The Semi-weekly leader. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1905-1941, 1907-08-10
TO THE PEOPLE OF LINCOLN AND
ADJOINING COUNTIES.

i VINO r6aQ 1l6 I46AueT bHdG bIiI6
paper was an earnest supporter of
Gov. Vardaman in his candidacy
for, the United States Senate.
During the closing weeks of the
Senatorial campaign which ended
on the 31st ult. there were sever
al points we especially tried to
stress. One of these was, that
Gov. Vardaman's candidacy stood
first and foremost as the express
sion of desire to have the 18th
amendment to the u. S. Consti-
tuition repealed and an intention
to try to accomplish this object.
Another was, that Hon. John
Sharp Williams position on this
question was passive one, and
that while he, in common with the
great body of white people of the
South, desired this amendment
repealed, even going SO far as to
declare he would give his left arm
to see such thing consummated,
he at the same time opposed max
ing it an issue or even being will
ling to 'agitate" for repeal. A
third point stressed by us was
that by reason of the relative po-
sitions of Gov. Vardaman and Nh.
Williams on this subject, one be-
ing positive and the other passive,
that the negroes, in and out of
Mississippi, with their imperfect
understanding would regard Mr..
Williams as the champion of the
negro's political rights, and the
utterances of certain negro editors
in this State were cited or quoted
to prove the correctness of this.
In the last issue of The Leader
before the primary, we published
a letter from a Washington, D.
c., negro to show that not only
did negroes outside of Mississip-
pi regard Mr.. Williams as the ne
gro's political friend, but that
they had actually misconstrued
his true sentiments and position
while in Congress, in reference to
legislation in the District of
Columbia on the subject of Jim
Crow cars, miscegenation, etc.
Still another point we stressed,
and which the Vardaman State
Committee specially emphasized
in its last address was, that Var
daman's candidacy presented to
the white people of Mississippi
the first opportunity to express
their true sentiments on the repeal
Of the negro amendments, which
had been forced upon them in a
spirit of retaliation and hate in
the shadow of Federal bayonets,
and that Vardaman's defeat under
these circumstances would be con-
strued by the people of the North
as practically ratification Of
these obnoxious amendments by
the white Democrats of Mississip-
pi nearly forty years after their
adoption. The insolent message
sent to Gov. Vardaman published
/ in today's Leader with comments
: by the Magnolia Gazette) by a
a negro in Oklahoma, as well as
: numerous comments of the
!, Northern press, proves how near
, The Leader and the Vardaman
State Committee were correct on
{ this point.
! In The Leader of July 31st it
was printed in large bold type
t across the front page that "A
3 VOTE FOR JAMES X. VAR
J DAMAN MEANS A VOTE FOR
: WHITE SUPREMACY" This
r was clear, terse statement of a
! pregnant fact, and it was true
. because the paramount issue OF
Fardaman's candidacy was the
repeal of The 18th amendment,
which accords the negro the same
political rights as the white man,
with whatever else that may carry
Il with it. and because this and Var
s ldaman's whole record made him
the very incarnation of the white
: supremacy idea. 1t does not say
Il and was never intended to init
II mate that Mr.. Williams or a sin
Q gle one of his white Democratic
supporters IN Mississippi was op.
J posed to the repeal of the 15tt
I amendment. or favored rccogniz
q ing the negro as an equal, poIiti'
I cally or otherwise. Nor can i
J be shown BY any other utterance
+ of this paper, fairly and honestly
]. interpreted, that we believed Mr.
e Williams or any Of his white
7 Democratic supporters IN Missis
sippi were opposed to white su
premacy. We have never ever
Thought such d thing of Mr.. Will