The Semi-weekly leader. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1905-1941, 1910-01-19
SENATORIAL CONTEST.
OPPOSITION TO VARDAMAN FIGHTING
FOR MORE TIME.
Resolution to Switch Votes to Men Not
Now in Contest.
Program for Secret BaIIOtlRe to Go on
Indefinitely.

jackson. Miss, Jan. IA crisis
was almost reached this Afternoon
in the senatorial caucus when a
resolution was adopted releasing
the members from viva voce express
sion of a choice of candidates in
the viva voce ballot required to be
taken next Tuesday in each House.
This vote is construed as being the
most significant since the caucus
was organized and indicates that
the opposition to Major Vardaman
is determined to fight to a finish,
and. failing to nominate Senator
over him, to continue the caucus
indefinitely, possibly forcing an ad-
journment without selection. The
vote came up on a resolution of W.
D. Gibbs of Yazoo, which provided
that unless a caucus nomination is
made before Tuesday, the members
are instructed to vote for some
choice in their respective congress
sional districts, to be a man not
heretofore voted for, and such viva
voce voting to be continued until
the caucus adjourns.
The object of the resolution is,
of course, to enable or rather re-
quire the caucus members to keep
under cover until the caucus is
over. Precedents for such action
were cited and the resolution was
adopted,
Up to the present time the oppo-
sition has been content with the
evidence that it could prevent the
nomination Of Vardaman, SO long
as the entire field of candidates re-
mained in the race. Those opposed
to him were apprehensiye that un-
less a nomination could be made
before next Tuesday-the day on
which the two Houses of the Legis-
lature must ballot separately and
by viva voce vote-that Major Var
daman would be able to secure
enough of the scattering votes to
make him the Senator. The oppo-
sltion has always been strong
enough to prevent withdrawals and
to prevent dropping the lowest cam
didate; but there was reason to
fear that Vardaman might win on
the viva yoce showdown.
On this account strenuous efforts
have been made for the past two
days to centralize the opposition on
some outsider, but too many mem
bers declared against an outside
man. This made it necessary to
prolong the caucus fight, and at
this afternoons session, after one
ballot had been taken, a resolution
was introduced to adjourn over
until next Monday night, and also
to exonerate each member of the
Legislature from voting for his
preference in the legislative viva
voce voting, during the existence
of the caucus, and to compel them
to vote for some candidate in their
respective congressional districts.
This resolution was adopted after a
hard fight, the Vardaman forces
opposing its passage. Its signifi
canoe is that those opposed to VAR
daman are strong enough to pre-
vent an open ballot, which will
bring the issue down to show
down fight until they are ready to
show down. or unless the caucus.
gets tired of the present monotonous
balloting.
ACTION SIGNIFICANT.
The adoption Of this resolution
under all the circumstances is un-
doubtedly the most significant
thing that has occurred in the eau
Gus up to the present time. In the
first place it follows the taking of
one single ballot, which gave Var.
daman the best vote he has secured
in the balloting, total Of seventy
four. with only III members vot-
ing, and with only twelve more
votes necessary to elect him. In
the next place it shows that the op-
position was strong enough to ad-
journ over till Monday night, Civ
ing all the intervening time to
agree upon an opposition candidate
or dark horse, and in the next place
it shows that there is still a maior-
ity of the cacus members who are
opposed to an open ballot that will
require them to vote their prefer
ence. Finally it shows that tho
opposition is by no means weary
and is willing to continue the eau
Gus balloting indefinitely.
The adoption of the resolution
may not mean necessarily that the
caucus intends to continue the
fruitless balIoting programme Of
the past week. It may mean that
there will be no caucus nomination,
and consequently no election Of a
Senator BY the Legislature. But 1T
comes nearer 10 the expression of i
choice than any vote yet taken.
The one ballot taken by the cau-
Gus this afternoon segregated from
the other proceedings IL undenia-
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