The Tupelo journal., 1911-06-16

crowd are varied and reconcilable. The
Allen followers claim they interrupted
Blount longer than Blount's followers
interrupted Allen, and the Blount ad.
herents claim that Aliens crowd could
not be heard more than two miles
away, while Blount's men could be
heard to yell Vardaman and Bilbo fol-
three miles, but conservative estimate
numbered something over 1900 and
was badly divided.
The invitations as printed on tine
posters sent out yer the country. and
which contained the phrase Come and
spend a day politically" were accept
ed without modification, and the pro-
gram to have a day DEVOTED entirely
to politics was not married in any par
ticular. Every store closed at lC
o'clock, and the wheels of commerce
stood still until Shed Hill pronounced
the benediction. Six counties were
well represented. Delegations from
Montgomery came in buggies, on horse
back, in wagons. on foot and in droves.
From Grenada and Holmes counties
they came from the north and south
over the Illinois Central, and from east
and west Carroll. From Lefore and
Webster they came over, the Southern.
The schedules of the trains fitted well
| for the occasion, and hundreds came in
on no special train.
Montgomery, Battle Ground.
This county, Montgomery, is claimed
| by both factions. In 1907 Vardaman
carried it by IL, and there will be a
fight for supremacy this time. j. T.
! Buekler, chairman of the Percy COM
mittee, claims that the county will go
for Percy by $50, and the yardaman
people, headed by DR.. b. f. Ward, are
| equally confident. This is the battling
ground of the state. if there is such a
thing as a segregated political feud in
Mississippi Grenada county gave Will
liams and Vardaman 437 votes each,
| Carroll gave Vardsman a majority of
1873, Le1ore gave Williams a majority
| of "a, Holmes gave Williams a major
ity of 314 and Webster gave Vardaman
a majority of 485. OF the six counties
represented here today. if the lineup
is as it was four years ago, there is
not 100 votes difference.
Another thing that will Interfere
with the vote this time is the ruling OF
| the state committee that the law gov
erning registration and payment of
poll tax will be strictly adhered to in
| every precinct in the state. This will
| curtail the vote to some extent through
out the state, and it is believed will in
terefere with the Vardaman support
ers more than those of the other can
didates.
From the jump today the crowd was
expecting something. W. S. Hill. OF
Greenwood, a native of this city, a
former district attorney and a member
of congress-, presided and warned the
crowd that no distur bance would be
tolerated. He declared that nobody
was required to stay. but if they die
stay they would be obliged to behave
themselves.
John Allen was the first speaker.
The speakers had not agreed when
they reached the stand which would
speak first, and Mr.. Allen began in a
manner to Indicate that whatever
warming up he needed had been done
before beginning his speech He re-
ferred to himself as an ex-war horse,
John Private Allen, and the fact that q
distinguished physician had accused him
of having hookworm and prescribed
| thymol for him. He declared that a
better remedy than thy mol had been
provided, the threat of Vardamanism
had taken away all of his lassitude and
brought him into the fray There were
| calls for Varoaman following that
statement, which I'D the speaker to
remark that if they would bring him
he would join in the cheers Then they
yelled for Populism and someone in the
audience that we are red necks," and
another chirped Eyes and proud of it.
Then somebody said '::hurrah for Bilbo''
and Allen pointing toward him said:
Now there is a man with a real strong
stomach"
Seeing that he was making no prog.
ress, nightly little impression and be-
ing unable to make himself heard by
OF hers, Allen changed the direction of
his argument and began on the Mobile
& Ohio railroad merger bill and the
| discussion of Vardaman's veto. Turn
| ing to DR.. Ward, who sat on the stand,
and pointing his finger toward him.
Allen said, Il now want to address a
Jew words to the man who said | per-
! formed the part of Judas Iscariot."