The Columbus weekly dispatch. (Columbus, Miss.) 1902-1905, 1903-09-10
CRITZ' CARD
70 the People of Mississippi:

/
The final action of the State /
Executive Com mittee. announc-
ing the result of the second pri- |
mary election, closes the most |
remarkable political fight our
people have ever witnessed or
endured. Remarkable for it's re-
suits, and more remarkable for |
the means and methods by which |
those results were accomplished. |
and still more remarkable be-
cause more votes were counted |
in the second than in the first
primary. Tt would be unprofita- |
BILE and unwise to open up any
of these matters. The people |
have spoken in the manner pro-
vided by law, and the verdict of
the majority has been announced
as the law directs. Major James
K. Vardaman is to be our next
governor, and will have the sup
port Of Critz and his followers.
Idesire to express my deep
est gratitude to the IS, 249 voters
who, with such earnestness and
loyalty, fought for my election
and the triumph of the princi-
pies I advocated, to the end of
that memorable political strug-
gle. A more splendid citizen
ship never followed any man or
cause to either victory or de
feat, and a more gallant fight for
truth and right was never made
in Mississippi politics. Their
disappointment at our failure
intensifies very much my disap-
pointment. We have nothing to
be ashamed of and nothing to re-
greet, except the result.
PROUD OF HIS FOLLOWING.
I am proud of the following [
had, and of the high plane of
honorable politics occupied by
them in the midst of the extrem-
est and the most unwarranted
bitterness of the contest, and
during the whole canvass. They
know, and the world knows, that
[ made a clean and honorable
race from start to finish; that [
dealt fairly and candidly with
the people; that advocated moth
ing but the truth, according to
my convictions and judgment,
and their convictions and judg-
ment were in perfect accord
with mine. My integrity as
| private citizen and the upright
ness of my canvass no intelli-
gent man doubts, and no honest
man has ever questioned.
The cry of white supremacy
carried the day for the victor in
the extreme excitement that pre-
vailed at the election, but there
was no such issue between me
and my opponent and could not
have been; and there was no
such issue between Democrats
in Mississippi, and could not
have been,
| CrrOOn EOT WHITE CITpRFNf
Everybody knows that De
mocracy in Mississippi means
white supremacy; and everybody |
knows [ have been a white liner
of the strictest sect for more
than a quarter Of a century, and |
never wavered or bolted or
scratched Democratic ticket. [
believe in the divine right of
the white men to rule, to do
all the voting and to hold all of
the Offices, both State and Fed
eral, and have so announced in
every speech made by me dur
| ing the canvass. Here IS my |
letter to the Executive Com nit
tee:
WEST POINT, MISS,
June %, 1908
| ITO the State Democratic Executive
Committee of Mississippi:
After due consideration, I am
satisfied that there is no legal |
objection to a white primary
election for the nomination of
candidates for State. county and |
district offices in the pending
election. We certainly have the |
right to organize a white Demo
cratic party. It would be ex-
tremely dangerous to allow ne
groes to vote in the primary |
| election and I most earnestly |