The Semi-weekly leader. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1905-1941, 1919-04-19
RUSSELL AND JOHNSTON SPEAKING AT CARTHAGE
Russell and Easily Gets Best of Oscar Johnston
Senator yardaman- Was Among Those Present at the
Debate-Candidates Draw Large Crowd

some length, Mr.. Russell went into
what is generally regarded in this
section as the main issue in the cam-
paign. the state tax equalization
board or state tax commission. He
sought to show where various coun-
fties. 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 the way of
taxes. He vigorously defended the
State Tax Commission, saying that
centralization of authority was the
lone thing to be desired and absolute
lily necessary in the making of uni
form assessments throughout the
State. He said that he understood
that his opponent was against it
and supposed he would offer patent
medicine in it's place, that it was abb
solutely impossible for the Boards of
Supervisors in the State to equitably
assess in uniform manner the taxes
of the state. He charged his oppo-
nent, Oscar Johnston, as being
against the tax equalization laws be-
cause the State Tax Commission had
raised property values in the Delta
and charged that If he was elected
he would probably name on the State
Tax Commission men who would not
seek to carry out the letter and spirit
of the tax equalization laws. He
charged Johnston with being a secret
caucusite and as having voted
against the exoneration of Senator
Vardaman, while a member of the
State Legislature.
Mr.. Russell claimed in concluding
his remarks on his own platform,
the bankers, the railroads, and other
corporations to be fighting him. He
laid the issue of factional politics
squarely before the voters and said
that it was impossible to conduct a
campaign in Mississippi without fac
tionalism for the reason that there
were two schools of thought in Mis-
sissippi and he was a candidate of
the one and Johnston the candidate
of the other. He cited an editorial
from the Jackson Daily News in sup
port of his contention, and said that
while some people in Mississippi
were calling loudly for factionalism
that they were the men who were
most ardently supporting his oppo-
nent, Mr.. Johnston.
Russell attacked Johnston for his
stand on the matter of college fra
ternities, both while in college and
later while in the Legislature. He
called him an autocrat, and inferred
that he had been reared in an atmos-
phere that took him out of touch
with the common people. He said
that he had always been politically
antagonistic toward Johnston and
Johnston toward him and that they
had never agreed on anything.
Mr.. Russell's manner was vigor-
GUS, denunciatory and vituperative.
His address was forceful, and
throughout he was given the strict
est attention of his audience. Just
at the conclusion Of his address he
took occasion to denounce Longino,
Ex-Governor of Mississippi, for al
legged remarks made by the ex-Gov-
ernor in a controversy with Mayor
McInnis of Meridian over the Old
Soldiers Home at Beauvoir, in which
he charged that Governor Longino
had told Mayor McInnis that he was
tired of all that Confederate rot.
In this connection he paid tribute
to the ex-Confederate soldier. He
further charged Longino with hav-
ing been repudiated by the people Of
Mississippi at the polls once in his
race with Senator Money and once
recently in race with Judge Sydney
Smith, who he stated had over
whelmingly defeated Governor Lon
gino for Supreme Court Judge year
or so ago. He charged that Longino
was claiming the credit for building
the new State Capitol when as
matter of fact the suit>against the Y.
G M. ". Railroad and the /. c.. Rail-
road was brought by Writ Adams in
the term of the predecessor in office
of Governor Longino and that all
Longino had to do was to spend the
money.-(Adv.)