The Lexington advertiser. [volume] (Lexington, Miss.) 1904-1985, 1927-05-19
Hon. Dennis Murphree Opens Campaign for
Governor Before Great Audience in Jackson
Platform Comprehensive and Statesmanlike

Speaking before an audience conserva-
lively estimated at five thousand and
composed of citizens of Jackson and a
sprinkling of people representing al
most every county in the state, Cover
nor Dennis Murphree, in the opening
speech in his candidacy for election to
the constitutional term, enunciated the
platform on which he is basing his
claims to office and pledged to recon-
secrate and rededicate his life and work
for the continued advancement of Mis-
sissippi.
The policies of the Whitfield admin
istration, which the speaker helped to
formulate and enact into law, which
embrace the encouragement of outside
capital, the retention of the present in
come tax law, the spending of money
OILY after provisions had been made to
secure such money, the maintenance of
state finances on a pay-as-you-go basis,
! the sympathetic support OF all state IN
stitutions, the abandonment Of faction
alism and strife and the consideration
of all measures only in the light OF their
effect on the welfare of the state
these are the cardinal principles that
shall be advocated by Dennis Murphree
should he be elected to the high office
to which he aspires.
Considerable zest was added to the
program when Governor Murphree re-
piled to certain criticism levied against
him; he did not seek office on the de-
merits of his opponents, neither did ne
propose to wage campaign OF hatred
and vindicativeness, but he did clam
the right to use the Godgiven privilege
of defending himself. He admitted hav-
ing voted while in the House of Rep
resentatives against certain approprla-
tion measures; these measures were
voted on when the state treasury was
bare, when the state appropriations
We're exceeding state income by nun
dreds of thousands of dollars. Let the
issue be joined here" said the Cover
nor land let my destiny rise or fall on
the correctness of my position then and
now on the same policy
He made vigorous reply to the
charge that the present administration
had floated $1O,OO0,ooo in bonds, and
cited facts and figures showing that a
major portion of those bonds were for
the purpose of refunding bond issues
of former administrations at lower
rates of interest-bonds issued during
the Brewer, Bilbo and Russell admins
70
Through these refunding acts, he said,
the taxpayers have been saved S205,O00
in interest charges.
Governor Murphree was greeted with
applause when he said:
81 had thousand times rather have
my friends say about me We'll, he is
lust a real fellow, who does the right
thing as he sees it, than to have them
say, If he is crook he is so sharp
that they have never been able to prove
it on him.
The speech throughout was an utter
refutation of the charge that has gone
up and down the state that Murphree
could not make a campaign speech' IL
was, in fact, one of the clearest, illum-
mating, and statesmanlike efforts IN
the political history of Jackson.
In every way the assembly was re-
markable display of confidence and
Public esteem. Mr., Murphree is not
personally known throughout Missis-
sippi, his prior campaigns for public
office having been conducted largely
on the customary hand-shaking basis
He has not been in the field for months
creating friendship and favorable SEN
timent He has, rather, rendered Her
culean efforts for the relief of the dis
tress and suffering in the flooded area
of the state, with neither time nor IN
clination to engage in politics All the
more remarkable, then, this large ana
enthusiastic outpouring of people, ana
the complete satisfaction expressed
with his enunctiation of the prmelpIes
on which he proposes to stand or fall