The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1910-04-19
Mr.. pERCf'S PLAN
Appears to Have Been Carefully Shaped
To Avoid Rather than Meet the Issue

To Avoid Rather than Meet the Issue.
New Orleans States: Returning from
Washington after the investigation into
the bribery charges had been concluded,
Senator Percy delivered bitter address
before the Mississippi Legislature in
joint session on Friday. He defended
the action of the Legislature in electing
him to the McLaurin succession, de-
tended the secret ballot method, de-
clared the election of Ex-Governor Var
daman would have been disaster to the
State, denounced his enemies, asserted
his belief that the people of Mississippi
heartily endorse the action of the Leg
islature and then proposed somewhat
remarkable plan by which to demon
strate the fact that the people of the
State are weary of Vardananims
He requested the Legislature by joint
resolution to request the Democratic
State Executive Committee to fix pri-
mary to be held between the first and
last of November next to name the SEN
ator to fill the term beginning March q,
1913. He stipulated that the primary
shall BE open to any Mississippian that
desires to enter it, and will be bound
by it and support the nominee of it.
1t seems to us that Senator Percy has
misjudged the issue that is now before
the people of Mississippi, and that the
method by which he proposes to vindi-
cate his election is not the direct and
maly one that he ought to demand under
the circumstances.
If we read correctly the expressions
of the people as reflected in their press,
the burning issue at the moment is not
whether the people are tired of Varda-
manism; it is rather, do they approve of
the political methods resorted to for the
purpose of beating Vardaman and elect
ing Percy. The title to the seat which
he is presently occupying is the one
which ought to be submitted to the peo-
pie for their direct judgment. 1t is a
most unnecessarily circuitous route to
secure vindication and clearance of title
to a present seat by holding an election
to nominate senator for term to be-
gin in the distant future; even though
Mr.. Percy declares that if the result
goes against him he will tender his re-
signation to the first Legislature that
eonvenes after that primary"
The more direct and the fairer way
would have been to provide for a pri-
mary at the earliest possible moment
the issue to be confined to the two cam
didates who were in the race on the last
ballot, and the result to determine
whether Mr.. Percy should be quoted in
his title to his seat or whether he should
resign immediately and join in the re-
quest for the appointment of Governor
Vardaman. The plan proposed does not
accord well with the boldness of chal-
lenge and eagerness for the test which
sounds through Mr. Percy's address. In
deed it would be impossible to invent
plan that would more successfully side
step the real issue, which is. do the peo-
pie prefer Percy or Vardaman?
A direct and early primary, restricted
to those two candidates, to determine
which of the twain shall represent Mis-
sissippi during the term now being filled
by Mr.. Percy. would settle it effectively
and for all time. In view of the fact
that SO obvious, speedy and fair a plan
was overlooked and circuitous plan Of
"vindication" suggested, which involves
the complication of the issue with a
field full of candidates, the personalities
of whom and their respective interests
and influences entering as factors into
the primary, the challenge of Mr.. Percy
appears to have been carefully shaped
to avoid rather than meet the real issue
which he processes to be SO anxious to
meet.