The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-05-03
MIXED UP POLITICS
 IN MISSISSIPPI
Percy Wants the Primary But
 the Governor Says No
APPEAL TO COMMITTEE
Vardaman Favors inc Primary as He Has Nothing to Lose But Governor Noel Says the Arrangement
 Is Illegal

Jackson, Miss, May 2.-(Speeial.)-The Is not only a peculiar one, but is inter- esting from more than one point of view
 During the session. of the late legisla ture Senator Percy came down from Washington and delivered a spirited ad- dress in the course of which he paid his respects in very vigorous language to those who had been charging that his election to the senate had been procured by fraud and the corrupt use of whisky and money. His speech delighted hle friends and admirers. except as to the proposition he made to have a primary election next November to settle once and for all the title to the senatorship. He was not afraid to go before the people, and uttered defi to ex-Gov. Vardaman to stump the state during the summer.
 Inasmuch as the vardamanites had been crying fraud and declaring their champion the peoples choice" for the Senate there was nothing left for him to do but to accept the challenge to canvass the state for the seat in the Senate held by the utterer of the chal- enge. MT. Percy agreed that if Varda- man defeated him before the people in the primary thus to be held. he would resign the office and let the governor appoint the man who beat him.
 These terms were accepted, as mat ter of course. Vardaman had everything to gain and nothing to lose. Chairman Lomax of the state executive committee was requested by both aspirants to call his committee together and order the primary. The call was promptly issued and the committee is due to meet here or the 9th of May to determine as to wheth- CT the primary shall be had.
 In the meantime strong opposition to the primary scheme has arisen. Gov. Noel has put his foot down hard on the proposition and will use every possible means of defeating it. He declares such a primary is illegal and would be null and void because violative of the laws of the state which regulate all primaries, especially those for United States senator.
 Having an abiding faith in his own stand, Gov Noel called on the attorney general for an official opinion as to the legality of the proposed primary, and that officer backs him up and strengthens his position. In face of this opposition Senator Percy insists the primary shall be held and that to defeat It now would be to cast doubt on his sincerity. He made the proposition In perfect good faith, and wants the state committee to stand by him.
 It remains to be seen what the com mittee will do, but it is predicted here that there will be no primary, and known that if there is and MT. Vardaman de- feats Percy, Gov. Noel will never ap- point him senator. He admits as much. Efforts are being made to have a re- union on August 12 next of the survivors Of the constitutional convention of 1S90 and all known to be living have been communicated with by MT. R. E. Wilson of this city, who was secretary of the convention.
 MT. Wilson finds that almost exactly half of the members of that famous body of men are dead--that Is, 6S are dead and 66 are living. The more llustrous mem bers have crossed the river, death loving shining mark. Among those who have gone before are s. S. Calhoon, president of the convention; J. E. George, the origi- nator of that masterful stroke in state craft the understanding clause" which sounded the death-knell of negro rule and negro voting in Mississippi, and which has been grafted into several other south ern constitutions since Mississippi tried it and proved in the supreme court of the UT ited States that 1t was not volative of the fourteenth and fifteenth amend ments.
 Other illustrious names appear under