The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-07-25
IN MISSISSIPPI.

The Democratic primary eIeCtioH III
Mississippi will be held early In August,
and 1t will be the first general primary"
to take place III that State. Between
five and six thousand candidates are run
nns for district county and State Offices
and the canvass is the most active ever
known there.
The cost OF the primary is to be paid
by the candidates. who a re to be as
sessed from 81 to, $3.50 county for State
Offices, and from IS to $40 for local offices.
Tho assessment of a candidate for Gov
crnor or United States Senator will be
$40, and for the minor Offices $40. The
fact that so many elections have been
thrown together enables the party to
make the expense which is to fall upon
each candidate much lighter than 1T
would be otherwise.
Under the Mississippi plan there is no
nominating convention of any kind and
no platform. Each candidate is at lib
erty to introduce into the campaign any
question or Issue the people will listen
to. Two OF the most prominent issues
thus introduced, as we learn from a
letter in the New York Sun, are the
prohibition question and the matter OF the
division of the school fund on race lines.
There is already local option law In
Mississippi. and it has been adopted by
the great majority of the counties, but
| 1t is now proposed by some candidates
| to go step farther and to prohibit
the sale Of liquor throughout the length
and breadth Of the State.
Major vardaman has announced him
self as candidate for Governor upon
reactionary anti-negro platform. He
promises that If the people will nomi-
nate and elect him to the executive
office he will see to it that the public
school fund is divided between the races
| lin proportion TO their contributions
thereto, we suppose.
| This question appears to be gaining In
prominence. At first it was regarded as
| OF little moment, and every new occur
renee in the State of the crime peculiar
to the male freedman adds strength to
the VarGhman plan II 1.-THE worthy
members OF the negro race would or.
ganize and cooperate with the whites
In depressing this crime, It would do
more than anything else possible to
check the growing popularity of the
proposition to divide the school fund
Another Issue, and very curious
one, brought before the voters of Missis-
s!pp Is demand from some quarters
that candidates for the Legislature shall
pledge themselves to prohibit the organ!-
cation of Creek letter fraternites In all
Institutions of learning which receive
monetary assistance from the State. The
charge against these fraternities is that
they. are introducing into Mississippi a
system Of ar!stocracy and caste often
s!ve to pure Democracy, and that they
have exerted a mischievous influence
upon university life.
Questions OF lynchngs, railroad man
agement. trusts, corporation franchises
etc, have similarly been injected into the
campaign, but old issues have been side
tracked, either because they have been
worn threadbare, or because there Is
no difference of opinion with respect tc
} them, We are told that not even the can
didates for the senatorship have beer
asked to give their opinions on the tariff
: or currency questions,
n The candidates for the senatorial nom
% nation are Mr.. Money, present incum
n bent, and Governor LONGING. How they
"a stand on the negro school question w
h are not informed, but 1t would seem that
e that matter is growing In Importance
and that 1t may have very weIghty in
"a fluence upon the results Of the primary.