Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1910-03-04
JACKSON.
PERCY NOMINATED FER SENATOR.
Kyle, Eyrd and Street Withdrew From
the Pee.

Kyle, eyrd and Street Withdrew From
the Rcce.
Leroy Percy, of Greenville, Miss, was
nominated for United States senator in
the joint caucus, Tuesday night, on the
lifty-eighth ballot, amid scenes never to
be forgotten.
Percy received 81 votes, to 80 for
Vardaman, they being the only contes-
tants in the final ballot.
When the caucus met, Byrd, Kyle and
Street withdrew from the contest, thus
Eliminating every conservative except
Percy, who had been the leading eandi-
date of the anti-Vardaman contingent
from the beginning of the contest.
1t has been rumored for days that
this would be done, and when the eau
Gus adjourned last Friday it was pretty
well understood that final elimination
would take place and that nomination
would be maze. This report seemed to
be well founded and had gained such
general circulation throughout the city
and State that about the largest crowd
that has attended caucus sessions was
on hand As The balloting proceeded the
excitement was intense and hardly a
person dared breathe. VardamSn had
his large quota OF friends present, and
Percy had his, and their following on
hand. When the result OF the ballot was
announced pandemonium broke loose,
IF la,
lent JOY were enacted. In sharp con-
trast with this was the woe OF the de-
feated candidates friends, which was
not concealed, for they were as conf
dent that Vardaman would be Eominat-
ed as man ever was OF any event.
In few moments the scene was
transferred from the capitol to the citv
and messages began flying All over the
State to friends of all the candidates
announcing the result.
This ends one OF the lonr2st an most
stubbornIy contested elections eve held
before a Mississippi caucus. VIXEN SER
ator McLaurin died several eminent H.is-
sissippians announced for hie mIe Npired
terms, among then being Percy, Var
daman, c. II. Alexander, j. H. Kyle,
Adam Byrd, Frank \. Critz an. lately
the venerable Speake- street. Or {. fter
another withdrew flJm the cont &. as
fast as the conservatives we're CHA bl d
to close in OH their following ana keep
it intact All of the 'aati-Var... man
candidates We're fired with one idea, and
hat was to defeat the ex-governor.
They were known to b. willing TO sac
rlfice their own personal fortunes IN
favor of the most available man for
The place, and it was finally decided
that the great lawyer from Greenville
.ad the most effective following, and
was the most popular with tne conserv-
atives, so he was ultimately selected TO
10 battle alone with the doughty Narda-
man.
Night after night the caucus met,
with deadlock on and both sides con-
ident. From the beginning it was no
iced that Percy was inclling up on the
other conservatives, and that Nardaman
had 20 votes that he could count on.
The conservatives gave him 80 as his
iull strength in the caucus, and the sew
4ral test votes that were taken showed
this to do SO. On the first test vote
Vardaman fought for an open ballot,
but the conservatives maintained the
precedent of many years and the caucus
preserved the secret ballot. Then it
was seen that Nardaman was beaten if
the conservatives could hold the dead
lock long enough to tie up their fol
lowers. This was the final result
There were a number of exciting in.
cidents connected with the contest, the
most interesting being the controversy
in the press between the gladiators who
went into the arena for the final
round. Nardaman wrote an editorial il
his paper charging that the trusts and
railroads had emissaries in jackson
working to compass his defeat, and in
the interest of one of the candidates
Mr.. Percy replied to this with an ar
ticle reviewing Vardaman's record, and
citing his personal criticisms of several
men distinguished in church and Safe.
This provoked strong reply from
Vardaman.