Oxford eagle., 1920-06-24
GOV. RUSSELL
ISSUES HOT
STATEMENT
TO THE PEOPLE OF MISSISSIPPI

In view of the extraordinary hap
,oenings in the recent State Conveh-
ton and especially because of the
enmity of the local press think it is
Just to my friends throughout the
state and in other states, and to the
fair-minded citizenship everywhere,
that / should give out the following
statement
Our state has never witnessed such
a spectacle as that staged at jackson
Wednesday. June 10th, since the davs
of the infamous "Secret Caucus" of
1910. Let me impress you first with
the fact that of all those who partic-
ipated in the beat conventions and
county conventions for the selection
of the deleuates that met here the
entire participants in ali these did not
amount to over five percent of the
qualified voters of this state. In fact,
the remnants OF that old decayed,
dis gusting, and thoroughly repudiated
minority crowd who controlled that
convention controlled this one. 1t is
we'll known and well settled, S0d that
by the whole people, since 1910, these
leaders do not represent the majority
Of the people Of Mississippi. In truth,
but not in name. there are two sepa-
rate and distinct parties in Mississippi
and this has been SO for many years.
In many respects these parties are so
different and far apart in their ideas
and ideals of government as the real
Democratic panty of jefferson and
Jackson is different from the rock
ribbed Republicans. One of these
palties may be properly termed the
Hamiltonian and the other the Jeffer-
sonian The Hamiltonians believe the
government should be in the hands of
the few and that the great masses
# the people should have no part in
the government,-the eXponents OF
is idea were in control Of the re-
cent Convention. The other party be-
licves in the primary election and that
every man should exercise an intelli-
cent ballot at the polls without intim-
idation or coercion from any source
In other words. the latter are really
the only true Democrats in MissSs-
sippi. The leaders in this Conven-
ton were such men as Ex-Governor
Earl Brewer, "Oily" Jack Cutrer, Os-
car Johnston, Ben Humphreys. togeth-
ar Nth a few other lesser ring-poli-
ticians including the Honorable "Me-
too" Pat Harrison, who stood shiver-
lngly by awaiting the orders from
those who he'd placed him in power
These men and their political machine
have for many years had associated
with them all the corporate influences
IF fafo ha dc
telegraph, telephone money interests
and other public and private corpora
tions of similar kind In every con-
test they pass the word down the line
and their slogan is "Rule or Ruin, -
but they do not dare to Say this out
loud. They tried this scheme in 1910
in the Secret Caucus and this issue
was squarely placed before the peo-
ple in 1911 and these manipulators
were overwhelmingly repudiated at
the polls. Again in 1915 they called
together their remnants and in the
greatest campaign of abuse ard Wilt
fication in the South were again over
whelninglv put to rout. In 1918 in
the general primary this same lot OF
rino politicians, disgruntled. disowned
and thoroughly repudiated in two e'ec-
tions. backed by the same money
powers and getting together cam
paien fund MANY times the size OF
any candidate that had ever offered
for office in this state. a~ain tried tc
oct in the saddle. but the people
lrnew them and were sick and tired OF
them and they again received the
most severe rebuke and drubbing ir
their entire history. In fact, ever
since the DAYS of the secret caucus
&c people have slapped this crowf
in the face at every general election
vear--but as shown in this last Con
veniion, thev still shine IN "ccnvo~-
lion assembled" Backed by a dirty
r'alicious. and indecent press. this
Convention throw all precedent tn the
winds-it was a knock-down and drag
out, affair. Propriety, courtesy, Gus
to,77. and all that they laid grutflN
aside. The great masses We're a
home unmindful that these rinoster:
were cutting these old Secret Caucu:
capers. The great masses paid LITTLE
attention to the beat and county con
vertions they were busy in thei
daily toll and so it fell to these curb
stone. scheming, convIntionhardene
Secret -Caucus-style politicians to lool
after their affairs. I repeat that thu
ma ioritv of the men composing thi:
convention do not in the least repre-
ea~t the wishes. desires. and ideal!
of the great masses Of the people O.
tbs state, as shown bv results, it j:
thu people be damned.
Possibly it may be said that ] have
a sore toe because l was not elected
a delegate to the Convention. This i
untrue. The action of this Conven
tion has aided me noliticallv to tn
tune of thousands of voter if l shal
over run for office again. When thi
convention saw fit to throw down Gus
tom, precedent. and the recognized
ord established rule of the Democrati
aaa7tv of this state and left me a
! o--ac, thew usnd method that is NJ
better and entitled to no more res
ssart than that of the gangster AM
T~nrd-healer politicians throughout tn
ror,1,pt cities of the land, but the
did it; the neonle shall know it AM
i, due time at the polls this renudiat
"a rinrritv will be shown "wher
Tony hid the wedge" | have Away
1,nen a fair ard open fighter: trI
Democrat of the Jeffersonian-Jack
ron school Of politics. true to tn
ronctitution. laws. and t...ditions o
the Democratic party.-the part
ti,~t was made to serve the masse
and not the classes, and believe
lContinued on page sfx.)