The Pascagoula chronicle. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1905-1920, 1919-01-25
JOHNSTON ENTERS
GOVERNORS RACE.

|
nounces his candidacy for the Dem
ocratic nomination for governor in the
August primary.
With the entry of Lieutenant John
ston, this makes six regularly an
nounced candidates in the race for
governor, with several more in the
list of prospectives.
Lieutenant Johnston, in his address
to the people, declares that his cam
paign will be conducted on a high
plane, free from bitterness and vitu
peration, and he appeals to his friends
not to lower the standard that he will
set. Up to date Lieut.. Johnston is
the only soldier to formally announce
his candidacy. He enlisted in the
Tank Corps of the army as private
several months ago and was ready to
sail for Europe when the armistice
was signed. He won promotion rapid
ly in the army and held a commission
as lieutenant when he was mustered
out of service.
Lieutenant Johnston has been a
member of the Legislature from
Coahoma county for eleven years and
was one of the leaders in the House
of Representatives. His address to
the people of the state follows:
Subject to the APPROVAL of the
Democratic Party, l hereby announce
my candidacy for the governorship of
the state of Mississippi.
"In aspiring to this exalted position,
l appreciate fully the responsibilities
which l seek to assume, and the conf
dence, both in my integrity and abil-
ity, which | ask my fellowmen to re-
pose in me, in my judgment, no greater
that he inspire faith, trust and conf
dence in his fellowmen. That compli-
ment has come to me from every sec
tion of my native state in the form of
letters urging me to enter the guberna
torial campaign now opening, of which
expressions of confidence | am duly ap-
preciative.
ut is not my intention to convey
the impression that my entry into his
campaign is solely the result of solici-
tation, but in referring to this it is
only my purpose to publicly thank
those we'll wishers, with many of
whom l do not enjoy a personal &C
quaintance. No man is entirely with
out vanity, but no man should
grow so great that he would remain
insensible to such an honor, coming
unsolicited as this one has. Believing
that the most commendable ambition
of which the human mind is capable
is the desire to serve ones fellowmen,
and also believing that my candidacy
meets with the approval of majority
OF the people of my state | am prompt
ed to ask this political preferment.
Regarding my qualifications, | may
say that it has been my privilege to
serve the state as member of the
House of Representatives for the past
eleven years, during which time the
record will bear me out in the as
sertion that | have been the author of
much legislation of general interest
and of benefit to the people of the
state. During this long period of seTv-
ice endeavored to, and believe that |
did, carry out the best policies of
democracy, the democracy of human
liberty, equal opportunities and priv
ileges to all alike; democracy which |
is the dread of tyrants, the fear OF
kings and the scourge of the dema- |
gogue-one which has rolled back the
tide of oppression and which, above |
all, has placed the highest value on
the life, liberty and labor of the |
humblest citizen
There have been times when some
may say | erred in judgment, but if
did it was on what I believed to be the
side of the people. Thoughts are
forces, words are agencies, deeds are
power. BY conscientious combina-
ton of these three, and guided by the
lamp of experience, ] promise that if
elected | shall give to Mississippi a
fair, Just, economical and business
like administration of her affairs, un-
hampered and unhindered by any
afliation not of the people, by the
people and for the people, Unaffect-
ed by praise and unembittered by ad-
verse criticism, shall discharge faith
fully the trust reposed in me.
1T is my sincere desire that this
be conducted on high
plane. free from bitterness and from
| shall not and | hope
that my friends will not, be led or
provoked into doing or saying a single
thing with reference to an opponent
which may tend to lower the standard .
which it is my purpose to set. Al
ready, before the publication of my an |
more than one partisan !
issuing from the same {
source, has opened the campaign with
4 'barrage' of personal abuse directed
It me. This I shall of course ignore, q
except to say in passing that the refer q
ence made to me as 'near-soldier' be-
,ause my company did not have the I
to participate in the
lighting, will, in my judgment be re-
,ented at the polls next August by a
thousands of those. who. like myself. i
answered the nations call, but who '