The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1910-07-08
The Next Legislature and the
SenatorShip.

The Senatorial campaign has
practically opened. with three can
didates, and with no present indi-
cations that there will be anybody
else in the race except Nardaman,
Percy and Alexander.
The political issues upon which
the Senatorial contest viii turn,
and upon which it will be decided :.
are now sharply and clearly drawn.
These crucial and dominating
issues are recognized fully and un-
questionably by both Governor
Vardaman and by Mr.. Percy as
those upon which their respective
candidates depend and which are
now under public discussion.
Mr.. Alexander insists, that these
are immeterial issues, and thereup-
on proceeds with an academic dis
cussion of the National Democratic
platform, which has about as much
to do with this Senatorial contest
as Halley's comet which is now
completely beyond the range of
human vision.
The live and vital political issues
between Governor Vardaman and
Senator Percy are outside of the
field of general National politics,
and while they are local in their
application, at the same time they
manifestly and clearly involve prin-
ciplcs that lie at the very founda-
ton of the honest administration
of the public affairs of the State,
and are of the essence of the health
ly and normal political life of the
State.
Nobody in the state understan Dis
more clearly than Mr.. Percy, that
the question of his alleged tainted
to the Senatorship that he now
holds is the vital issue of his can
vass. and that the task that lies be-
fore him is the vindication of that
title. He is losing no time in the
discussion of irrelevant matters, nor
are his political adversaries burning
any daylight in academic disserta
tions upon political distractions.
The men in Mississippi who are
standing behind Governor Varda-
man, want to settle in this sena-
torial contest the question arising
out of the last winters work of the
present Legislature, which go to
very root of honest and decent
government in Mississippi.
We desire in this connection to
call attention to the fact that at
the primary election next year, a
new Legislature is to be elected
which will have the election of a
United States Senator. 1t is, there
fore, important that Legislature
shall be elected by the people, that
can he relied upon implicitly to car
ry out their will as expressed in
the primary election. 1t will be
especiallyfobserved that the prim
airy election for the Senatorship is
not binding as legal authority up
on a Legislature. According to the
Federal law the Legislature of each
State is invested with absolute
power and authority to elect United
States Senators, the only condition
being it must be done in open ses-
sion by viva voce vote.
A Legislature. therefore, has the
legal power to disregard primary
Senatorial election by the people,
and elect whoever it chooses as
Senator. We are not talking about
what Legislature ought to do, but
what it has the absolute legal
power and authority to do.
Suppose that Governor Varda-
man beats his two opponents in the
primary, and suppose that another
Noel common cause Legislature is
sent to Jackson that will have the
election of Senator. what will hap
pen. or what may happen? Gov
ernor Noel made no bones Of de-
claring publicly that he world not
appoint Governor Vardaman to the
Senate in the event that Vardaman
beat Percy in the primary that was
proposed for this year. and which
involved the contingency of Percy's
resignation.
When the Legislature preforman-
ces Of last winter are remembered,
the apprehension is neither i'll
founded. nor unjust. that another
Legislature Of the same political
type and make up. could find ways
and means for ignoring. or evading.
. primary election. A set Of p0liti-
cal manipulat0rs who could devise
N inRenious scheme as the secret