The Tupelo journal., 1910-06-03
This Caps the Climax.

folly to be wise," is an old ant
true saying.
Perhaps more misinformatior
has been sent out about tht
secret caucus" than was evel
before scattered broadcast in
Mississippi. People are talking
and damning the secret caucus
who have no real conception Of
what the caucus really was.
i A good deal of nonsense has
| been scattered abroad about the
caucus by people who never in
tended to tell the truth about it,
in order to make it odious in the
minds of those who did not un-
| derstand it; while many good
men honestly believe. have been
taught to believe, by designing
politicians, that the caucus was
all that was bad.
| Many foolish things have been
said about the caucus by papers
that went down in defeat under
! it's ballots, but about the most
absurd that has come to light,
and which is now being given
circulation, is a set of resolutions
adopted at "a mass meeting held
at Perks, Copiah county"
These Perkers, with all the
solemnity of owls, and with as
many eyes as Argus was sup
posed to possess, declared that
in their opinion, the "secret eau
Gus held at Jackson was untrue
to pure Democratic principles;"
that they believed it was dark
lantern caucus" to keep secret
its workings against the will and
wish of a large majority of the
people," that from the empty
whiskey bottles found around
the capitol, the Perkers are
satisfied that whiskey played an
important part in the election of
Percy and the defeat of Varda-
man. These Perkers have doubt
less overlooked the fact that the
whiskey bottles referred to- are
supposed to have come from
Headquarters occupied by sup
porters of the defeated candidate.
1t is unnecessary to say that the
Perks meeting declared for
Vardaman for Senator, and took
Bilbo lovingly to it's arms, and
thanked him for "the brave and
hazardous efforts he made to
detect and expose fraud and
bribery in the dark lantern eau
Gus. )"
1t is amazing though that men
will not post themselves before
going off halfcocked in this man
ner. for in truth and in fact there
was no "secret caucus for
everything was wide open ex-
cept votes, and there was no
resolution to prevent members
of the Legislature from ammo
uncing their choice as they de-
posted their ballots, if they had
cared to do so, and it is well
known that some of the ballots
were voted openly, held up and
exhibited before being cast.
| All this talk about a secret
caucus, or even secret ballot,
lis sheer nonsense. Never was
there a resolution or motion
providing for a .'secret ballot. :"
The resolution of Senator Left
/ Wich, adopted at the first meet.
ling of the caucus, on the night
of January 9th last, simply pro-
vided that the vote for United
States Senator should be by bal
lot" It was opposed by many
of the Vardaman men, as well
as by some Of the opposition. but
was adopted by a vote of 101 for
to SO against, the vote being as
follows, and, 9s it will be seen
by examination. many Varda-
man men voted for the resolu-
ton, while some Of the opposi
ton opposed it:
Yeas
Sesators: Adams. Baird. Banks
Cunningham, Darden, Dean, East, Far
: ish, Franklin of 25th., Gibbs Harrell
Hibbler. Leftwich, Logan. Lahon, Nc
Donald, Mcdowell, McGehee, McLauril
Price, Sanders, Simpson, Thigpen
2 Vance, West; 26.
Representatives: -Adair, Adams o