The hummer. (Houston, Miss.) 1914-19??, 1915-03-26
wv. N. RELY VANS REAL JOHN pEBATF
Sends Letter to LieutGOv BbO in Which He Lays Down
Very Plain Proposition. Willing to Meet BilbO at
Any Time or Place

nothing unkind that ever assed be-
tween Us. You know that our re-
latiOns are cordial, and so far as 1
am concerned, ] have nothing but
the kindest personal feelings for you.
You know further that after we
met in joint debate in Lauderdale
Springs that you refused to meet
in joint debate any more.
Not only then did you refuse to
divide time with me. but when l
spoke at Jackson, / looked you in
the face and repeated the agree-
ment which we made to 60 togeth-
er before the people, and then in
vited you to make an agreement
with me to meet in every county in
the state at times and places that
would be fair to US both and satis-
factory to you. | explained that
we could publish a notice of our
speaking dates to the world so that
all who were interested might come
and hear the issues of the campaign
discussed by us.
You further know that |, on that
occasion, used these words to YOU:
! invite you to make this agree
ment-I beg you to do it, and | dare
you to do it, and while l am not a
prophet nor the son of a pro-
phet, / wanl to look you in the face
and say that there is not log chain
in Jackson strong enough to pull
you into this agreement"
You failed and refused to accept
this challenge and from the beeinn-
ing of this campaign you have en-
deavored to create the impression
that there is some agreement be-
tween myself and other candidates
for governor in regard to defeating
you. Your letter is simply another
effort to give color to this idea. You
know, or you ought to know that |
am not a party to any such agree
ment.
If you will investigate the facts,
you will find that recently, at least,
you and each Of my opponents have
been more diligent in your efforts
to defeat me than you have in your
efforts to defeat any other man in
the race. Publicly and privately
you and the other candidates for
governor devoted more attention
to me than to any other one of the
candidates. am reliably advised
that you frequently state in your
speeches that l am the man whom
you have to defeated for governor.
This is another indication that
you have correctly estimated the
situation. Had Won undertaken to
write a proposition that would make
joint debate impossible, you could
not have eclisped the effort you
made in your letter to me. You
certainly do not expect anybody
to take you seriously in regard to
the proposition you made.
In your letter you propose that
you shall select four men and | one
to arrange the dates. That you
should make campaign speeches as
you desire, but l can make only
One-fOurth as many speeches as
you do. That / should lend color
to your unjust claim that there is
an agreement or combine between
others and myself to defeat you.
There is one thing that your letter
makes clear to me and that is this:
You are at last realizing that the
people of Mississippi will not permit
you to evade meeting me in debate
and you are endeavOring to dis
play an apparent willingness to
meet me and at the same time
evade meeting me.
Referring to the statement con-
the crowds which | have
recently, beg to say that
am reliably adviser that I have
spoken to larger crowds than you