The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1910-04-29

U. S. Senator from Mississippi.
into each Others faces and their hearts
grew heavy and the stain of shame
mounted to their cheeks as they asked
each other in wonder, can it be that sons
Of Mississippi have stained for political
gain the name of Mississippi
Then came your investigation, the
most searching that a legislature has sver
made, where neither time nor expense
were spared, and then At the end Of it
there is left standing on the stage . mark
for the scorn and contempt Of all honest
men tapplause)-only one figure, . char.
acterless man, a self-confsssed liar, . self.
accused bribe-taksr, and his only ally, .
poor, broken-down, shameless woman Of
the streets. Every reputable witness
named in confederation had shrunk back
a7righted 10 if from contamination BY
touching this moral leper. (Applauas.)
And high above the pit Of shame, a .
star in the sky, floats the honor Of Mis-
sissippi, above the reach of the hands
that would drag II down for political
gain.
No Stain On His Honor.
"Your Investigation has shown 70 the
world that no stain rests upon the COM
mission that you have given to me; No
suspicion of reproach upon the integrity
of the legislature of the state Of Missis-
sippi, or upon . single one Of the eighty
seven votes that were cast In my favor.
tApplauss.)
~ know that that ssmmissioa was
fairly won; the legislature Of the state Of
Mississippi knows that the eomnissioa
was honestly won; the people Of the
state Of Mississippi know that that com
mission was fairly won iapplauss), and
yet broadcast ovsr the Land has been
spread the poison by which It i hoped
to close the ears Of reason among the
people Of the state Of Mississippi. They
have been told that through the secret
caucus, disregarding the facts that every
ssnator that ever represented the state
Of Mississippi, sent from . Legislative
hall, was sent by = secret eaueus-that
through the secret eaucu the will Of the
people Of the state Of Mississippi has
been thwarted and the expression Of their
choice been prevented.
1 UCNy tAOts 10y SE0S tAV S0AVV A0o-
sons that made tho legislature Of the
state Of Mississippi rspudiate vardaman'
ism make the people of the state Of Mis-.
sissippi willing and desirous of repudi'
ating Vardamanism because they are
weary of the senseless agitation and
strife-breeding (applause); and I say
am prepared to maintain that before thu
PEOPLE of the state, and I say, further
more, that I am anxious for the oppsr
tu,ity of maintaining it and asserting il
at the earliest moment before the people
Of my state. (Applauss.)
No Office Without Honor.
"No man prizes more highly the honou
of representing Mississippi in the senate
of the United States than I do. but Il
il only because I believe I can work 70,
the welfare Of the state, and 1t is only
because that I have the trust and conn
;dence of the people of the state Of Mis-
Isissippi behind me (~applause), and whom
ever / find that / have not that trust ant
confldenoe, then / no longer desire Il
serve the people in official capacity.
every dictate Of patriotism calls 70,
an early settlement Of this s~enatoria
question by the people Of Mississippi. I
10 not for the welfare of Mississippi tina
this fight, which promises to be . bite
fight, shall Be = long drawn out fight, n
raging the good people Of this state, b
hostile camps against each other, alonl
factional lines which it viii take genera
,tions to obliterate and to efface. What
ever advantage in this fight might com
to me personally, through delay, naugh
but harm could come to the welfare Q
my state. And newer shall It Be said N,
personal fortunes weighed aught with m
in the scales against my states vel
being. tApplause.)
Il wan to say that instead Of wantin
this primary to come of In August, 1911
| I inN b and challenge Mr.. Vardaman {