Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1911-12-15
A PERCY'S SPEECH.

in the senate to a question OF per
sonal privilege and made a bitter
and scathing speech on the Creel
Article on Mississippi politics in
a recent magazine and his own
election as senator by the last
legislature.
He said he opposed Vardaman's
election because he believed that
his election rs seuatOr would be
worse for Mississippi than the
election of any other man in heI
borders. He spoke of the suit
pending against Vardaman now
for peculation in Office of Varda'
mans diatribes against Mckinley,
Roosevelt and Taft, and the color
of Vardaman's 'Issue," generally.
The following is a press report
of part of Percy's speech
The Creel article appeared in a
widely circulated magazine, gives
national publicity to these false
and disproven slanderous state
ments, and this, together with
the avid and gloating indorse
ment given to the article by the
senator-elect from Mississippi,
render it impossible for me to
pursue the course in regard ito
resignation which | had contem-
plated. If | resigned in the face
of an article which holds up to
the scorn of good people, not only
myself but the legislature which
elected me and the state which
honored me, | would be untrue
to that legislature, to the friends
who supported me, and to my
self. If | am as corrupt a thing
as ] am painted to be in this ar
ticle, | should not be permitted to
resign. | should be branded with
infamy and driven in shame out
of public life to a prison cell. If
these charges are false, the man
who has vouched for their truth
is unworthy to represent MISS
sippi in the senate. If the charges
are true, I am a man to be per-
mitted to resign. If the charges
are false, he is too dishonest a
man for me to assume the odium
and responsibility of Inducing
him into the senate before the
time fixed by law. How is the
truth or falsity Of the charges to
be determined? There Is but one
tribunal qualified to pass on them
and that is this senate. Yet |
demand no investigation at the
hands of the senate. For me to
do 50 would, in my Judgment.
not only dignity beyond its mer-
its a undertaking magazine ar
ticle, but would reflect upon the
the legislature of Mississippi,
which investigated and passed
upon these charges, and upon
the court of my state, which
found them to be false. Fortu-
nately, my failure to demand
such an investigation does not in
any way preclude it.
A great majority of the Missis-
sippi legislature, which convenes
in January, was swept in on the
same tidal wave which landed
MIR. Vardaman in the senate, and
by the active and Industrious
dissemination on their part Of
the identical falsehoods contained
in this article, they are bitterly
hostile to me politically and in
tense partisans of Mr.. Vardaman.
The senate of that Legislature
will be presided over as lieuten.
ant-governor of Mississippi by
Theo. G.. Bilbo. pronounced by
the last senate to be too dishon
est a man, to be permitted to as
sociate with honest men, ant
found by the jury of Yazoo coun
ty to be a false witness and per
jured scoundrel. The senator
elect will dominate that legista
ture.
If there is anyone who place
any credence in these charges
it is the duty of that legislator
to demand by resolution at tn
hands of this senate, an investi
cation into the charges. | invit
them to do so, and if they pas
the resolution asking for the in
vestigation, | will present it t,
the senate and urge favorabl
action on it and all early hearing
If they dare accept the Invitation
the investigation will show tina
the charges are utterly false
that no single one of the 81 vote
cast for me was Improperly in
fucnced, and will thereby SHOW
that the senator-elect conducte,