The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-08-23
MISSySSyPPFS NEXT PRIN Any.
Narhaman'S Defeat Looked For on Aug

NaruamanS Brfeat Looked FOR on Nup'
IL.
NEW ORLEANS, Aug. o. There is much
mlsapprehenson about the recent Demo-
cratic primary in Mississippi. For one
thing, il is pretty certain that the result
does not mean the nomination and election
of Major James X Vardaman as Governor
on a platform which proposes to take the
public school fund from the negroes and to
condemn the black race forever to iIiteracy,
ignorance and the toughest manual work.
Instead of being success for Major
Nardaman the primary was "a distinct re-
verse for him and probably assures his de-
feat in the second primary, to be held Aug.
~ II is true, that he received a slight
plurality, but this was due to the fact that he
secured the entire reactionary vote, while
the conservative vote was split between
two candidates. Judge Frank A. Critz and
Senator Edward +. Noel.
IN total vote OF 30, 404 Yardaman fell
72s votes short Of getting the majority
necessary 10 nominate him, and he and
Judge Crtz made the race nearly neck and
neck. Eardaman carried only thirty-one
of the seventy-tive counties Of Mississippi,
Critz thirty-six and Noel eight.
When it is considered that the conserva-
tive vote was split, it will be seen that Var
danran did rot win the victory with which
he was credited. At the primary the con-
test will he between the two highest cam
didates, Vardaman and Critz and the de-
feat Of Major Vardaman and his reaction
airy policy for the suppression OF the negro
schools is expected.
As before stated, the conservative ma
jority cast against the yardaman policy
In the primary was 2072S. 1t il not eN-
pected TO fall much below that figure in
the second elect ion. Senator Noel, con-
scrvatve and anti-Vardamau Democrat,
who ran in the first primary and is now
out of the race, has appealed to his sup
porters TO vote for Crit2.
AS to my own position he writes. II
desire my friends to know hat the primary
has not, in the slightest degree, changed
my views on any question. My vote shall
go to the candidate who best represents
conservatism and who would be least willing
to tear down the racial safeguards Of our
present Constitution until after something
feasible and superior be erected in its
stead or laid before them and approved by
the people of our State. The issues now
before the people have been fairly and
| thoroughly discussed and popular verdict
| has been rendered in favor of conservatism
by an overwhelming majority considering
| that with two candidates his was the para
mount issue.
The letter is truthful expression of the
result Of the first primary and is believed
| to be IA correct forecast of the second.
A few conservative votes may wander to
Vardaman for reasons of friendship, but
not enough TO affect the result il is believed.
The Majors chances of success all lay in
his carrying the first election, with the
conservative force divided
The campaign for the second primary
has already begun. There will be few
speeches, for all the issues have been ex-
hausted. and the efforts will be directed tow
ard getting out tho votes again The
primary brought out the largest white vote
ever cast in Mississippi, and out Of every
100 whites entitled to vote 30 went to the
polls Thousands of Mssissppians, tenn
porarily domiciled in Memphis, New Orleans
and in neighborng States, travelled all the
way TO Mississippi at considerable expense
in time and money in order not TO lose their
ballot in this Democratic primary In the
interest it aroused, and in the vote it brought
out, no election held in Mississippi, State
or national. has ever equalled it.
Another important point is that even had
Major Vardaman been successful it would
not have assured the success of his policy.
The Governor of Mississippi has no power
over tho school fund All that Major
Vardaman was able to promise was that if
the people of Mississippi would elect him
Governor, and also elect a friendly Legis-
lature, he would go for the negro schools
The Legislature was looked after by
those opposed TO reactionary policy.
Only four Of the candidates nominated are
out-and-out supporters Of the Vardaman
platform, and had Vardaman been nomi-
mated by the recent primary he would have
found Legislature opposed to him.
But even if he had succeeded in getting a
majority of the Legislature it would have
awaited him nothing, for the present pro-
vision for the schools, white and blac k
Is Incorporated in the Constitution of the
state and cannot he repealed by the Legis-
lature The worst the latter can do is TO
submit the matter TO the popular vote,
The failure of ior Vardaman in the
first primary in Mississippi assures his de-
feat In the second primary, unless during
the next two weeks the race question should
suddenly assume some new and violent
form that would stimulate and revive the
rcactionarics in Mississippi The Presi-
dent il about the only man who can do
this.
The attitude of Mississippi in the matter
may be accepted as the attitude OF the
South II that State, which enterJalns
the most extreme Southern view of tho
negro, does not propose TO change its policy
In regard to the negro because Of any
revival of the race question in the North.
il can be- predicted with certainty that no
otber Southern State will take this action.