The Semi-weekly leader. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1905-1941, 1910-08-03
THE HEAVY FIRING GOES ON.
4 Representative Of LOwndes County
Tells Of the Secret Ballot
Caucus
Says Every Method was usad to Cor
Fupt Members and Secure Sue
cess Of Percy.

To the People of LoWndes County,
Until now ] have refrained from
writing anything for publication,
feeling that it was impossible tc
write calmly and dispassionateIy III
events connected with the late
lamented secret caucus. Seeing
that Mr.. Leroy Percy. in his speech
at Laudredale, said that the caucus
was acceptable to Vardaman and
his supporters. it is impossible fol
me to longer remain silent.
Neither Vardaman nor his sup
porters, except small minority,
wished a caucus.
positively refused to sign the
caucus call presented I'd me BY Mr..
Van B. Boddie, of Washington, In
tuition seeming to tell me that all
was not right. afterwards sign
ed one presented to me BY Mr..
Anderson. protesting that | did not
wish to do so, but not wishing to
Jeopardize the chances of the candi.
date whom / believed to be the
choice Of my people.
My faith in the honesty and in
tegrity of the members composing
the Mississippi Legislature had not
then been shaken. After the sup
porters of Maj. Vardaman had been
toiIed and fooled into the caucus by
plausible pretexts Of accelerating
the nomination in caucus before
the regular voting in the Legisla-
ture as required by law began, and
so preventing the election of the
Senator from interfering with reg
ular legislative affairs, had been
consummated; came the Gibbs
resolution. This resolution con-
tinuing the caucus with its secret
balolt came as a shock to practically
all Of us. We fought it bitterly
and very many wished to withdraw,
but refrsined for the reason above
stated.
We believed that there was not
enough purchasabIe material in the
Legislature to thWart the will OF
the people Of Mississippi. This
proved a falIacy. IN MY OPIN-
ION EVERY METHOD AND
MEANS WAS USED TO CORRUPT
MEMBERS AND SECURE THE
ELECTION or HON. LEROY
PERCY. AS for myself. I never
missed a ballot and voted IS times
for Jas. Il. Vardamar, never at
temtping to conceal my ticket and
never attempting to hide my views.
make this statement in justice
to myself and in justice to my con-
stituents, who are entitled to know
my every official act and my posi-.
tion on any and all questions.
There are no words in the English
language too caustic or too severe
to use in condemnation Of this
disgraceful and unprecedented
prostitution of honesty, integrity
and fair dealing. 7 have no word
of condemnation for those who
openly espoused the cause of Mr..
Percy, whether prompted by per-
sonaI friendship or by their views
of political expediency. BUT FOR
THE COWARDLY TRIMM Err
WHO SOLD HIS BIRTHRIGHT OF
HONOR AND HONESTY, WHO
REAPED THE FRUIT OF HIS
TREACHERY TO HIS PEOPLE
AND rs NOW ENJOYING HIS
REWARD, BE IT IN SORDID
GOLD OR ELEVATION 10 OF
FICE. / have the most thorough
contempt.
And yet all of us must suffer for
the sins Of the few and THE. LEG
ISLATURE OF 1910 WILL GO
DOWN INTO HISTORY AS THE
| LEGISLATURE OF BRIBERS
AND GRAFTERS. 1t is now up to
you; / have fought your battle and
while beaten, i return You the
commission which you gave me
unsullied. You can wrest victory
from defeat and honor from dis
honor If you will arise in your
might and rebuke these methods at
the polls ID 1911
Your individual liberty, the pur-
| Iity Of the party and the very exis.
tence of popular sovereignty de-
pend upon your course. Matters
lhave gone beyond personalities
methods, not men, are the issues
| Will you be represented OF mis-
represented Win you delegate
the powers that your fathers fought
| for to rotten convention, sordidl
purchasabIe and venalg
Reflect upon whether you WOULD
have as representatives men who
would carry out your wishes re-
gardless Of their own persona
prediction or men who woulC
embezzIe the power You had con
ferred upon them and use II foi
their own selfish ends.
| The great problem confronting
lyou is whether you will be fret
men or serfs. crouching under the
lash of 4 political master or masters
| Nardafnan stands for the South,