The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1907-08-06
THE OFFICIAL COUNT
RESULT OF SENATORIAL CON-
TEST IN DOUBT.
RAGE QUESTION IS ISSUE
In Vardaman's Defeat the Republican
Press and Mr. Roosevelt Will Have
Cause for Congratulating the People
of Mississippi.


ascertain the result of the primary con-
test between Mr. Vardaman and Mr.
Williams, notwithstanding the claims of
the friends of the gentlemen represent
ing his district in Congress. The Times
Democrat special from Jackson, Miss.
in review of the situation says:
AS the completed county returns have
been received, the remarkable and in
deed astonishing fact, has developed that
| the total vote cast will exceed the total
vote in the last primary election by as
much as 20 per cent.
This figure exceeds the calculations of
all the candidates by at least ten thous-
and votes, and many placed the maxi
mum at not above 100000 In the last
primary election, just four years ago,
| the returns of the first race i'll which the
interest was hardly less, if not really
more, intense than in the present race,
| the total vote polied was a trifle over
$4,000. In the election just passed the
total vote will reach 10000, or about
$4,000 increase i'll four years time. 1t is
difficult to explain this phenomenal i'll
|crease in the vote.
AS to the lessons of the election, there
will doubtless be much food for thought
for many months to come, and many
suggestions will arise for future amend
ment and Improvement of the election
machinery.
1t is noteworthy fact that both in
the race for Senator and Governor the
country vote was largely against Will
liams and Scott This is indicated by
the heavy claims made on the night of
the election by the friends of these two
candidates Williams forces claimed
from the early returns received that his
majority over Vardaman would be not
less than 10000 and would. possibly
reach 10000. SCOTS friends claimed
that he would lead the ticket for Gov
ernor by at least 6ooo, and might lead by
as much as 10000 plurality. These fig
claims, Judging from the face of the re-
turns received, and the resurns first re-
ceived were, of course, the town vote.
Later in the night, when the rural vote
began to come in county by county, the
Williams men began to shave their esti-
mates steadily, and before daylight had
or fhaf~. 10
teen thousand votes. During the fol-
lowing day still more cuts were made
until it was finally apparent that the
majority for Williams would certainly
not exceed three thousand. The same
thing exactly happened in the case of
SCOTS vote. On the city returns he had
good lead, but next day when the COX
wagon vote" as it was termed began to
arrive, the friends of Scott began to
grow uneasy and Brewers friends cor
respondingly jubilant Noel was not
thought to be as good as third, and GER
tainly not in the race But in the final
result, o nhgures in hand up to the pres
ent, it looks as though Noel will lead
the ticket, with Brewer and Scott fol-
lowing.
RACE QUESTION ISSUE.
The defeat of Vardaman and the close
run he made for election will be a mat
ter of national comment and the press
of the country will comment on the re-
suit according to their respective view
points. Of course, the Republican press
and supporters of Mr.. Roosevelt will see
in it cause for congratulating the people
of Mississippi, especially as Vardaman
has been so bitter in his public utter
ances against the President. But the
chief matter of comment by the North
ern papers will be on the defeat of
Vardaman's extreme views on the race
question. The firm stand taken by the
Governor in advocacy of the repeal of
the Fifteenth Amendment to the Consti-
tuition of the country and his determina-
ton to agitate the race question daily
and hourly, if elected to the Senate, has
already been the subject of much feel
ing The success of the Democratic
leader on this clean-cut issue will be
taken doubtless as the national policy of
the Democratic party
VARDAMAN FOR BRYAN.
One result of the election will be
struggle between the Vardaman and
Williams elements for control of the
next State convention. and the delega-
tion to the next National Democratic
Convention. Vardanlan had declared
himself unequivocally as follower of
Mr.. Bryan, and as heartily in sympathy
with Mr.. Bryan's national politics, or
most Of them; while Williams. on the