Okolona messenger., 1903-08-12

saults from the same source upon the
character Of Major Vardaman, the
high minded, honorable gentleman
the great masses OF the state desire
for their executive.
To illustrate, while Major Vardsman
received within 5000 votes of a NOM
ination by popular majority, the
Commercial Appeals figures are so
distorted as to bring his total vote
down almost on an equality with each
of the other two candidates.
Our own county has gone upon re-
cord on the question of Governor, as
it also recorded it's vote on the sena-
torial question, and it will not hesitate
to still further manifest its faith, If
another primary is ordered, but there
are some sections where the people
have not been as we'll informed rs
here, and it beheOves every patriotic
citizen to repulse the designs new be-
ing made upon the states fair name.
Since the returns first reported
showed clearly that the towns had con-
Quoted their primaries on a perfectly
square and open bases, it remained for
the dirty work to be pushed into re-
mote districts where the men using
I Critz's Doodle dared to hold back the
count, garble and thwart the real re
turns. In some boxes many more
votes we're cast than there were reg
istered voters in the district, and from
one county alone comes the startling
declaration that 200 illegal votes were
cast. 1t is a significant fact that in
each of the questionable sections,
with probably one exception. where
the ELECTORAL vote was given to Noel,
Judge Ortiz was enabled to take the
ELECTORAL vote by a very mesgEe plu-
rality. Many counties were carried
by Vardamsn by a mojority of two
and three votes to one over both of
the others, and in such counties the
fact stands forth that the election was
held in the most upright and open
manner, fairly and squarely. Judge
Critz carried but one county over both
of his opponents and that was his
own, where men who we're bitterly OPP
posed to him. were marched to the box
and voted for him under every stress
argument calculated to appeal to home
pride. Then even nearly 400 rebelled
and refused to honor his claim.
But 1t is not OF the personal, but
glaring public record of the man and
his tactics we would speak. Nor
would we alone ask a consideration of
q choice as between Judge Critz and
Major Vardaman on anything con-
nected with the fret primary vote;
but rather on the merits and priRei-
pies Of the men themselves.
It is one OF the proudest boasts of
every man supporting him, that Mai.
Wardaman ie incapable of a dishon-
set, disloysl or dishOnorable act His
! personal integrity and high sense of
patriotic love of country has never
been questioned by q man Of honor.
No man would dare approach him with
3 proposition to do a mean act. Many
Of his most bitter opponents ac-
knowledge this fact. The sneaking
lies that have been peddIed shout him,
through the means of clandestine pri-
vate letters carried about were never
given the light Of day, nor the author
ship aekno wledged by any man. Upon
the issue most near and dear to every
Mississippian, every Southerner, Ma
! ior Vardaman has stood braYely and
herOically Tor the purity of the white
mans dominion. The only truthful
charge against himi is that he is 8 poor
man, that he has not dollar to put
into the campaign. The question is:
Can poor man be elected Governor
Of Mississippi?
What is theposition for Judge Critz 2
In answer we shall not refer to any
thing connected with bis life prior to
the opening Of the present campaign,
except to suggest that through the