The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1910-03-04
JACKSON.
PERCY NOMINATED FOR SENATOR.
Kyle, Byrd and Street Withdrew From
the Race.

Leroy Percy, of GreenyiIle, Miss, was
nominated for United States senasor in
the Joint caucus. Tuesday night, on the
ffty-eighth ballot, amid scenes never 10
be- forgotten.
Percy received 81 votes, TO - for
Nardaman, they being the only contes-
tants in the final ballot.
When the caucus met, Byrd. Kyle and
street withdrew from the contest. thus
eliminating every conservative except
Percy, who had been the leading candi-
date of the anti-Nanla man contingent
from the beginning OF the contest.
1t has been rilmored for days that
this would be done, and when the eau
Gus adjourned last Friday it was pretty
well understood that final elimination
would take place and that nomination
would be made. This report seemed TO
b. well founded and had gained such
general circulation throughout the city
and State that about the largest crowd
that has attended caucus sessions was
on hand. ~ the baIloting proceeded the
excitement WAS intense and hardly a
person dared breathe. Nardaman had
his large quota OF friends present, and
HA1 MS anu tHfti iDiipRlitk w
hand When the result Of the ballot was
announced pandemoninm broke loose,
and scenes of widest and most turbu-
lent JOY were enacted. In sharp con
trast with this was the Voc OF the de-
feated candidates friends, which was
not concealed, for they were a. conf
dent that Nardaman would be nominat-
ed as man ever was Of any event.
In a few moments the scene was
transferred from the capitol to the city
and messages began flying all over the
State to friends OF all the candidates
announcing the result.
This ends one of the longest and most
stubbornly contested elections ever held
before a Mississippi caucus. When Sen
ator McLaurin died several eminent Mis-
sissippians announced for his uneXpired
terms, among them being Percy, Var
daman, {. II. Alexander. j II. Kyle,
Adam Byrd, Frank A. Critz and lately
the venerable Speaker street. one after
another withdrew from the contest. az
fast as the conservatives were enabled
TO close in on their following and keep
it intact. All of the anti-Nardaman
candidates were filled with one idea, and
that was to defeat the ex-governor
They were known TO be willing to sac
rifce their own personal fortunes in
favor of the most available man for
the place, and il was finally decided
that the great lawyer from Greenvillc
had the most effective following. and
was the most popular with the couserv-
atives, so he was ultimately selected 10
40 battle alone with the doughty Narda-
man.
Night after night the caucus met.
with deadlock on and both sides con-
fident. From the beginning il was mo-
ticed that Percy was inching mp on the
other conservatives. and that Nartlaman
had 70 votes that he could count on.
The conservatives gave him - a. his
full strength in the caucus, and the sew
eral test votes that were taken showed
this to do so. On the first test vote
Nardaman fought for an open ballot.
but the conservatives maintained the
precedent OF many years and the caucus
preserved the secret ballot Then il
was seen that Nardama was beaten ii
the conservatives could hold the dead
lock long enough To tie mp their fol
lowers This was the final result
There We're number OF exciting in
cidents connected with the contest, the
most interesting being the controversy
i'll the press between the gladiators who
went into the arena for the final
round. NardaInan wrote an editorial ia
his paper charging that the trusts and
railroads had emissaries in Jackson
working to compass his defeat, aud boz
she interest OF one OF the candidates
Mir. Percy replied 10 this with an ar
tiele reviewing Nardaman's record. and
citing his personal criticisms OF several
men distinguished ia church and state.
This provoked strong reply from
Nardaman.