The Columbus dispatch. (Columbus, Miss.) 19??-1922, 1921-03-02

D
and will return this morning
The writer had rather lengthy
talk with him ON political matters, an,
in the course Of the conversation
asked him if he intended to become {
candidate for the United States Sen,
ate. The answer was straight and to
the point:
81 do; will you vote for me?"
"That depends; not if the faction
to which belong puts out a
candidate"
But you don't expect to do that, do
you?"
II cannot say. They are slow COM
ing forward But l hope the man may
yet be found to defeat Vardaman."
81 am the man that can do it," re-
piled Governor Bilbo, in a rather pos
tive and confident tone.
do you really believe that you can
defeat Vardaman?"
Absolutely certain of it, if the
ants will not put up candidate; but
if two or three men get in the race,
making it a three or four-cornered
fight, it would not be hard to predict
the result-Vardaman would win"
"You can rest assured that the
antis viii not have two or three can
didates. They will either center on
one man, or they will let you and
Vardaman scrap it out"
"Who have they to put forward?
| don't see one man in the State they
are likely to unite on, and ! have
looked carefully over the list Of men
suggested"
"Several men have been mentioned,
Governor"
"True; but have you a single Barkis
that is willing to SHE his caster in the
ring?
81 must admit that ! know Of no
man who has announced his willing
ness to make the fight but it is early
yet, and we hope the right man may
yet be discovered"
ado you feel positive that you can
defeat Vardaman, GOVERNOR"
"Not doubt of it, if | can secure
reasonable support from the ants, as
| am assured / will, as | know | will,
for while they may not love me, they
positively hate Vardaman, and would
vote for me as the lesser Of two evils"
Then Bilbo showed disposition to
criticise Vardaman's record as COVER
nor, saying whole lot about him,
when the writer asked, "Can | quote
what you say Of Vardaman?"
Willing to BE Quoted.
"Sure you can. / am perfectly
willing for you to print it. You may
say that Vardaman accomplished very
little as governor
ooh, that is too vague, Governor
Be more explicit. How do his accom-
plishments as governor compare to
yours, along constructive lines"
"Now you are getting down to real
business. How does his record com
are to mine along constructive lines z"
AS one to five. | am glad you asked
the question. | was the author of, and
got through, thirty-two pieces of con-
structive legislation. Governor Var
-daman got through five, only one of
which is deserving of mention"
''What about Vardaman's record as
Senator?"
ooh, well, you know as much about
that. as | do. I'll have much to say
about that when | get into the cam
paign. | have the record complete,
and shall use it freely. By the way,
didn't the people answer your question
when they defeated Vardaman for the
Senate during the war;"
eyes; it would seem they did. And
you feel certain that you can defeat
him now?"
"Not doubt about it, if you peo-
pie will hands off, and give me a
chance at Vardaman single-handed. |
can defeat him. You have no anti
that can"
"But you would like to see him
defeated anyway, wouldn't you?"
Certainly l would, but who is your
man? He can be defeated, but in
order to accomplish it, you must select
some man who will draw heavily from
the old Vardaman forces, as / would |
Have you a man that can make inroads
upon the old Vardaman phalanx?
can. | believe / am the logical man.
and you are authorized to say that
am a candidate, and can win, with the
aid of those who would retire Varda-
man to the shades of private life for
ever. 1t is a choice between twd
who has done something
and the other who hasn't. Which will /
you choose 2"