The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-12-29
DOUBT ABOUT ELECTION
leoisIature Will Meet in Special Ses- sion and 1t Is Not Known Whether Law Will Cover
 the Case.

The governor had about made up his mind 10 make no appointment, but to leave the selection of the successor to the lamented Senator McLaurin to the legisia- ture, but a happy thought struck him. and he solved the problem first tnlns Monday morning. There were no sug- eestions from any quarter as to the ap- no,ntment of Colonel Gordon, but having thought of him, the governor wired him to come to Jackson. The proposition was submitted to him and he accepted with thanks and with the understanding that he is to serve only till such time as the legislature shall have elected senator or shall have adjourned.
 The legislature meets on January A. ana under the law, and in it's very peculiar machinery, the election of the senator takes place on January IS. At least that is the time a senator would be elected d,rinp a regular session--the election De- inc governed by the date of the election of the speaker and the organization or the house. This leaves doubt as 10 when a senator is to be elected by special or short session, when no speaker is to be elected, and it may be that com nliea+ions are in store. However, Colonel Gordon ss appointed for only few days, and he understands that fully. 6 He IS quite an old man, being past 10, but Is still hale and hearty in spite of his years He Is a familiar figure about the state capital, having served this section Tn the state senate several times. He is man who would be looked at the second, or perhaps more times. in any crowd. AL ways dressed in suit or Con1eoera'e gray. tall and of commanding appearance, Colonel Gordon Is a real gentleman of the old school. true representative or tns old south and of the south very soutney- 8 typical southerner.
 Colonel Gordon enlisted in the Confed- crate service February ', 1861, as cap tain of the Chickasaw Rangers, Company B, Jeff Davis Legion, armed and equipped at his own expense, organized the second regiment, Mississippi cavalry, and served under Generals stewart, VanDorn, Jack son. Forest and Armstrong, and was one of the bravest leaders in the Confederate service-according to the reports of his friends and comrades
 Before and since the war. Colonel GOT don has represented his district in both houses of the legislature, and has taken a very prominent stand in the legislation that has been attempted.
 In speaking of the appointment. Cover nor Noel says:
 sIn making this appointment. under ex- isting conditions, I believe I am cor rectly voicing public sentiment. and if others disagree they can console them selves with the reflection that the power and the responsibility were intrusted to me and not to them.
 q am not a candidate for the United States sena torship. As to neutrality, pres ent conditions were unforeseen. but my course is, and will be. that fairly open to any self-respecting man. who, without proyocation, has been consistently sub 1ected to hostile criticism and obstruc- tion."
 Governor Noel is being complimented and congratulated on all sides. It Is the general opinion that he has done the very best thing that could have been done. It was appreciated by the several candi- dates for the senatorship that the man named by the governor might have hard time before the legislature. It was be- lieved that the man named by the gover- nor would be antagonized by the balance of the candidates and the governor seems to have known that.
 The impression here is that Vardaman is the candidate they have all got to beat. It Is Nardaman against the neld or vice versa There Is no kind of doubt that vardaman will have the strongest vote on the first ballot. It may be that he will have close to a clear majority over all the candidates. but 1t is not believed that he can corral a sufficient number of votes to go in on the first ballot. Sew eral of his friends are candidates for the place, and they will take from his strength. It is possible that the opposi- tion will be able to pile up a sufficient number of votes to defeat vardaman, and that Is what they are all trying to do now.
 In the meantime vardaman and his friends are claiming the earth. They are confident that their friends and cham pion will go in on the first ballot and are declaring their conviction.
 The balance of the state does not be- iieve 1t, however. There will be no elec- ton on the first ballot. But while the Vardaman element Is a powerful factor in this contest, the "Clan McLaurin" nee not be ignored because | of the death Of the head of that great | faction in the political life of the state. l While Senator McLaurin was considered | the leader of his own forces he always ! had able lieutenants and trusty advisers. l They are here yet and several of them 1 were In Jackson today conferring with 1 their friends and supporters.
 | There were originally eight of the Mc-
 Laurin brothers. but during the past
 few years the grim reaper has been busy,
 and five of them have gone to their re-
 ward leaving only three. These are &. l I. McLaurin. lawyer and banker, of
 Brandon; pr. A. c. McLaurin, physician
 at Brandon. and Judge W. K. McLaurin | of Vicksburg. Among other prominent
 members of the clan in the city were sen-
 ator Dulaney of Issaquena county. W. A. | White of Biloxi and others They spent l day at the capital, and 1t is stated that they have held continued conferences with | their friends. There is no doubt they | will do all they can to encompass the de- l feat of ex-Governor Vardaman, but just ! who they will settle on as the champion | of the McIaurin faction is not get
 known. There are several eligibles for
 that distinction. among them being Con-
 gressman E. J. Bowerf of the gulf coast.
 congressmen Adam Byrd of the central
 part of the state and Congressman E. &