Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1910-06-23
SENATOR PERCY'S
GREAT SPEECH
To Joint Session Of the LegIsla.
ture Of the State Of Mis-
sissippi April Is. 1910.

Hon Leroy Percy addressed a joint
session As follows.
'Nr. Speaker. Members Of the Mississippi
Legislature, Fsllov-D~mocrats:
7 am glad to be with sou again.
Much water has flowed BY the mill since
l hist stood here and looked into your
f,cs-. ami 1t i good 20 have a chance
to talk with you again
Coming from the national capitol. l
ran bring you glad tiiinzs for the IA
tional Democracy. The great party that
scarce NOR than = year ago vas swept
into power by an overwhelming majority.
with a chief executive entering upon the
duties Of his high office under brighter
auspic-. than ever attended the insugu-
ration Of any previous president, today
is like a rudierIess snip uslloSing in an
angry tempest.
Already from Massachusetts, has come
the triumphant note Of Democracy ZAP
Plause The Republican speaker has
been battling for his life before a Repab-
fcan house. the president has abandoned
the quiet and dignised s-ciusion OF ms
great ofiir~ All Is now going kither and
thither pleading ard implorins with the
Republican,. rot 70 destroy their party.
The leader Of the Indiana wing Of the
party has already d=ied and tauntesi
the established leaders OF the RePab-
lean party for their broken pledge
Under the ours. Of it, broken tariff
pledge the Republican party realizes it.
foredoOmed TO 20 down in iguominious
defeat. and the reasons that make that
defeat 30 certain are tn. reasons that
give value and worth to 1t.
Why. the bevildered leaders of Re-
publicanism ask. has this storm swept
down upon us out of . cioudless SKY. be-
the people in the las. Republican eorv-n-
tom Why. in all the years gone BY we
have never kept party pledges. and such
visitation has never before come upon
asf Why, now, are ws 4ssailed not cuIy
by our enemie. from without but hy
those Who have hitherto rallied to the
party cry within,
They ao~ know tina. with the blight
OF sectionsli.m swept from the country.
with the people viewing the acts Of their
rulers with clear eyes, not dimu,ed BY
passion nor poisoned BY prejrdice. the
intelligence and manhood Of America Is
asserting itself politically a. never BE-
fore N the history OF this country. and
that this party, and that any other party
that hold. the r.iens of power. Is gong
= Be held 10 . stricter accountability
tor party pledges than ever heretofore IN
cur history. And that Is what spell.
victory. assured victory. to 4 triumphant
Democracy, the party that lives close to
the people and carries out the pledges
made BY It IN order 70 secure an cleo
ton. BY Viadiesting them when tha. .lec.
tsoa Ia. been -ecurei
Shameless Story.
But. Acknowledgements. while the
great papers have flashed this glad in
tslligsnse abroad to buoy up the hopes OF
the Democracy Of our entire country.
tho-e sanns great papers have earri-e q,
intelligence which has sxddened the heart
and caused the flush OF shame 10 man
tls the brow Of every MississippiAn. The
shameless story has been spread broad
east over the land that a Missis,iupi
legislature has been debauched and cor.
ruPted by son of Mississippi. Amons
strangers, seeking as best could to up-
bold the dignity Of the state whose COM
mission | bore, knowing that that com
mission had been won As fairly and A
honorably as any ever held by a son of
Mississippi. knowing that had entered
TINS political struggle through no desir.
To grstify personal ambition. but had
east nv 10; in with tho>e who fought h.
cause they believed that Mississippi VA,
threatened with a grave disaster in the
election OF lanes X. yariaman: kuox-
Ing that had forbidden those who Iox.s !
me at home 10 bear one cent of the .x-
Peass except the legitimate expenses that
attend a prolonged star IN the capital.
thank God no money has to be sp~u, /
on Ais-is- pPi legislature; knowing
tH.' no eens Of my money nor of any
body else foe my benedr Fad been u.s,y /
to influence tae result, it seemed that tn.
cup ~as bitter one for me. had eo,.
from no race of office seekers lsppIau..,-
Suf from men Who always held honor
above life. country above self; an unfair
nished name had been handed to me bv
my forsfsthers. and it was nv pride and |
my prayer that untarnished still tina,
name should 60 fsDm me to those who
should bear IL hereafter.
kilograms Came Thick.
But the indignation that sprung fro-
personal feelings was swallowed up 4,
the Indignation that arose . me when I
realized that the name of the state N,
Mississippi was sought to be dragged in
ses E.lre Of degradation for political ar