The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-08-02
PRIMARY
HELD INEVITABLE
IN MISSISSIPPI
1000 Names Will Cucumber
Ticket Tuesday With Run
Off Certain-IntereSt Gen.
tiers in Governors Race.


JACKSON. Miss, Aug. 2. (Spl)-More
than 1000 names are to be voted for
In the Democratic state primary to be
hald on next Thursday, Aug. s, when
state district, county and beat officers
will be nominated.
Although the state campaign has been
slhgularly apathetic and devoid of in
terest. there has been no dearth of
candidates, In some Of the counties
the offieial ballot will carry the names
OF more than 100 aSpiEants for county
ana beat offices, and In no county viii
me number Of candidates fan below
on The general average will probably be
ABOUT % candidates per county and
there are So counties In the state. Ia
TINS must be added the ballot for state
and district offices.
The size OF the ballot means that re-
turns Will probably be received from the
smaller and outlying precincts ahead
Of the figures from the larger cities
Contrary to the custom Of former
years, there will be no "round-up'
meetings In jackson on the night prior
TO h election. Neither of the candi-
didates for governor will make his final
address here, all being booked for
SpoCCHeS III OIneF points.
Judging the present by the past, al
0 anything can happen in a Demo-
cratic primary in Mississippi( and II is
not at all improbable that some distinct
surprises may occur next Tuesday.
At the campaign headquarters OF the
four candidates for governor today op-
timistic statements were issued, each
candidate being apparently confident OF
victory. Nevertheless, there is a very
a ma rent failing nf nArynttupASu n
the campaign managers, They want to
believe their forecasts, but at the
same time they are uneasy.
Political onloOkers, men who have
watched Democratic battles in Missis-
sipM for many years, are more reluctant
about offering forecasts as the day for
the primary approaches. They are al
least willing to admit that their dope
may be wrong. and the result Of the
election Is so uncertain that IL IA DIFF
ficult to pick out a good betting propo-
sitisn.
Second Primary.
All are agreed, however, that a sec
ond primary Is inevitable; that II is
foolish for any candidate to hope for
a majority nomination on Tuesday, and
nothing short of a miracle can bring
about a result Of that sort.
This Is rather self-evident from the
fact that each Of the old political fac
tons has two candidates In the field,
Heretofore Oscar Johnston and A., II.
Longino have been aligned with the
ntl-Nardaman or conservative element,
while Russell and Collins have both
been hand-in-glove with the Vardaman
element. Collins, however, has expe-
rienced a complete political divorce from
his erstwhile friend, Gov. Bilbo, chief
lieutenant Of the Vardaman forces, and
he has been snown but slight favor
by Vardaman himself, who is using all
the personal influence he can WELD In
behalf of Russell.
In spite of this fact, however, II Ia
~undeniably a fact that Collins has made
substantial gains within the past 80
days, and, while the ~forecasters have
labelled him as the fourth mar in the
race, he will poll a surprisingly large
number of votes, some placing the fig
ures as high as 10000 to 2o,0 600.
There is little reason to believe that
the total number OF votes cast will
reach that of four years ago, when
las, 600 Mississippians went to the polls
at the close of one of the most excit-
ing campaigns in the history OF the
state. Conservative estimates place the
number of votes that will probably be
cast next Tuesday at l25,0O0, Some
lieve that 1t viii equal, II 1t does not
surpass, the figures four years ago,
The apathy that has existed sinCA the
beginning of the campaign Is difficult
to explain, but, since none can deny
that It exists, the most logical conclu-
sion is that 1t will continue through next
Tuesday, and that there will he no
sudden awakening of interest or en-
thusiasm among the voters,