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Office of Yates Brothers, General Life and Fire Insurance Agents, Macon, Miss. April 3d/ 1876
Aggregate Capital Represented Over $75,000,000. (Seventy-Five Millions.)
To his Excellency J. M. Stone Governor of the State of Missssippi
As a member of the Bar in this District, enjoying a reasonable share of the practice in my potion of it, I venture, on my own account, though but slightly acquainted personally with your Excellency, to make a few suggestions with reference to the appointment of a Circuit Judge.
Now that the respectable people of the State have obtained control of the Government, I need not suggest the importance of filling Judicial positions with men who will not be the inferiors in any respect of the late encumbents. In many portions of the District ^state^ The people of cannot be worsted, but in our District it is different Judge Orr is not only a man of fine social position & character but he is also a most excellent lawyer and would as a jurist compare favorably with most of our Circuit Judges of Auld Lang Syne. Hence you will pardon me for suggesting the
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importance of taking from our true men one of the very best as his successor, and will recognize the fact that it is not sufficient that a man should have proven himself a true man politically but he should also possess the full confidence of all his acquaintances as a man of the most Sterling integrity and a lawyer of the very first order in the District, and if in addition to all this he be an old man still retaining unimpaired his mental vigor, would it not be better?
And such a man in all respects, permit me to say, you will find in [?] Hampton L. Jarnagin member of the house of representatives from Noxubee.
I most respectfully ask your Excellency to inquire well into Mr Jarnagin's qualifications before you make an appointment for our District.
Mr. Jarnagin will not go into a scramble for the office and I have more confidence in your excellency than to believe that any man's chances are enhanced by inordinate importunity, and I will only add that Mr. Jarnagin has
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no kind of notice direct ^or indirect^ of my writing this writing this letter. There have been no communications between him and myself upon this subject. I have known him thirty years, no enemy has ever been able to tarnish in the least his fair fame. I know him to be a most profound lawyer and one of the very few in this District that will Compare favorably in that regard with the Hon J. A. Orr and I am anxious the standard should not be lowered now that we have the control. Our Senator (I live in Winston) promised me to speak to you with reference to Mr Jarnagin. I hope he has done so. Allow me to add just one thing more, it has been thought by some that reference would be had to ante-bellum politics, and that Secession Democrats would stand the best chance. A secession democrat myself I have scouted the idea, but while I know that would not weigh with you, there are those ready to catch at any thing After the that would like like it, so as to weaken us by division.
I am very respectfully your most obedient servant
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EXECUTIVE OFFICE, STATE OF MISSISSPPI,
[gap] County,
From R. S. Rives Address [gap] Dated [gap] Received [gap] Answered [gap]
SUBJECT:
Asking appointment of Jarnigan for Judge of 6" D'st
(Inclosures [gap])
ADELBERT AMES^J. M. Stone^ Governor.
TRAVIS RHODES, Private Secretary.