The leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1895-1905, 1903-08-15


Democrats of Mississippi:
From the most reliable returns
[ have, Vardaman and Critz have
tied, or Critz has one majority of
the electoral vote, with small
plurality of the popular vote in
favor of Vardaman in the first
primary. Critz has carried 35
counties and Vardaman "a.
The result has been surprise
to me nor to my committee. We
have played no game of chance,
but, as far as possible, have con-
Quoted the campaign upon intel
ligent principles. [ have dealt
fairly and frankly with the peo-
pie as to such public policies as
are in my judgment for their
best interest. The result shows
that our information as to the
extent to which the truth thus
presented by me had impressed
itself upon the hearts and minds
of the voters was very nearly &C
curate.
All our utterances, both as to
policies and as to the political sit
uation, have been conservative,
candid and truthful; and the same
principles shall control me and
my committee to the end. [ can
not afford to trife with the peo-
pie, and my committee are in
perfect accord with this senti-
ment.
The forecast issued by my
campaign manager, Col. R. M.
Levy, on the 9th, inst, was the
most remarkable document of
the kind ever published in Mis-
sissippi politics, for it's accuracy
and absolute candor, and my fin
al appeal of that date to the vo-
ters of the state agreed with this
forecast. It is true this forecast
claimed for me A counties, in
Guiding some that were very
close and doubtful, while I only
carried 35 counties, but a change
of $50 votes in the close counties
carried by Vardaman would have
given me a majority of the cleo
toral vote.
Contrast this with the last ap-
peal of Maj. Vardaman' s commit
tee to the voters of the state and
the forecast made by them. They
stated that letters from him as
sert his belief that he will have a
clear majority of 10000 in the
first primary over both his oppo-
nents," but the count of the bal
lots puts him over 10000 votes
short of this estimate. They then
claimed 50 counties, with 10 or
Is doubtful, with a chance for
Vardaman to carry a plurality in
more than half of these, and a
majority of from 20 to 40 of the
electoral vote; but the latest re-
turns give him but 33 counties.
many of them by very small plu-
ralities, with 121 electoral votes.
The forecast of the Vardaman
committee at Meridian was far
more extravagant, claiming at
least three-feurths of the coun-
ties carried by me.
From the first he has claimed
that it was the field against Var
daman. The radical and unique
position taken by him forced the
two conservative candidates into
a position of open antagonism to
his platform. The politics of Noel
and Critz are the same. In the
first primary it was Vardaman
and anti Vardaman, with the anti
Vardaman strength divided be-
tween the two conservative can
didates. Then it follows as the
inexorable logic of the situation
that most of the Noel votes will
go for Critz.
| believe the people cast their
ballots with an earnest desire to
do right, and, since it was Var
daman and anti Vardaman in the
first primary and will so continue
in the second, I see no good rea-
son to fear a material increase of
his vote in the next primary.
Noel fought me to thelast ditch
and his fight was able, but we
have never disagreed as to prin-
ciples or politics and he retires
from the race with the utmost
good feeling between US. The
disagreement between my re-