Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1910-08-19

Monday morning. Old men were heard
saving that no such speech had been
heard since the days Of Lamar. With
great fairness many Of Mr.. Vardaman
supporters complimented the speech.
By the way, it is matter OF pride TO
the county that parties of each political
faction accorded the speaker such talr
hearing and treated him with such cOur-
tesy.
There were present in the court room
at 1920 when the speaking commenced.
about $50 men and a fair sprinkllng OF
ladies' The applause was frequent and
liberal. That the speech made pro-
found impression and vastly strength
ened Mr. Percy with the people of the
county was apparent. He made not a
single enemy, he antag onized no one,
but he made a strong appeal to the rea-
son and sense of fairness of his hearers,
and vindicated to the full his eminent
fitness for the senate.
SENATOR PRICES SPEECH
Senator Price introduced Mr.. Percy
in ringing speech. 1t was duty he
greatly esteemed to present such man
as Senator Percy to any audience, es-
pecially one of Noxubee county. The
Senator's presence and his words would
show that he price had violated no
duty and betrayed no trust in voting to
send this man to the senate. Senator
Percy had as clean and strong a title to
the senate as ever any man that sat IN
that body. His title was buttressed by
a thorough investigation, and declared
hy friend and foe to be clean. The peO-
pie should listen and hear and decide
fairly like patriotic men. Senator Per
cy came from a race of men who had
fought for their country in war and
came home to rescue their land from
northern and negro rule in recOnstruc-
tion days He himself had always been
found on the firing line, and during his
term in Washington had made a high
reputation Senator Percy, like Sir
Galahad, had the strength of ten be
cause his heart was pure.
Senator Price and his speech were
both literally applauded.
Senator Percy's manner and bearing,
both in conversation and on the hust-
ings, are a complete refutatiOn of much
that has been alleged against him.
Qniet. unassuming, the very eXemplar
of good breeding and courtesy, to pub
lish this man before the people of Mis-
sissippi as imperiOus, arrogant and dis
courteous to his hearers is a palpablc
falsehOOd. Nor can one come into con-
tact with him without seeing we'll that
this is a man whom dishOnOr has never
touched who has had no partnership
with fraud or dishonesty. The people of
Noxubee can perceive and appreciate
this sort of a thing and though Mr. Var
daman has many devoted adherents here
not one word of unkind criticism of Sen
ator Percy or his speech has been heard.
THE SPEECH.
Senator Percy commenced his speech
with a short reference to the ladies pre-
sent and paid tribute to the sex as
the inspiration of all mems good deeds
He then briefly reviewed his own po-
in the shoe string district which had
been arranged so as to put as many ne
groes a possible in that district. He
had served for years on the executive
committee when it had this problem
to deal with, their hardest labor, how
ever, being to convince, after the cleo
tion, northern congressional commit
tees that all the negroes in that district
voted the democratic ticket This was
was what was called the Yazoo Plan.
He had never before held office until
elected Senator, but had done service
for his party for many years.
His professional career had been
spent in the town of Greenville, and he
had both general and corporate prac-
tice. His first act when elected sena-
with the two railroads he had repre-
sented and next to give up his general
practice. In his opin on law wa hon
orable or dishonorable according as one
practiced it. The question was, what
sort of a man is he rather than what
SlOllCO AAS hS, q ia 20 III cat NIIlSS
attorneys may become merged into
grea5 corporations they represent, but
in a town the size of Greenville, society
was not So complicated and corporate
influence not SO strong as to engulf one.
His own general practice among his
friends and neighbOrs was larger than
the practice he gained from the rail
roads. AS to that Gen. George, at his
election to the senate was the greatest
railroad lawyer in the state, and Wal