The Starkville news., 1920-07-16
JUDGE w. D. ANDERSON OF TU.
PELO CANDIDATE FOR SU-
PREME COURT JUDGE

In another column of the News
will be found the announcement of
Judge w. D. Anderson, candidate for
Supreme Court Judge.
Judge w. D. Anderson is SO years
of age, was born in Pontotoc County,
that portion now part of Lee, where
he has resided all his life; was edu-
Gated in the common schools and at
tended Central University, Ken
lucky, and afterwards studied law al
the University of Mississippi.
He has had wide, varied and sue
cessfull experience as a lawyer,
judge, legislator, administrative of
ficer and business man.
In his early professional career, he
was elected Mayor of the City of Tu-
pelo, and was reelected every two
years, without opposition, until he
had served about nine years, when he
voluntarily retired. His administra-
tion as Mayor was eminently success
full.
He was Chairman of the Demo
cratic Executive Committee of Lee
County for about ten years, and vol
unfairly retired.
In 1898, he was elected foater
representative to the Legislature
from Lee and Itawamba counties,
serving out the unexpired term of
Col. Wilson, deceased. At that ses-
sion, he introduced in the House, and
had passed through the Legislature,
the first statute passed by any state
south of the Ohio River, authorizing
the organization of drainage districts
and the issuance and sale of bonds
Of such district for the purpose of
reclaiming wet, swamp and overflow
ed lands. Under that statute and
amendment, hundreds of drainage
districts have been organized in this
state, and hundreds of thousands of
acres of wet, swamp and overfowed
lands have been reclaimed, resulting
in many millions of dollars being
added to the wealth of the state.
He was elected State Senator for
the 38th District, composed of Lee,
Itawamba and Monroe counties, for
the four year term, 1908-12, and
served through the entire sessions OF
1908 and 1910, resigning in April,
1910, to accept the position of Su-
preme Court Judge. He was Chair
man of the Judiciary Committee of
the Senate, and by virtue thereof, in
connection with his ability as legis-
lator, he welded very large infu-
ence in shaping the legislation of
those two sessions.
He has practiced law for more
than thirty-fve years in all of the
courts of this state and adjoining
states, including our Supreme Court
and in the Federal Courts, including
the Supreme Court of the United
States. His practice has been ex-
tensive, and varied as to character,
being both civil and criminal. In
the practice of law, he has been emf
nently successful and stands very
high as citizen and lawyer with the
courts and members of his profess
sion, as we'll as with the people gen
orally. No man is more highly re-
spected in the community in which
he lives.
He has been very successful as a
business man and as man of affairs
In his career at the bar, he has often
acted as Special Judge, or Chancellor
to try certain cases; and more than
twenty years ago, was appointed
Special Supreme Court Judge in place
of Judge Calhoun, who was disquali-
fed to try certain cases pending be-
fore that Court. In 1910 and 1911
he served year and a half on the
Supreme Court Bench, and during
his service wrote one hundred and
seventeen opinions of that court, on
all kinds of subjects of law, which
are recognized by lawyers and courts
as clear, strong, vigorous and sound.
By education, training, and char
acter he is highly fitted for the posi-
tion of Supreme Court Judge. He
has high sense of justice and right,
is absolutely honest, fearless and in
dependent.