Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1922-10-05
Percy Bell Issues an
Address to tie People
TO THE PEOPLE OF MISSISSIPPI:

through the press that | would be a
candidate for Governor of Mississippi
subject to the 1923 Democratic pri-
maries. Since that time 1 nave been
over the greater part OF the State
and have made q number of public
addresses in which | have advocated
purity and cleanliness OF public and
private life, rigid enforcement OF
law, suppression of crime, co-opera-
tion of our people to the end that
wealth may be increased and taxa
tion decreased, the proper sup
port of educational and eleemosynary
institutions, and have discussed with
our people some of the problems Of
the State.
l am adopting this method of again.
bringing my candidacy to the atten-
ton OF all Of our people and of urg-
ing upon them the necessity of exam
lining before 1928, most carefully the
records and qualifications of candi-
dates for public office. The Cover
norship is an office of greatest i'm
portance in filling which no mistake
making a mistake will be largely ob-
waited by correctly ascertaining the
records and qualifications of all Of
the candidates.
/ am not a politician, but lawyer
and business man. | have some small
farming interests, while my practice,
which is private and not corporate,
requires me to deal with the business
problems of my clients. Before be-
coming a lawyer, was a school
teacher and superintendent OF educa-
ton Of my home county. l have
since served in both houses of the
Mississippi Legislature, and have
been Chancellor of my district. In
my practice as well as in the filling
of public office, | have endeavored
faithfully and conscientiously to dis
charge my duties to my clients and
the public, and l cheerfully refer the
public to any lawyer Of the State or
TO any citizen of my home county, as
to my standing and reliability as
lawyer and man. AS many problems
confronting a Governor are legal and
al of them require judicial considera
ton and sound reasoning my train
eng and experience in all three
branches of the State government
should be valuable.
My principal aim and desire in
seeking the 'Governorship is to rem
der service to the State, and, if |
elected, l shall devote all of my en-
ergy to that end, endeavoring to bring /
about those beneficial changes which |
I believe all of us are convinced
should be made. II elected, | pledge |
myself to give the State a clean
business administration, free from
graft scandal, or corruption, or the
suspicion Of them; to see that all,
rich or poor, capital or labor, adher-
ent or opponent, have square deal;
that the business of the State is con-
Quoted with the same care, economy
and efficiency which good business
man gives to his own affairs, super
vising and visiting personally its va
,ried institutions; to guard the repu-
tation of the State for purity OF ad-
ministration and fairness OF dealing
as jealous1y as one guards his own
good name. I shall endeavor to aid
in reducing the burden of taxation,
both by increasing the revenue OF the
State, and by aiding its development
Our taxation system is sadly in need
of revision, while great potentialltles
of wealth are lying undevelOped.
. The vast cut-over areas OF South
Mississippi, at present of small value
and yielding little revenue, present
q great opportunity for development.
The present rate or cutting TIMBER Is
gapidly increasing these areas, and
will practically exhaust our timber in
a few years.
Fruit and truck raising on those
lands adapted thereto and reforesta-
tion of those adapted best to tree
Growth will add much to the wealth
OF Mississippi, and furnish remuner-
alive employment for her people.
With proper encouragement and d.
versification, with the development of
our resources and cooperative mark
citing, our people can become wealth.
Ter and better able to meet the fl
nancial burden created by our vari-
gns educational and charitable insti-
tnfions. Our revenues should be ad-
T.