The Columbus dispatch. (Columbus, Miss.) 19??-1922, 1920-06-23

rnOr.
"Rule or Ruin"-but they do not dare
to say this out loud. They tried this
scheme in 1910 in the secret caucus,
and this issue was squarely placed
before the people in 1911, and these
manipulators were overwhelmingly
repudiated at the polls. Again in 1915
they called together their remnants,
and in the greatest campaign Of abuse
and villification in the south were
again overwhelmingly put to rout.
Met Defeat in Primary.
In 1918, in the general primary, this
same lot of ring politicians, dis
gruntled, disowned and thoroughly re-
pudiated in two elections, backed by
4 the same money powers and getting
together a campaign fund many times
the size of any candidate that had
ever offered for office in this state,
again tried to get in the saddle, but
the people know them and were sick
and tired of them, and they again re-
ceived the most severe rebuke and
drubbing in their entire history. In
fact, ever since the days of the secret
caucus the people have slapped this
crowd in the face at every general
election year-but, as shown in this
last convention, they still shine in
convention assembled. Backed by a
dirty, indecent, malicious local press,
4 this cnnventkear threw all precedent.
to tho winds - ID was knock-down
and draw-out affair. Propriety, cour-
tesy, custom and all that they laid
gruffy aside. The great masses were
at home unmindful that these old
ringsters were cutting these secret
caucus capers. The great masses paid
little or no attention to the beat and
county conventions-they were busy
in their daily toil-and so it fell to-
these curbstone, scheming, conven-
on-hardened, secret caucus style pol
iticians to look after their affairs
repeat that the large majority of
4 the men composing this convention
do not in the least represent the wish
es, desires and ideals of the graf
masses of the people Of this state
as shown by results, it is "the peo-
pie be damned"
Benefits by Conventions ActiCn.
! Possibly it may be said that | have
sore toe because | was not elected
a delegate to the convention. This is
untrue. The action of this conven-
tion has added me politically to the
tune of thousands of votes if | shall
ever run for office again. When this
convention sought to throw down
custom, precedent and the recognized
and established rule of the Democrat
ic party of this state and left me at
home, they used method that is no
better and entitled to no more re-
spect than that of the gangster and
ward-heeler politicians throughout
the corrupt cities of the land; but
they did it, the people shall know it
and in due time at the polls this re-
pudiated minority will be shown
"where Tony hid the wedge" | have
always been a fair and open fighter,
true Democrat Of the Jeffersonian-
Jackson school of politics, true to the
constitution, laws and traditions of
the Democratic party, the party that
was made to serve the masses and not
the classes, and | believe / speak the
sentiments of every fair-minded man
in Mississippi, regardless Of his poll.
tical notions or his political align
ment, that he will condemn in the
strongest possible terms the action Of
this convention with regard to my
self. This is not due to me personally,
but as the leader of the Democratic
party, iudicially made so by the de-
termination of her voters, and all true
blue Democrats are manly enough not
only to stand up and win, but to
stand up and lose, and that all these
men will agree that such action was
uncalled for, unwarranted and de-
serves the condemnation Of all true
,. Democrats everywhere. | firmly be-
! fContinued on Eighth Page)