Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1920-02-26
Oxford Lafayette County, Miss Thursday February 26 1920
JUDGE CHARLES LEE CRUM
ANNOUNCES HIS CANDIDACY

1
I desire to announce to the Demo-
cratic voters Of the Second Congress
sional District of Mississippi, through
the columns of your valuable weekly,
nv candidacy for Congress in this
district, subject to the action OF the
Democratic Primary to be held IN
August, 1920.
/ was born and have resided all my
life within this district, and for thirty
years I have practiced law here. l
have always felt, and now feel, q
keen interest in all state and national
matters that tend in any appreciabie
way to affect the welfare of the peo-
pie, which should, ! think, be the at
titude Of every public, or private
citizen of the government. But Whlle
this is true, have never considered
myself what is commonly termed a
politician, although l have, by the
direct suffrage of the people held q
few responsible public offices, one OF
which l now hold by unanimous NOM
ination and election.
For many years l have firmlv be-
lieved that under our principles OF
government, where every voter has
the privilege of casting one free vote
! for his choice in elections. that what
ever evils do now, or may hereafter
exist, either in the statute laws, or
their enforcement, can be promptly
corrected by the people who cast the
ballots. But to effect the necessary
changes in the laws Of the land and
to protect the public and the citizen
against failure to efficiently and
honestly enforce such just laws when
enacted it is absolute essential that
the individual voter should inform
himself to the best of his ability upon
public issues, which a majority have
done, and by his ballot he should con-
scientiously express his convictions
as to the qualifications and fitness of
men for office and the correctness OF
the principles for which they stand.
To do this it may sometimes be
necessary that personal or political
prejudices be forgotten.
All just powers Of government not
only belong to the people governed in
this free land, but they are actually
reposed in them now, and by the in
telligent and patriotic exercise of the
individual ballot any known evil in
government can and will be corrected.
Any person, whether in public or in
private life, who undertakes to pre-
vent his neighbor, or fellow-citizen
from casting free ballotsis is false to
the true theory Of democracy, and
is guilty of violating the law Of this
state and should be punished there
for. The only guaranty to the free
dom of the people and fair admins
tration of the laws protecting their
rights, rests in the intelligent and
conscientious use Of the ballot by each
individual voter.
In my race for Congress shall not
seek the support Of any who do not
honestly, willingly and conscientiously
give it to me.
To this end I think it wise for all
candidates for this office to arrange
joint public campaign Of the entire
district, so as to enable the voters
who desire to do so, to meet and hear
each candidate for the place. l shall
endeavor to arrange with any compe-
titor, or competitors, if there be one,
or more, such joint public campaign
for the entire district.
After l shall have adjourned my
April term Of court at Okolona l will
tender my resignation as Circuit
Judge and enter at once into an ac-
tive campaign Of the district.
If I am nominated by my party
and elected in November shall accept
the duties and responsibilities Of the
office with the sole purpose Of devot-
ing my entire time and energy and
what capacity l may possess to rep
resent the interests Of the whole peo-
pie of the Nation, and particularly
those of my district, to their best ad-
vantage and their general welfare.
It has often been said and now ap-
pears to be true that there is greater
danger to the Nation after nominal
peace is accomplished than during
the time of actual hostility between
the contending armies. This is due
to the selfishness and favoritism of
many who are in authority. The in
terests of the great quiet majority
are often overlooked and neglected
and powers reposed in the people are
often usurped to serve selfish in
terests. Therefore, in these recon-
struction days Of strikes, treasons,
Bolshevish, /. w. W.-ism, unlawful
combinations of capital and profiteer-
ing, and general unrest and discon-
tent; incident to the great war and
our participation therein, it is i'm
perative that the people be repre-
sented in Congress-, as well as else
where, by honest and capable men
men with warm hearts for the suf-
fering and oppressed, and men with
cool heads and sound judgments as to
the proper and legal and equitable
means Of restoring stability on
terms of equality before the law.
/ I shall endeavor to launch and
maintain my campaign upon such q
high and honorable plane that wheth-
er am elected or defeated, no one
who supported me will have just cause
to regret it.
| Your obedient friend and servant
CHAS. LEE CRUM.
New Albany, Mississippi.