The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1905-07-29

would elect the senator. This was be-
cause the state senators are elected for
four year terms and half of the members
of the state senate are elected every two
years. The railroad campaigners then
started out first to nominate men for the
senate who would be favorable to their
candidate for United States senator two
years later.
No mention was made of the railroads
candidates: the word went down the line
to put in men who would do b right
thing for the railroad company. The
candidate, however, got busy" and was
sent by his company TO all parts OF the
state, ostensibly on railroad business,
but really to get acquainted with the po-
litical leaders. Never before had hat
road been SO liberal with passes. Any
man who had a line on any member OF
the legislature got a pass for the asking.
1t was this generosity without any re-
quest for legislative favors which made
the boys suspect hat a gum sho cam
paign senator was on, and long before
the members of the general assembly
which was to elect a senator had been
nominated it was known that the rail-
road attorney was a candidate for Unit
ed States senator.
Now this is what that man had to do
to get the seat in the senate he and his
people were after. He first had to have
a majority, on joint ballot, in the gen.
eraI assembly of members of his polltl-
cal party, otherwise he could not be
| elected. Having a party majority he
then had to get a majority of the mem
bers of that party in caucus in order to
get the nomination. To get this caucus
majority he had to begin at the very bot
tom; he had t. go to the county V
lions to get delegates favorable to him
sent to the legislative district V
tions. He then had to get the district
conventions to nominate, for members OF
the legislature, men who would-Vote Tor
him in caucus. He attended IN person
as many of these conventions as ne
could. and where he could no the rail-
road sent men in his interests.
The company had along its lines local
ATTORNEYS who handled the legal bust
ness of the railroad in their sections OF
the state. Every local attorney was a
politician. l was n of them, that is
how | get mixed up in the campaign.
With others | was called in" to the
company's headquarters and given a
certain portion of the state to handle
for the company's candidate. 1t was
my Office to round up every township,
county and district convention l could
for ''our man" There were nearly 5O
of us. and we worked hard; we had to-
| was told that my expense account
would be paid without question.
We were unable to get instructions
for our fellow in as many district con
ventions as we wanted, for the Unltec
States senator, whose seat we were after
was a pretty live proposition n knew
how to promise the same federal job tc
a dozen men in a way to make each be
Iieve that he had that job landed. Blu
here is where our man had the edge OF
him; our candidate had a barrel. 1t wa:
not his property, but he had the use o.
it, and was told to knock in the lead l
necessary, and he knocked it in.
He had established headquarters IL
the city, and there a score OF active
shrewd, knowing politicians were a
work. The nominating conventions hat
all met and nominated, and from tina
Headquarters went the word that ever,
candidate of our party for the legisla
ture who needed campaign funds coult
he supplied. | was in the inside room
one day when a candidate for the stat
senate came in. In a cool, businesSllk
way which was refreshing, he was aske'
how much money he required to "clnch
election. He was modest. He put tn
figures only up to $500. He then wa
asked if he would pledge himself to vot
in caucus for our candidate. He sal
he would. Then he would have no OF
lection to signing a pledge to that Ell
feet. He signed and before the ink c
his signature was dry he was hande
: three crisp 500 bills.
Now that bride was yelled By the sui
terfuge that the money was part of
campaign fund contributed by enthus
=, astic men who wanted their party t
win the election. AS a matter OF fact tn
money was paid for that mans vote b
the railroad company, who wanted the
: candidate for United States senator I
be elected. From this headquarters ais
were sent speakers into close district
and the legislative candidates in sue
districts knew that their help cam
from the railroads candidate. In shor
: a general campaign for the election
y members to the general assembly We
ably and effectively conducted by OF
+ candidate, and the newest novice in pol
tics could easily figure that the expense
q were something enormous.
? Our man was elected without troubl
l for before the party caucus was held h
I ~onponents withdrew. They could n
e fight the barrel which was never empt
no matter how often its contents we
: scooped out.
Il I have sketched out this campaign
show the ramiications and complexiti
If which characterize a campaign for G
election of a United States senator. !