The Semi-weekly leader. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1905-1941, 1919-12-17
WILLIAMS STATES
HE WILL NOT RUN
Disguised With Whole Political
Situation, Mississippian In
forms Friend.

John Sharp Williams has reiterat-
ed in terms past reconsideration he
will not again be candidate for e.
lection to the United States Senate
and would rather be a dog and bay
the moon" than spend one day in the
United States Senate after the expi-
ration of his present term.
The declaration is contained in a
letter written by him recently to an
old friend, John H. Todd of Hickory,
Miss, and Is Just made public.
Here is the letter, which is expect
ed to set Mississippi politicians all
a-jingle with anticipation for the po-
litical affray that will come over the
vacated seat:-
1T is now about three years since
/ announced upon the floor OF the
Senate that ! would not be a candi-
date for the Senate again, nor, as far
as !. could then foresee, a candidate
for any other office. The truth is
that would not have come back this
time except that / was unanimously
nominated and unanimously elected
and I felt that ! had no right to re-
fuse to serve; but gave notice thatsAt
the expiration of my present term
would serve no more.
II am disgusted with the whole
political situation, especially with
the treatment Of international affairs
as II they were questions of party
politics, and would rather be a dog
and bay the moon than to spend a
single day In the United States Sem
ate after the expiration of my present
term. You overmeasure my impor-
tance to the state; no man is, ever
has been or ever will be absolutely
necessary to the people, unless the
people shall turn asses and fools and
there shall be but one wise man.
That certainly is not the case In Mis-
sissippi. We have several men who
could take my place, amongst them
two members of the House of Repre-
sentatives Ben Humphrey and
Webb Venable-b fine fellows
with magnificent sense and superb
political courage.
There are other men, too.
would not want to be one of the or
binary politicians, who say they will
not be candidate and then after
wards conclude that they will be.
You and ! have had our ups and
downs and we have had our differ
ences and agreements, and l hope you
have learned me we'll enough to
know that u never would take a de-
finite stand upon any proposition un-
less mean it.
John Sharp Williams once narrow
ly defeated James X. Vardaman in a
campaign Of then unexampled bitter
ness.
Again, he ran and was unanimous
ly elected after unanimous nomina-
ton.
Senator williams is yet in early
old age. His tongue still stings. The
lore of long years of scholarly study
of men and events is at quick COM
mand to illustrate the lesson of the
day and to confound the ignorant
and the demagogue.
But up in Washington he now
takes the role Of one to whom the
times are out of joint and for whom
little is left to spur to full. spirited.
consistent, enthusiastic effort. His
letter shows his feelings.
During the debate on the peace
treaty now and again Williams would
flash out with his old-time brilliance,
his rapier wit pricking the bubble
of bombast and cutting through the
fiimsy fabric of sophistry, his caustic
sentences scattering into mist the
fog of labored appeal to racial pre-
judice and passion.
But this was seldom.
He on whom the burden of leading
the battle would have rested lightly
in other years for the most part
stood aside.
And he was sorely missed.
The Williams of the days when he
was minority leader in the House has
not been in the Senate these history
making times.
Time was when he could have led
the fight and singlehanded have met
and bested Lodge, Reed, Borah and
all the rest. But that time had gone.
He is aged before his years, is tired
and weary, and would hand the toga
on to those who possess the youth,
the patience and the faith and hope
that he has lost.-W Washington Cor.