The Semi-weekly leader. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1905-1941, 1910-02-02
DEB BAUB
LEGISLATORS,
The Part the Liquor Devil and His Allies
arc Playing IN the Senatorial
Contest at Jackson.

WARDS f10uSe ana an lIHIHSHS6
amount of liquor being consumed,
but not until last Tuesday did | dis
cover or hear anything to cause me
to believe that any senatorial cam
didate was directly responsible for
the liquor dispensed to members of
the Legislature
Let me explain how this was.
On that afternoon / learned that a
friend of mine who is a legislator
from South Mississippi. and an
original Vardaman man. was in a
desperate state of intoxication bor-
dering on mania portu. in some
room in the Edwards House. This
legislator had boarding place
with private family a few blocks
from the State Capitol. When /
left jackson tor Brookhaven a week
before, | had noticed that he was
then drinking quite freely as saw
him passing about the Edwards
House, and at the caucus, and
when | left, feeling a special inter-
est in him as a friend, had admon-
iShed him to Straighten up and
shun liquor and at the same time
requested a mutual friend who
lives in jackson, to use his in
fiuence with him to prevent any
further indulgence. After hearing
of his desperate state of intoxica-
tion last Tuesday evening, /, in
company with friend who is a
prominent business man Of Jack
son, began trying to find him with
view to getting him from under
the influence of those who were
plying him with drink, to try
to sober him up. After inquiring
at several rooms in the Edwards.
where | heard he might be, l
finally knocked at one near the
Percy heaquarters where | finally
learned / would be sure to find
him. When | knocked at this
door, someone from the inside CALI
ed out that I didn' t have ''the right
knock" to gain admittance. /
knocked again and said | wanted
to know if my friend was IN there,
whether / had the right knock or
not. On this, a member of the
Legislature from Delta county,
who, according to my observation
has not drawn a sober breath since
he reached the capital. and who is
an ardent supporter of Mr.. Percy,
stuck his head out of the door and
stated my friend was in there, but
| could not see him. ! told him I
must see him and that had a right
to, when he replied, ! should not
and slammed the door in my face.
It occurred to me that if a kid.
mapping game was being played /
might get some assistance from the
police. and requested my Jackson
friend who accompanied me to 60
out and get Chief of Police Allen.
while remained on guard near the
door, so that might find just what
the situation was. While he was
gone, a gentleman came along who
was a friend of the drunk en legis-
lator who had slammed the door in
my face because | didn't have the
right knock, and while this man
was parleying with him asked
the man who has refused me admit
tance whether or not that room was
his. He said it was not; and as he
walked off down the corridor with
his friend, again approached the
door and asked the man who open
ed it if it was his room. On being
answered in the affirmative. / told
him who | was and informed him
! ! wanted to see Mr.. who
was a friend. when he opened the
door and invited me ii. When
entered. two quart whisky bottles,
partly emptied. and two glasses sal
on the table near the center of the
room. AT the side Of this table
sat a man / knew we'll who was il
q drunken stupor and scarcely able
to raise his head Close BY him,
and little further away, sat the
friend for whom ] was searching
4 Ia 4 condition bordering On delir'
j iurn tremens and scarcely able &
recognize me. told him that
had been looking for him and want
Il ed him to 70 with me down stairs
| it being my intention to get hin
away from that kind of environ
ment and in place where b
would have some change to sohel
sup and Be prepared to rightly dis