The Lexington advertiser., 1919-07-11
Gov. Longino at Owens Wells
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| like all of the other expenses of the
state government were paid, from the
money in the state treasury, regardless
of the sources from which II came.
probably in somewhat less amounts, DUR
ing every administration from the state
revenue collections and from sales Of land
and timber. *"* The governor can make
no law. Two Of my competitors boast
of having been in the legislature for IL
years. Neither of them ever thought Of
changing this law or finding any fault
with it till their legislative careers were
closed
again it is said that the $40O, 900 used
to retire the bonds was from money de-
rived from McLaurin's administration for
which | should receive no credit. This
retirement occurred in the second year of
my administration and from the general
funds in the treasury. left for my
successor about twice as much in the state
treasury as came from my predecessor.
"Not until several weeks after opened
my campaign, did I ever allude to any of
my competitors, in any address, realizing
that no shortcomings of their would
qualify me, nor did I ever do so until
some of them had persstently sought to
pervert and distort matters occurring
during my administration, to my injury,
and to their supposed advantage.
"It has been charged that commuted
the death sentence to Imprisonment for
life of a negro convicted of murder in
Monroe county. and pardoned a negro
convicted of an unmentionablc crime in
Yazoo county. The facts Of the case are
that in the case of the convicted mur-
derer, some or all of the white jurors
that convicted him, and who could have
made their verdict life sentence asked,
along with many other people, feeling too
great severity had been shown, that the
sentence be changed to life sentence
matter Of conscience with them. re-
ferred the whole matter, including the
record of the court and the evidence to
the able attorney general, Monroe Me-
Clurg, now of Greenwood, as the states
highest law officer. He advised COM
mutation to life sentence, and followed
! in this, as in many other matters, his
| legal opinion. In regard to the YaZoo
| negro, the victims in both cases being
white people, he had been convicted in
| 1868, when Judge ]. A. P. Campbell was
circuit Judge, and Judge s. s. Calhoun
was district attorney. They came to me
and earnestly recommended the pardon
| Of the negro, who had then served 33
years in the penitentiary. After five
weeks publication In the Yazoo City
Herald of the petition recommending the
pardon, with no objection from any
source. granted the pardon, supposing
! the sentiment there to be what the facts
| indicated, unanimous, and never heard Of
Governor McLaurin in the matter until
his name was used politically against me.
II he acted at all, it was on different
lights and information than was pre-
sented to me. have Judge CalhOun's
letter here to prove my statements.
"As to the Recommendation made In the
beginning Of my administration for max
ing counties liable for lynchings occur
| ring In their boundaries, and removing
sheriffs who permitted escapes or lynch
| ings Of prisoners in their charge, only a
small number Of them, as the records will
show, charged with the unmentionable
crime, have only to say that then
stood and now stand for law and order,
Then was so earnest in my hope and
desire to promote respect and enforce
ment Of law that recommended the two
measures, not afterwards insisted en-, and
which l afterwards realized, were q mis-
take, for innocent people Of the county
should not be punished for the acts Of Q
few lawless men; and do not favor
either Of those measures now, nor have
favored them since gave the matter
maturer reflection.
"The 1--WE sons Of my widowed mother
went into the Confederate army among
the first; and except those who died in
battle, remained 10 the last. Likewise In