The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-07-19
MISSISSIPPI'S LIVELY CANVASS
The GENERAL PRIMARY SYSTEM
ON TRIAL THERE.
Between 5000 and 5000 Democratic
Candidates Carrying on the Canvass
Each After His Own Ideas-NO Cen
eral Platrorm--Slueer Issues Raised.

eral Platrorm-lueer Issues Raised.
New ORLEANS, July 1s.-The Demo-
Gratis OF Mississippi will hold q primary
election in the first week of August that
will have an important influence upon the
political future of the State and, to GER
tain extent of the South for years to come.
1t will be the Arst general primary ever
held In Mississippi. II it proves success
the system will probably be adopted in
Louisiana and throughout the Southwest
Between 5000 and 5000 candidates are
running, and the canvass is the most active
ever made In the State Each candidate
has carried on his campaign independent
Of the others so that the meetings have run
far up into the thousands. The house to
house canvass has been carried on to an
extent to make 1t nuisance and to COM
pei the voters, and particularly the farmers,
to adopt measures of self-protection.
The cost of the primaries is to be paid by
the candidates, who are assessed from 81
TO 81 so q county for State offices and from
IS to $40 for local offices. The cost to
candidate for Governor or United States
Senator will be sl2O, and for the minor off,
cess $40.
Under the Mississippi Primary law there
is no nominating convention OF any KIND
and no platform, and the power OF the
Democratic State Executive Committee is
limited to counting the votes cast at the
primary and publishing the result. There
fore. each candidate is at liberty to inject
into the campaign any question or issue
he sees fit.
The result is a tumble of issues that would
confuse almost any voters save, perhaps,
those Of Mississippi, who give more time to
POLITICAL questions, aside from the matter
Of Offices, than the people Of any other
State in the Union The old issues have
all been sidetracked, either because the
voters are tired OF them, or because there
is no difference of opinion among them,
and none of the candidates, not even those
for Senator, has been asked to give his
views on the tariff or on financial ques-
tons
But with this exception, about every
issue ever before the American people Is
being fought over in the campaign. The
Indianola incident threatened at one time
TO raise the negro question to the first I'M
portance and to cause it to swamp all others.
Major Vardaman announced himself as
candidate for Governor on reaotlonary
Rnt-uegro platform, declaring that, II the
people would elect a friendly Legislature,
he would see TO it that such division was
made OF the school funds as would save
Mississippi from the trouble and danger
of the educated negro. This issue was
taken up by the other candidates. and dur
ing the first part of the campaign the negro
was the chief question under discussion.
He is still prominently in the campaign.
hut, 10, ualr and for that
reason, perhaps. the negro question has
become of less importance, The Demo-
cratic State Central Committee took an
Important step in regard to negroes by
refusing TO allow any to participate IN the
Democratic primaries. Heretofore the ex-
isrence of coIored Democrats had been
recognized
All the Indications are that the whites
viii vote against any change in the negro
policy Mississippi has pursued for years, and
will continue the settlement of the negro
problem on the lines already adopted
Prohibition has been a prominent issue.
greatly to the disgust of the politicians.
Tho clergy and the Womans Christian
temperance Union have carried on an
active campaign, and are compelling every
member Of the Legislature TO declare him.
self for or against a constitutional amend
ment submitting to the people tho propo-
"lilon Of prohibiting the sale of liquor
throughout the State
Prohibition already prevails In sixty-six
or the seventy-fve counties Of Mississippi,
and, as a rule, is rigidly enforced The
nine recalcitrant counties include the larger
,"whs or are in the southern part of tho
STATE, and therefore tributary to New
orleans or under New Orleans influence
and contain a considerable Latin element
40 the Prohibitionists these nins counties