The north Mississippi herald., 1919-04-18
JOHNSTON RUSSELL
HOLD JOINT DEBATE

both were scheduled to SOeak
in Leake County Seat Mon
day, But Their Joint Discus
sion Follows Johnston's Chal-
lenge-Was Not Pre-ar-
ranged.
Cartilage, Miss, April 14.-His
toric Cd Carthage, the county seat of
Leake County, was the scene of ore of
the warmest political debates eve
staged in Mississippi today when Lee
M. Russell present lieutenant-gov-
ernor of Mississippi and Oscar G. John.
ston of Coahoma County, rival candi-
dates for gubernator al h-nors at tn
hands # the people of Mississippi
clashed in joint debate for the first
time in the present campaign.
While the debate was not Dre
arranged affair, and came about large
ly by reason of the fact that both OF
the leading candidates for governo,
of Mississippi were billed to speal
at Carthage today at the opening OF
the circuit court An unusu8ll
large crowd was present, as til
joint debate was fully expected and
urged by both the friends of these
candidates for office Early this morn
ing the Johnston cam
paign C ccmmittee extended to M
Russel an invitation to meet the
distinguished representative from
Coahoma in joint debate today al
well as at all other speaking en-
gagements of Mr. Johnston. Th5
challenge for today was prompf11
accepted by Mr. Ruasel's friends
and thereby Leake and ADJOINING
counties probably got taste of the
present melee, exciting and pep
perry.
Russell Speaks First
After Judge A. j. McLaurin, Jr..
had charged the grand jury Senator
W. A. Ellis, having been selected TO
preside over the joint discussion.
introduced the candidates to at least
$500 people assemble to hear the
rival aspirants present their claims
for the governorship.
Mr.. Russell spoke first, there
being no time limit, going fully into
the record of the present admins
tration, for the actions and doings
of which he assumed the attitude of
standing sponsor. He was in fine
fettle and with clear voice and ring
ing tones detailed the performance
of campaign promises made during
the last gubernatorial race by the
present administration in Missis
sippi. He touched upon the agri-
cultural high schools now located in
49 counties of the state, and claim
ed credit for himself and the Rilbo
administrations for these institu
tons, likewise taking credit for the
bank depository law guarantee ing
the bank deposits of Mississippi
banks. He commended the work
Of the state board of health the
conduct of the penitentiary farms
and assailed his opponent, Mr.. John
ston, for his stand against the elective
judiciary. He then went into mis-
own record, claiming for himself
the title Of a Jeffersonian Derno-
crat and denouncing his opponent,
Mr.. Johnston, as Hamiltonian
Democrat, the one being the party
of the people, by the people and
for the people, the other he-termed
the control of the many by the few
He had advocated, he said, the
initiative and the referendum.
while he claimed that his opponent
was not in favor of these laws. He
wanted the recall also enacted in
Mississippi and proposed to adyo-
cate it if elected. He claimed For
the present administration or its
disciples the passage of the ant;
land corporation bill, and in this con-
nection charged that Oscar John
ston was the candidate of B,ewar
and his faction in Mississippi Lii
tics. He was in favor of the ~e-
tention of the board of pardons
and of broad road-building 2rc~
gramme.
Outlines Platform.
Mr.. Russell then proceeded to dis
cuss his own platform and the
things for which he stood and which
would be advocated in the event of
his election. A bureau of markets
he considered necessary for the
farmers of the country and in
creased salaries for the school
teachers, department of labor to
serve as clearing house of employ
ment for labor within the state, a
school for cripples and the main
tenance of the old soldiers at Beau
yoir were other things which were
mentioned by him as being among
those things for which he stood and
which would be advocated by him
in the event of his election. He
favored, he said the putting of the
schools Of the state on the mileage
basis.
After discussing these matters at
some length, Mr.. Russell went into
what is generally regarded in this
section as the main issue in the
campaign--the state tax equaliza-
ton board or state tax commission.
He sought to show where various
counties, among them the county of
Leake, had received more money out
Of the state treasury in the form of
pensions and common school fund
than they had paid in by way of
taxes. He vigorously defended the
atm 30 Anwr Al 4