The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-08-01
BATTLE 0F BALLOTS !. TAKES PLACE TODAY Mississippi Deciding Sena-
 tOrial Race
 A BITTER CAMPAIGN Partisan Feeling Running High But no 
| BITTER CAMPAIGN
Partisan Feeling Running High But no Serious Trouble Expected-Var- daman Claims Nomination
 on First Primary

Jackson, Miss, July 3l.-Mississippi's
 state campaign was brought to close l tonight and the battle of ballots takes
 place tomorrow.
 The three candidates for the sena- | torship, ending fight that has been in
 progress for the last IS months, un-
 questionably the bitterest in the history of the state, delivered their final speeches tonight. United States Sepa-
 tor Leroy Percy, whose office is be- ing sought by former Gov. J. K. Varda man and c. H. Alexander, spoke at 1tta
 Bena today to several thousand people ] United States Senator John Sharp Will | Hams also spoke, denouncing what he termed "Vardamanism,' and appealed to the voters to return MT. Percy to the Senate. Mir. Percy was given a rousing welcome on his return to torchight procession given in his honor was followed by a mass meet ing.
 The capital city is divided tonight Plans were made for open-air rallies for Vardaman and Alexander, but be- cause of heavy rain storm, indoor meetings were substituted. Partisan feeling ran high but no disturbances oc- cured Both candidates spoke to sev- eral thousand people.
 | Indications point to showery weather over a good part of the state tomor- row. However, interest in the sena- torial contest is so intense and the fac tional lines so tightly drawn that il is not likely that there will be any ma terial reduction of the vote on this account.
 | MT. Vardaman issued the following | from his campaign headquarters to- night:
 Vardaman's Statement This is contest for supremacy be- l tween the man whose toll produces the wealth of the country and the favored | few who reap the products of that | toil The people of Mississippi VIII settle the question tomorrow as to whether or not the honest, patriotic | methods of the past shall be the rule of action in Mississippi politics or the l tricks, bribery and debauchery of the | secret caucus. The government belongs | to the people, and l think they can be | relied upon to do the proper thing. The | facts are with the people I have en- deavored to present the case in it's true | light, remaining at all times within the bonds of the utmost conservatism. expect to win by the largest majority any man ever received in Mississippi i who had any opposition at all. Before leaving for Greenville tonight to cast his vote. Chairman William Crump of the Percy campaign commit tee, issued the following:
 q see no reason to change my former estimate Vardaman will get small plurality in the first primary and i Percy will be second. Vardaman's vote will be much smaller than that cast for him in the senatorial primary four ! years ago.
 Poll books and ballot boxes sare being | sent out from the county Seats to the 15O0 polling precincts of the state to- day. In some counties this work was com pleted last Saturday, but in others | if was delayed by the difficult task of county boards of election commission CTS revising the poll books, the num- ber of elminations in many counties
 being exceptionally large.
 The supporters of Vardaman declare that their candidates will be nominated in the first primary by 3o,o00 to 35000. | The Alexander and Percy bureaus agree | in the conclusion that there will be no
 nominations on the first primary.
 | Mobile. July 31.-Prvate John Allen of ! Tupelo, Miss. who has been on the stump for the past month in that state in the | interest Of senator Leroy Iercy, who Is a candidate for reelection, spent sev- eral hours in Mobile today.
 | Colonel Allen in a statement said that the question of who will leave in the Mis- | sissippi senatorial primary is a doubt l f,u one He would not be convinced that Vardaman would lead in the first primary. The distinguished Mississippiar said that the campaign has been the most heated since fthe days of the carpet baggers
 George H. Power. manager of thu