've had
sickness in your family and have had
doctor bills to pay and drug bills, and
/ had all the miSfOrt1npe that -0r,e ~ ~, a