The courier-index., 1920-02-06
Judge DriUer is in
Race for Congress


Race for Congress
In this issue will be found the an
nouncement of Honorable w j. Drlv-
er, candidate for Congress from the
First Congressional District, subject
to the Democratic primary election.
Judge Driver is forty-seven years
old and was born and reared in Mis-
sissippi county and democrat. He
| is son of Col. John B. Driver, form
er president of the St. Francis Levee
Board, and grandson of the late
Captain Charles Bowen, who died not
many wears ago at the advanced age
of "a. Captain Bowen was one of the
old pioneers, having landed in Mis-
sissippi county when Arkansas was a
territory and he was a mere boy, and
spent practically all his long life
among is. His name became house
hold word in Mississippi county, and
to know him was to love him.
His grandson, Judge w. j. Driver,
the subject of this sketch, spent most
of his boyhood on the farm. He is
familiar with labor in the field, ,awhere
he worked as youth. He was educa-
ted in the common schools of Mississ-
| ippi. county, and when he became a
man he entered the law office of
Judge George W. Thomason, where
he studied law and soon was admitted
to the bar. He was Immediately sue
cessful and within a few brief years
built up most lucrative practice and
was justly recognized by the bar OF
the state as one of its leading lights.
He never laid down on client and
never shirked his duty, even though
that duty led down the path of un-
popularity.
In 1911, when a vacancy occurred
in the office of Circuit Judge, he was
unanimously indorsed for the position
by the bar of the district. He accept
ed the appointment, and in doing SO
gave UP a law practice which paid
him many times the salary of Cir
cult Judge. For seven long years he
sacrificed his own personal interests,
to serve the people of this judicial
District as their Circuit Judge. On
the bench, Judge Driver made a. rep
utation that will long live in the
annals of the state, for being fair,
|
eS er reversed by che supreme court,
and lawyers everywhere will agree
that it was pleasure to try law
suit before him. Criminals soon
learned to fear him for when
they came into his court, the law was
meted out to them in manner that
would make the criminal stop and
think before he committed another
crime. There was no monkeying with
his court or tampering with his Ju-
ries. Criminals either left the coun-
try or quit their meanness. In fact.
the last few years that he was on the
bench, when Criminal court would
convene, the jails were practically
empty. Mention was made OF the
| fact i'm these columns more than
once and his strict enforcement of the
prohibition laws was responsible for
saving many lives and to the taxpay-
ers thousands of dollars. No Grim
| inal ever boasted that he had
pull with Judge Drivers court. II
he committed a crime he got the hot
end of it when he came before Judge
! Driver. no matter who he was or how
much influence or money he had.
1
lar with all classes, always courtly
and polite.
If elected to Congress he will make
himself felt in the councils of the
nation. The st. Francis Levee Dis
trict will have friend there who will
always be on the job. Away back in
1897 and 1899 when Judge Driver
was a mere boy in the legislature, ne
was responsible for legislation affect
| ing favorably the st. Francis Levee
District, which has developed into an
empire of wealth.
The women are now allowed ia
vote and we call their attention to
the fact that Judge Driver has al
ways been their champion. He favor
ed woman suffrage long before it be-
came popular to do SO. When he
was on the bench he protected the
rights of the women to the utmost
and woe be unto the scoundrel who
came into Judge Drivers court
! guilty of laying the hands of violence
upon good woman.
AS he was an able and fearless
Judge, he will be an able, fearless and
patriotic member of Congress.
Assurances of support from many
of the best citizens in the district in
dicate a landslide for Mississippi
county's favorite son and sterling
democrat, Honorable W. j. Driver
Osceola Times.
Much of the opposition to prohibi-
tion lies in the fear that 'Bacea will
follow Bacchus. Philadelphia Even.