The Tupelo journal. (Tupelo, Miss.) 1876-1924, 1910-01-21
Vol. XXXVII
The Caucus Is Fair.

democratic caucus now engaged
in an effort to nominate a United
States senator.
The tenor of some of these
utterances would lead a stranger
to believe that a gigantic secret
conspiracy of some sort is
on foot in Jackson for the eX-
press purpose of depriving some
person of his constitutional
rights.
In fact, these utterances are
being framed for the express
purpose of giving color to such a
belief, to make it appear that
some man is being treated un-
justly, unfairly, and outrageously
robbed of an inherited right.
This line of baby talk does not
deceive any intelligent person.
1t may impress a few zealots and
partisans who are quick to seize
every f1imsy excuse to arouse
maudlin sympathy and sickly
sentimentality. When told to
thinking people, however, it is
not even regarded as respectable
nonsense.
Nomination in democratic eau
Gus by secret ballot is a time
honored democratic precedent,
and the man who objects to the
method is not a good democrat,
1t is as fair for one candidate as
another, and the howls of pro-
test, bitter denuciations and
acrimonious accusations are the
cheapest sort of clap trap, a
mere playing to the galleries, an
effort at tawdry theatricals, and
deceives nobody save those who
are always ready and willing to
have the wool pulled over their
eyes.
The plain fact is that no can
Il didate in the senatorial contest
has lost anything by the secret
ballot, nor can it be asserted that
any candidate has made substan-
tial gains thereby. This is the
view taken by conservative men
in all factions who use clear
headed judgment and calm
reasoning in measuring the
strength and relative chances of
he various aspirants.
A majority of the legislators
pave decreed that they prefer to
make the nomination by this
method, and the majority has
an inalienable right to prescribe
the manner of its deliberations.
Denunciations of the conserva-
tive candidates as "tricksters, "
"shysters, +" "wire-pullers," and
other pet epithets being used
by the radicals form fair
sample of the extreme and in
temperate methods they have
used since the inception of the
contest. To their minds it is
nothing short of sacrilege for
any person save their own favor
8 ite to aspire to a seat in the
e United States senate. No other
being on Gods green earth
should even allow himself to be
E in receptive mood as regards
3 that honor.
The spirit Of intolerance is al
ways characteristic of the radical
element in any political fight.
They do not hesitate to use
questionable methods themselves,
and lose no opportunity to hurl
baseless charges at their op-
ponents.
Some of the petitions being
sent to Jackson telling legislators
how to vote, when subjected to
a rigid investigation, are found
to be nothing but attempts at
coercion and intimidation, gener
ally backed by a little handful OF
zealots. For instance, Repre-
sentative Yates, of Marion
county, has received copy Of
resolutions adopted at what
purported to be a rousing mass
meeting of voters at Columbis
asst Saturday. The tenor Of
the resolution, and the manne,
n which it was heralded in the
oress dispatches. would indicate
hat fully ninety per cent o.
he qualified electors Of the
+ county were present, and insis
4 T