The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-07-30
PRIMARY VOTE IN
MISSISSIPPI IS
TOBE VERY TARDY
Political Prophets Are Doing
Some Guessing in Contest
for Governors PIaCe-Vote
of Soldiers IS Factor.

@G- tHaE
JACKSON. Miss, July SO.-Unless the
event proves to be very one-sided,
which does not now Sppear probable.
the result Of the primary for governor
next Tuesday, AuE. S, may not be defi-
nitely known until "a hours after the
polls close, and It may take consider
ably longer. should II prove. q close
finish betWeen the two leading candi-
The political prosAOsticAtors are busy
trying to figure out the rasalt, but there
10 a wide variance in their forecasts,
ABOUT the only point on which q ma
lorfty OF them seem TO agree Is that
Accomplishment Ross Collins will be
the fourth man in the race, and this,
OF course, is disputed by the adherents
Of Collins.
The second primary will be between
johnston and Russell, Johnston ana Lon
glno, or Longino and Russell, accord
ing to the political prophets and strange
TO say, their Siews are not colored 10
any large extent by personal prefer
idly to a close without the slightest
semblance OF the intense partisan feel
ing that usually chardCterizes guber-
Material contests in this state,
The ~torecasters are not evena able to
approximately agree on the probable
SNN VI NhV NONG. 0NlltW SdA LnAI, De-
cause Of the lack Of interest che sen.
eral feeling of apathy, It will be very
light. Others coatend that the numer-
rus candidates for county and district
OFFICES will have sufficient influence 10
bring out almost a fun vote.
Tons OF campaign literature are nov
eeing sent out from Jackson. ; The
headquarters Of the four candidates for
governor, to say nothing Of the aspir-
ants for other state offices, have liter
ally swamped the local postoffIce with
letters, circulars and ~paIuphletsJ and
good money wrapping and addressing
these appeals to the VUtcrs.
Election officers In some Of the coun-
tless, especially those N the north cen
tral and northeastern portions OF the
state, are VIGOROUSLY slow in ~tabulating
aelu lorWaLding their returns. and In
former years they have furnished sets
OF figures colored In accordance with
the hopes Of the various candidates,
the official returSs not being available
until the meeting of the Democratic
state executive eommIttee. which in
mis- instance viii be on Wednesday,
mary.
An effort 10 being made this yea q
speed up. reports irora all the counties,
and while smaller precincts In many
OF the, counties may be missing, there
Is reason TO believe that the figures In
name py midnight ought to Indicate the
result with considerable accuracy.
The soldier vote, u is generally coz
coded, win cat a considerable figure
IN the result; Mississippi had approxis
matelly $4,000 white men with the col
ors, IN various branches Of the service,
OF whom probably 80, 900 have returned
home with honorable discharges. An
OF the divisions IN which slssissippls
GRATED troops served W6ee back on
this side 80 days ago
Perhaps fewer than 5000 Of tAiH
number participated in the senatorial
due chiefly to unfamiliarity with The
system Of voting. by mail. movements
to ports OF embarkation, etc. This year,
however, all Of them can, and doubt
less viii, vote, Many wII vote for the
tarst haSlS9 attained theif ma.
Under a ruling Of the Democratic
state executive committee all men who
served with the ycolors, regardless OF
whether they paid poll taxes durtag the
past Two years, or lave their names
on registration books. can vote, II
only being required that they exhibit
their honorable discharges.
The supporters of Oscar. Johnston,
the soldier-candidate. claim that he will
get an overwhelming majority Of the
soldier vote, as he is the only man
This is vigorously disputed By the fol.
lowers Of Ex-Gov. Longino, who served
as a Y. M. c. A. worker 1t Camp
shelby and had three eons In the SER
AS before stated, The f~orscasters do
not agree in their figures on the prob
able. size of the vote this e some
OF them being 10000 apart.
[. 10 what extent the lack Of interest
is going to cut down the vote Is of
course 0 matter on which 1t is impos-
sible to figure with any degree Of
certainly. In the senatorial campaign
last year, for instance, there WA con-
siderable apathy, despite the fact that
the patriotism of Senator ]. X. VaIda-
man was the chief issue involved. and
the vote polled was only 107, sac Part
of this heavy reduction from the nor
MAJ can Of course be attributed to the
large number Of soldiers who were out
OF the state n did not take adysn-
tage Of the opportunity 70 vot4 by
mail. The vote in the senatorial nri-
mary was apportioned as follows. Efar-
rison, $3.50; Nardauaan n, i4,026; Noel,
6,I31 total, 107, $50.
In the campaign for governor four
years ago a total of 145yG4 votes vera
74,573; Kelley, 44,7lT; Tally. lI4bI''
Quin, 1927; Stovall, SOS. Bilbos ma.
lorlty oyer All being a little less thar
II. the total next Tuesday equals thai
OF four years ago it will be an occa-
sion for much surprise. and at the same
lime. n spite of political apathy, back
OF enthusiasm, ana the dullesf caln-
palgn the state has ever known, 1t
shouad not tA 1890 below the fgurs
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