Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1911-04-07
LETTER FROM BIG BUD.

that we did not want their sup
port? Why, we would have been
glad to have had it, for when I
went to the Vardaman caucus they
told me there was phone to use
it and call on any man that I
thought would help us. AS Percy
and Vardaman have never been
charged with knowing anything
about the Dulaney -Bilbo matter,
l could not see why that we should
condemn Percy because he and his
friends had gotten the nomination.
So / was glad to introduce a reso-
luton stating this fact; and, to
show that the other members felt
as | did, there was not a dissent
ing vote against it. 1 am proud
that | live in a state where we
have more than one big man, and
| am proud that we have such
men as Percy, Alexander, Ander
son, Nardaman, Byrd and Kyle,
who are worthy to represent the
great State of Mississippi in the
United States senate. /, for one,
am not disposed to try to bring
reprOach upon or charge these men
with doing anything wrong, and I
deplOre the fact that we have had
a campaign of such a nature, and
the opposition need not think that
they can make the people of Mis-
siSsipDi believe that Vardaman is
''grafter." / served in the leg
islature with Vardaman as govern
or, and [ opposed him on nearly
all of his pet measures, and /
know that had he wanted graft he
could have COTTON it by not Op-
posing the leasing of the convicts.
He could have gotten graft by ap-
proving the Merger bill, which had
passed both houses and lay in his
office a year awaiting his approval
or disapproval, and yet he voted
it. He could have gotten graft by
approving the Corporation bill
that passed both houses, and yet
he vetoed it and had it defeated in
the house. To say he passed by
all these opportunities and did the
petty grating they say he did, is
purely absurd, and as Hi Henry
says, it is done for politics. AS
to his riding on a free pass, it was
never contemplated that a COM
mittee of the legislature could not
accept free transportation, but
that no officer should have a free
pass issued to him personally. If
such is the law, then at every ses-
sion of the legislature which |
have attended, this law has been
violated. Mr.. Jones of the G. &
S. |. sent Mr.. Neville up to invite
the whole legislature down to
GulfpOrt to see that we did not
need any pilots at that place, and
told us that he wanted us to 90
down as his guests, put up at his
hotel with the distinct understand
ing that this should not influence
our votes at all, but by going we
would be informed as to the condi-
tions there. The legislature ac-
cepted this invitation with this
understanding | went with them,
investigated, took occasion to hear
the pilots side of the matter, came
back and l am glad to say, work
ed up enough votes to sustain the
pilots and get compromise on
this matter.
Again, we were invited over to
Nicksburg to see about the mOnu-
ment, and when | came back I
helped to write a resolution of
thanks. In it / thanked the good
people of Vicksburg for their kind
ness and the railroad for it's trans
pOrtatiOn, and l was told to cut
this out, as it was unlawful for
the railroad to give us this trans
pOrtatiOn, and yet we had all ac-
ceptcd it So this is not going to
hurt "Jimmie," consequently, in
view of the above, while I honor
Alexander and Percy, and say that
any state might be proud to be
represented by two such men in
the United States senate, this is
"Jimmie's time, and / have no de
sire to change my allegiance. Mr..
Alexander wrote me that he was
going to be a candidate. I wrote
him that was very sorry, indeed.
but that I wanted everyone to
know how l stood, and that is this
campaign l was going to support
Vardaman. And | wrote Leroy
Percy that, although l admired
him very mnch, still this time I
could only offer him an honorable
opposition.
Lately I have. been urged by
some of my friends on both sides