Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1911-06-09
SEN e
QUESTIONS

DID last SATURDAY, CcLdCOI SlCy
was handed a list of questions,
signed by several supporters of
Major Vardaman, with the re
quest that he answer them in the
course of his speech. Upon re
ceipt of the list the senator asked
those whose names appeared there
on to come to the front and Occu-
py seats directly facing him which
they finally did after muJ tesita-
ton. At the conclusion or,his adj
dress Mr.. Percy took up the ques-
tions and answered them fully and
clearly one by one, although the
large majority of them had no real
bearing upon the issues involved
in the senatorial campaign.
The Beacon does not believe that
any Vardaman adherent, however
great his loyalty to the major may
be, could fail in the secret depths
of his heart to admire the policy
pursued by Mr.. Percy in answer
ing fully and frankly the ques-
tiOns of his political enemies, and
to feel a certain degree of disgust
at the failure of Major Vardaman
to answer any questions addressed
to him.
But Senator Percy has not only
consented to make answer to any
to any and all heterogeneous put
to him, in striking contrast to the
evasive and fugitive policy of his
spectacular opponent, but he has
persistently challenged that Oppo-
nent to meet him in debate before
the people of Mississippi, and that
opponent has just as persistently
ignored the challenge.
One thing that has been brought
out clearly and fOrcibly in the
present campaign is that Major
Nardaman'S vaunted courage is
nothing more than a very clumsy
counterfeit. For years he has
raced up and down the state de
claiming with characteristic We
hemence, a veritable BOmbastes
FuriOsO, against the cOwardIy pol
icy of southern congressman, who.
to use his own chaste and elegant
language were ''crawling on their
craven bellies before the seat of
authority at Washington" Men
who only possessed an inherent
love for the true courage but an
unfortunate weakness for the spec
tacuiar, became infatuated with
such an exhibition of verbal a
Tor, threw their hats into the air,
shouted "BravO'' and enlisted un-
der the banner of the "Great
White Chief" 1t really looked
for awhile as if the majors march
to the senate chamber would be
an unOppOsed and an u%ninterrupt-
ed triumph; and then what a wav-
ing of hair and tearing asunder of
the Constitution there would be.
my c~Ountrymen. But, CALAIS, val
or comes and valOr goes" as Bob
Acres would say. A certain SEN
atOr arose from his crawling DOS
ture, FASTENED to his Mississippi
home, threw down the gauntlet of
battle at the feet of our Captain
Courageous and declared that he
would fight it out with him if it
took all summer. 1t was indeed
the psychological moment. 1t
seemed as if the two men, the hour
and the opportunity were to meet.
600 after him, Jeems, and eat
him alive" cried the majors idol
atrOus followers. But vaIor comes
and valOr goes. and JeemS felt his
going then and it didn't even wait
to crawl!
Really, is not the majors policy
of evasion, his failure to answer
questions addressed to him, his re-
fusal to meet an opponent face to
face before the sovereign people
whose support he is seeking,
enOugh-quite enough-to merit
for him the sobriquet of ""The
Great White Eeathered Chiafa,,