The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-08-31

Jackson. Miss. August 3o.-(SpeciaI) If it be true that figures do not Ie Lieut.. Gov. Lee M. Russell of Oxford will be the next governor of Missis- sippi.
 The latest figures obtainable give Mir. Russell majority of 74s2 out of a total of about 12S,oOO votes cast in the second primary last Tuesday.
 That same primary made John Frier- son of Columbus lieutenant governor, and Billy" Buck of Jackson clerk of the supreme court
 An analysis of the vote and of the re- suit of the voting is interesting. The nomination of MT. Russell means that Nardaman and Bilbo are, perhaps, not quite dead, both having been supporters Of that gentleman, and they may have contributed somewhat to his victory, but will perhaps make out like they did whether they did or not.
 However, their support did not amount to much in the race for lieutenant gover- nor. These worthies were friends and supporters of H. H. Casteel, a dyed-in- the-wool Nardaman and Bilho man, while ihs opponent, Frierson, was bitter ly opposed to both of them, and as chair man of the committee that investigated the insane asylum scandal last session of the legislature, did more, perhaps, than did any other one man in the state to force the resignation of Dr. Butler, the Bilbo superintendent, and to clean out the gang of alleged grafters and loose women connected with the institution. MT. Frierson was nominated by a heavy majority in spite of the opposition of the Vardaman Bilbo supporters. and in spite of the fact that his opponent is personal ly very popular man.
 If this means anything, it means that after all Vardaman and Bilbo did not exert any great influence one way or the other, and that they are deader than they know. The controlling factor in the fight for the governorship was Johnstons opposition to the state tax commission. That lost him thousands of votes. Russell advocated the commis- sion, and had decidedly the best of the argument
 It is believed here that a great many men who otherwise would have voted for Johnston went over to Russell for the simple reason that he favored the tax commission, and for the further reason that Russell had made them be- lieve that Johnston opposed the tax com mission because it increased heavily the value of lands and mules in the delta section of the state, where Johnston
  that, but the facts are that Johnston is not opposed to tax commission of some kind, one elected by the people. and clothed with power to enforce it's orders, although he is opposed to the tax commission as now organized in Mis- sissippi clothed with small authority and appointed by the governor Thus 1t is that MT. Johnston's stand against the tax commission, and not the opposition of vardaman and Bilbo, cost him the If that be not true, how is it that MT. Frierson wipes Casteel, a stanch friend of Vardaman and Bilbo, off the political map without half trying with one hand tied behind him, as it were
 Another heavy factor in the defeat of Mir. Johnston was the deflection of the Longino crowd, those who supported that candidate before he was eliminated in the first primary. After his defeat he sulked in his tent betting an ugly grouch and nursing very sore toe" He refused to say whether he would or vote for Johnston or Rus sell, but in view of the fact that his brothers and other relatives published card stating they would all vote for