Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1910-05-19
The Secret Ballet Caucus--Faets
oRemember.

10 Remember.
From the Brookhaven Leader.
The Legislature met Tuesday,
Jan. 4, 1910. The caucus was
organized Thursday. Jan. 6, by
electing Speaker II. NJ. Street
chairman and l.. Pink Smith and
Frank Robinson secretaries with
out opposition, for the ostensible
object of nominating a candidate
10 succeed the late Senator A. j.
McLaurin, before Jan. 18th, the
regular date fixed by law for the
Legislature to elect a senator by
an open viva voce vote. The sup
porters of Vardaman wanted the
rules OF the House adopted for the
government of the caucus, which
required a viva voce vote on all
questions. This was objected TO
by the opposition and a resolution
passed adopting the secret ballot.
The yeas and nays we're called on
This resolution and it was adopted
by vote Of 101 to 90. 20 sena-
tors voted yea and II nay; 10
representatives voted yea and 30
nay. The candidates were invit-
ed to address the caucus next day
and the caucus adjourned. In
his speech next day, Vardaman
declared that he had no criticism
of the members of the caucus who
had voted for the secret ballot,
but that re had always acted in
the open, believed that the best
policy, and would have preferred
that course by the caucus. The
first ballot for candidates was
reached Friday night, Jan. 7th.
The vote on the first ballot stood:
Nardaman II, Percy 81, Alexan-
der 81, Anderson 81, Kyle IL,
Byrd ~, Critz 3, Scattering >.
1t was ''the field against Varda-
man."
On Jan. H., when deadlock
had thus been brought about and
it became evident to "allies" and
their supporters that they could
not defeat Vardaman by Jan. Is,
when they would have TO go into
the Legislature, as the Federal
statute provides, and3vote for a
senator in the open, the now no.
torious Gibbs resolution was in
troduced by Senator w. d. Gibbs
and adopted after one Of the
stormicst scenes ever witnessed
Mt the capitol. BY the adoption
of the Gibbs resolution Jan. 14th.
and the defea, Of the Bird reso-
luton, Jan. 18th, the deadlock
was kept up and the secret ballot
continued until 22nd, when Leroy
Percy was nominated over Varda
man on the 18th ballot by a vote
vi 81 to 81. All members of the
Legislature were Democrats.
THE GIBBS RESOLUTION.
Whereas; The Democratic
party of the State of Mississippi.
for the welfare of the party and
accordance with its uniform and
time honored custom, has UNDER
taken to nominate, by a caucus
OF its members, candidate for
the United States Senate, and it
is the judgment of this caucus
that such nomination should be !
made in the mode and manner
determined upon by the caucus:
Therefore, in order that such |
nomination be made by this eau
Gus, be it
Resolved; That in the event
no nomination be reached by the
time fixed for the election OF a
United States senator by Federal
statute, that in voting for such
senator each member of this eau
Gus be instructed to vote on each
roll call for a Democrat of the
voters congressional district. be-
ing man not heretofore balloted i
Tor, this to continue until a nomi.
nation has been made by this
caucus"
This resolution was introduced
Jan. 18th. On a call Of the yeas
and nays, the resolution was de-
elared adopted by a vote of SIS to
30. The record Of the vote is as
follows:
Senators Voting Yea.
Anderson, Baird, Banks. Bre-
land, Cunningham, Darden, Dean
East, Parish, Franklin, OF the
10Th, Gibbs, Harrell, Hibbler
Leftwich, Logan, Mahon, Nc.
Donald, Mcdowell, McGehce, Me |
Laurin, Price. Thigpin, Vance. /
West. Total "a.
Senators Voting Nay. Il
Bilbo, Bush, Engle, franklin ,
81 the 3lst, Harper, Hebron, Nc.
Millin, Owen, Pierce, Pollard.
Potter, Rowan, Sanders, Sea. 4.
wright, Simpson, Simmons, Tuck '
sr. Total Is.
Representatives Voting Yea. 1
Adair, Alcorn, Afford, Bennett /
Lincoln and Franklin, Bennett, |
y Winston, Bloomfield, Breland, il
Bridges. Calhoun, Cavett, Curd. {
Denton, Olson, Dorroh, Foster, :
Fay, Friersou, Green, HesIip' Is
Hill, Holmes, Hood, Hudson /
Johnson, of Pamela, Johnston, of
Calhoun, Jones, of Union, Jones,
81 Wilkinson, King. Lamb LOT.