Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1914-02-06
Interesting and Suggestive Rev.
Citations.

entertaining "Big Bud" Jackson
letters--contributed to the Macon
Beacon by Representative Cavett
--shone with especial luster. The
writer thus shed light upon the
Bilbo- vardaman relationship, and
its bearing upon the candidacy of
the former for Governor:
From what I can gather, I don't
think Bilbo will have as easy sail
ing to get in the Governors chair
as I did before / came down here.
There is evidently no good feeling
on the part of the "White Chief"
for he recognized the fact that Bill
DO allowed Percy to be nominated
with, as he claimed himself, the
bride money in his pocket. This
has been an acknowledged fact,
and I've always been surprised
that the Vardaman men felt under
obligation to Bilbo. Mrs. Varda-
man was present at almost every
meeting of the caucus and knew
that Bilbo could have nominated
her husband and didn't, by telling
of the bride money, so l under
stand she has no use for him and
has never invited him to her house.
Vardaman refused to be intro
duced by Bilbo at the fair; would
not 60 over to Vicksburg, though
urgently asked to do so. This
breach is found to widen, ano
probably we can defeat him at the
polls. If we can get the electiv,
judiciary bill declared constitution
al and have the judges and chan
cellors elected by the people, il
will aid very materially in defeat
ing Bilbo. A great many of my
loyal friends, believing that he j,
the strongest man, have an eye on
the judgeships and will likely
vote for him. This is human ma
ture. But now | thinI
Earl sees that il this measure coul
be passed, it might lessen the
chances of Bilbo's election, so he
has announced that if the legisla
ture will re- enact this bill, he will
let it become a law without his
signature.
Speaking as "Big Bud" does
from inside the Vardaman camp,
his candid reminders and sugges-
tive revelations are decidedly edi-
flying. He might have strength
ened his argument-of a rift in
the Vardaman Bilbo lute-by say
ing that "Vardaman had refusedn
also to take issue with Judge Pow
ell's recently published declara-
ton; alleging other specifications
why Lieutenant Governor Bilbo
was become persona non 9rdtQ
with his 1911 running mate, Sena,
tor Jas. X. Vardaman.
We imagine there are few who
share guileless 'Big Buds" "sur
prise that the Vardaman men felt
under obligation to Bilbo." They
know, if ''Big Bud" doesn't. that
Bilbo's fishy bribery legend fur
nished the sole specification of a
corrupted legislature; which was
the campaign slogan and rallying
cry that landed their chief in the
United States senate. Constrained
by the evidence, the Vardaman
district attorney, Mcneil, in his
speech in the Dulaney trial, re-
jected the story to which Bilbo
swore in the grand jury room,
charging in substance that "the
little plney woods devil" was
bribed in fact, and only shifted to
the ''frame up" after having spent
1854 of bride money. That theory,
it is now apparent, is being used
by "Vardaman men" for the pur-
pose of defeating Bilbo for Govern
or.
Speaking from ''outside the
breastworks" of their political
game, The Herald certainly enter
tains no objection to the Cheating
of Bilbo, by Vardaman's friends
at the polls" Whatever their
motive, whether it be of conscience
or jealousy, in turning on the man
for whom they throw up their hats
and ran almost neck and neck
with Vardaman in the 1911 pri-
mary, the end will justly the
means. 1t would be the beginning
of political publication. But has
"Big Bug" any convincing evi-
L