The Semi-weekly leader. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1905-1941, 1907-07-27
OVATION TO VARDAMAN
IMMENSE CROWDS GREETED "THE
WHITE CHlEFTAIN' YES
TERDAY
AT CRYSTAL SPRINGS. BROOKHAVEN
AND MESSON.
Opera House at BroOkhnYen Could Not
Hold the Multitude Anxious to Hear
MissIssippi's Next Senator.


long speeches to immense au-
diences and arousing the widest
enthusiasm.
Yesterday morning he arrived
in Jackson at 7:30 from Greene
county, in the South eastern
part Of the State, where he al
dressed an audience the day be-
fore which could not crowd into
the big court house at Leakesville.
jackson supporters chartered an
engine and special car for the day
for the Governor, and after a
short stop at the capital, he was
soon on his way to Crystal
ISprings, where he had an engage
ment with the Chautauqua Asso-
cation to speak at II O'Clock.
A tremendous audience greeted
the Governor at the Chautauqua
grounds and the ''big tent'' was.
filled to its capacity by anxious
listeners who gave him the closest
attention throughout a two hours
speech. Those who had heard
the Governor ct other places, say
he eclipsed himself on this occa-
sion and the enthusiasm and adj
miration for him were so great
that when he closed, scores Of peo-
Pile rushed to the stand to congrat-
ulate him and express their warm
appreciation. A number of Will
.liams men came forward and
frankly confessed that they had
not seen the negro question be-
fore as the Governor presented it
and voluntarily pledged him their
support from this time on.
At Brookhaven the Vardaman
committee had hired Henck's OPP
era House, which was ample for
the crowd when Mr.. Williams
spoke here; but early in the morn
ing, as tthe people began pouring
into Brookhaven from the coun-
try and on the trains from every
direction to hear the great expo
nent of white supremacy, it be-
came evident that not more than
half of the crowd could be packed
into the opera house. The ar
rangements were therefore hastily
changed and plans improvised for
accommodating the speaker and
audience on the beautiful shady
campus of Whitworth College,
! just east OF the Institute building,
which had been kindly rendered in
the emergency by Pres. Cooper.
When the Governors special ar
rived from Crystal Springs at 3:15
p. M, there was surging scene
of upturned faces at the depot to
greet him and the cheers which
greeted his first appearance, min
gled with the strains of music
from the Woodmen's Band, were
deafenlng.
The Governor was escorted to
the Inez Hotel by the reception
committee, consisting of Messrs.
o. Newton, Jr., {. Brady, A. w.
Meyers, S. W, Applewhite, DR..
j. 7. Walker, DR.. W. H. Frizell,
DR.. |. l.. Parsons, B w. McCor-
mick, j. L, Storm, w. P. Smith,
Floyd Middleton. ". E. Parsons,
B.. Z. Hobbs, j. N. Yawn and
others and soon afterward was
driven to the college to begin his
address, where most Of the crowd
had already preceded him.
The Governor was introduced in
a stirring and eloquent address by
Hon. Thos. Brady, and was about
to proceed with his speech when
Ihe and the audience we're treated
to pleasing little surprise not On
1.-The program. This was the ap-
pearance on the stand of Mary
Thomas Flood, a bright and sweet
little Brookhaven miss Of 8 who
presented the Governor on the
part Of his lady admirers of
Brookhayen with q large bouquet
lof beautiful white flowers, tied
with white ribbons and accompani-
led with this greeting inverse:
i ITO THE WHITE CHIEFTAN. { Z
white flowers to our clieftan white,
! Brookhaven's daughters send;
TO welcome him with glad delight
The Southland's truest friend.
Be not afraid! Thou white mans chief,
The Anglo Saxon race
Has yet to bend its neck beneath
victor's cruel mace.
The blood is yours, on land and sea
Uphold thro' its supremacy
The Governor fervnntly kissed
the sweet little girl when she
finished speaking. accepted tile
flowers n q few words Of grateful