The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-03-10
SENATOR PERCY
WILL NOT RESIGN
Sends Spirited Letter in Reply
to Resolution Of State
Legislature.
BREATHES DEFIANCE
Charges His Enemies With Cow
ardice, Falsehood and Ma
lignant Hatred.

Washington. March o.-Senator Lo
Roy Percy has responded to the Mis-
sissippi legislatures demand that he
resign by fatty declining TO do SO.
He has sent his answer in a spirited
letter, which rings with accusations OF
cowardice. falsehood and malignant
fractional hatred.
senator Percy replies that when;
just after his election, he Offered TO
reslgn his uneHpired term II a primary
We're held in. 1910 10 name his success
scr. he limited his proposition to that
year. and not 1911. the year IN which
a primary finally was held.
Election Not Questioned.
Senator Percy begins by stating chat
the Legislature has not questioned his
election nor his acts In the Senate, tut
has negatively admitted their validity
He brands a. false the statement that
he had promised to resign If noe elect
cd in the primaries which elected Var
daman. and as srotesqueiy absurd Tho
contention that having been defea ted
in thu primary which elected his sue
cessor, he should resign.
The primary which he proposed In
1910 never was held, Senator Percy
says. Iis declares that he never did
state that h; would resign If not elect
ed in the 1911 primary, but on the con
trary declared from fifty s,umys" MAI
whatever the outcome of that primary
he wond serve until March 1, 1919.
Senator Percy's statement follows:
Washington. March Q. 1912
TO the Senate and House of Repre-
Scntatives OF the State OF A1iss.s-
IL am to. day in receipt OF your reso-
luton of March ;, 1912. Your demand
is that ! resign the scat In the United
states Senate which | did not receive
Al your hands, but to which a former
Legislature elected me
"fou do not in any way question the
fairness of my election to the Senate
You negatively admit tina: was fairly
alleSc that during my service in the
Senate | have. by word spoken or
vote cast been untrue to the people
OF MISSISSIPPI. You negatively say
that ] have been faithful TO the trus;
committed to me. You assign as the
reasons for your resolution, first. that
during the primary campaign for the
Senate acid to name my successor.
pledged myself 10 resign my uncx-
p!red term II not elected in that prl-
mary; second. that having been de-
featei in that primary. do not rep
rasent the people and should not
serve out tho term for which was
THE hrst statement is utterly false;
the second groteaqUclv absurd
after ny cicci!nn, in sech ne
foro inc Lagialature, urged that the
primary to namc my successor he held
in 1910. instead o: 1911 and as an
induc,nent to MY opponent to CON
sent 10 suoi extraordinary primary, /
offered to resign my uneNpireh term
II defeated III such primary. and in
that connection used the language YOU
ouctc. and by specific langnaEe. too
plain' Tor misconception. limited the
offer 10 such extraordinary primary II
III should DC held
AS you we'll know It was not held
and such offer became inoperat:Ve. I
never referred TO tho question OF re-
signing again. except 10 mention the
offer made by mo In that speech and
to quote the language there used. In
no public or private utterance during
the campaign die | ever state tnat l
would resign " not elected In the pri-
mary of 1911 but on the contrary.
from more than fifty stumps stated
Continued on Eighth Pase,)