Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1910-05-06

U. S. Senator from Mississippi.
into each others faces and their hearts
grew heavy and the stain of shame
mounted to their cheeks as they asked
each other in wonder, can it be that sons
of Mississippi have stained for political
gain the name of Mississippi?
"Then came your investiga ton, the
most searching that legislature has ever
MADE, where neither Time nor expense
were spared, and then at the end of it
there is left standing on the stage mark
for the scorn and contempt of all honest
men applause only one figure, char
acterless man, a self-confessed liar, SELF
accused bribe-taker and his only ally, a
poor, broken-down, shameless woman of
the streets. Every reputable witness
named in confederation had shrunk back
afTrighted as if from contamination by
touching this moral leper. (Applause.)
And high above the pit of shame, as a
star in the sky, floats the honor of Mis-
sissippi, above the reach of the hands
that would drag it down for political
gain.
No Stain on His Honor.
"Your investigation has shown to the
world that no stain rests upon the COM
mission that you have given to me; no
suspicion of reproach upon the integrity
of the legislature of the state of Missis
sippi, or upon a single one of the eighty.
seven votes that were cast in my favor.
(Applause.)
II know that that commission was
fairly won; the legislature of the state of
Mississippi knows that the commission
was honestly won; the people of the
state of Mississippi know that that COM
mission was fairly won (applause), and
yet broadcast over the land has been
spread the poison by which it is hoped
to close the ears of reason among the
people of the state of Mississippi. They
have been told that through the secret
caucus, disregarding the facts that every
senator that ever represented the state
of Mississippi, sent from legislative
hall, was sent by a secret caucus-that
through the secret caucus the will of the
people of the state of Mississippi has
been thwarted and the expression of their
choice been prevented.
81 deny that. say that the same rea-
sons that made the legislature of the
state of Mississippi repudiate Eardaman'
ism make the people of the state of Mis-
sissippi willing and DESTROYS of repudi-
ating Vardamanism because they are
s. 40,
strife-breeding (appleuse) and I say
am prepared to maintain that before the
PEOPLE of the state, and I say, further
more, that I am anxious for the oppor-
tu1ity of maintaining it and asserting it
at the earliest roment before the people
of my state. (Applause.l
NO man prizes more highly the honor
of representing Mississippi in the senate
OF tie United States than l do. But it
is only because I believe I can work for
the welfare of the state, and it is only
because that [ have the trust and conf
dence of the people of the state of Mis-
sissippi behind me (applause), and when
ever find that have not that trust and
confidence, then I no longer desire to
servo the people in official capacity
Every dictate of patriotism calls for
an early settlement of this senatorial
question by the people of Mississippi. It
is not for the welfare of Mississippi that
this fight, which promises to be bitter
fight, shall be long drawn out fight, ap
raying the good people of this state, in
hostile camps against each other, along
'act.onal lines which it will take genera.
tiOns to obliterate and to efface. What
ever advantage in this fight might come
to me personally, through delay, naught
bu+ harm could come to the welfare of
my state. And never shall it be said my
personal fortunes weighed aught with me
in the scales against my states we'll
being. (Applause)
81 want to say that instead of wanting
this primary to come off in August, 1911,
I inv le and challenge Mr.. Vardaman to
cooperate with me and have this pr
mary come off in November, 1910. Zap
plause continued)
Cor fifteen years Vardaman has sung
the song of the offce-seeker to the peo-
lie of Mississippi and he is familiar with
every nook and corner of the state and
Taught can come to him by longer can
vass
81 am unknown to thousands of the
people of Mississippi, but l am prepared
TO go before that people and defend the
integrity and honor of the legislature
Of the state of Mississippi repeated APP
pIause) and to vindicate their intelli
gence when they said that the people of
the state are weary of Vardamanism.
Appeals to the People.
ct would have been before the legis-
lature at an earlier date and made this
proposition when 1t could have been
framed into legislation, as can be done
now if the legislature would hold until
the middle of next week, but 1 could
not come here, with this investigation
progressing, because 1 wanted the truth
brought out without any claim that |, by
my presence, had in any way swayed
or influenced those who were conducting
the investigation.
"But ask of this legislature a Joint
resolution requesting because the legls-
l2ture believes it best for the welfare of
tic state of Mississippi the Democratic
state executive committee to fix a pri-
nary to be held between the first day
and the last day Of November, 1910, to
name the senator whom they desire to
fill the long term in the United States
senate beginning March 4, 1913.
Governor Vardaman, of course, will
have to concur in that request, for it
will be a primary held by consent and
binding those who consent to it. But
when that primary is ordered by Demo
cratic committee and the Democrats of
the state of Mississippi express their
choice in 1910, the nomination Of that