Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1922-08-31
STEPHENS REFU7ES
| CHARGES AGAINST HIM
Denounces Stories Circulated
by Vardaman Proxies.

NFTOm Memphis Commercial Appeal,
Jackson, Miss.-Hon. Hubert Ste
phens has resumed his canvass for thC
second primary. Before leaving Jack
son Mr.. Stephens said a few words
shout the campaign and took occasion
to nail certain slanderous and false
eumors circulated in different places
where he iS personally known.
To the Commercial Appeal CORE
opOndent Mr.. Stephens said:
Il have never seen greater enthu
aiasm and earnestness in any OF my
campaigns, than my friends in every
section Of the state are displaying
And this means that we are going to
win by handsome majority on the
fifth Of September.
Il am deeply grateful to those loyal
friends who rendered such valiant ser
vice before the first primary when the
OutloqS. was not as bright as 1t is to
day. Mr.. Vardaman's friends were
given the positive assurance by his
spokesmen that he would be nominat.
cd in the first primary, and it is nat
ural that they should be discouraged
now with an anti-Vardaman majority
Ut not less than 10000 against him.
He polled his full strength on the 18th
Of August and from that day his cause
began to wane.
"The opposition's storehouse OF
Salsehoods and Misrepresentation was
bankrupted in an effort to defeat me,
and the whispered propaganda that
was spread against me on the eve Of
the election by the most carefully pre-
meditated plan eclipsed anything /
have ever seen in Mississippi politics.
Letters are pouring into my office
from every section of the state telling
ms Of the misrepresentation that
we're spread by henchmen of my oppo-
nent. In the effort to create preju.
dice against me, misstatements have
been made as to my religious and fra
ternall connections. To answer these,
j will state that an member OF the
Methodist Church, and have been for
fhaf thn nyN1x
secret or fraternal orders of which l
am a member are the Masons (blue
lodge, chapter, council and command.
ery), the Woodmen Of the World, Elkg
and Knights Of Pythiaa.
"In some places it has been, told that
during the war / was drafted, that l
married a young lady, and har father
Kept ME out of the army, and that
when the war was over l divorced her.
] am told that this ridiculous falsshood
influenced votes against me. Again it
was told that | have been married
three times, that divorced two wives,
broke up mans home and married
his wife, and that am nov living with
her.
"The fact Is that l married nearly
2s years ago, which was my first and
only marriage, and my wife and l are
still living together, as every one in
New Albany knows. In labor centers
It was assidulously circulated that
had, at some other point in the state,
bitterly assailed the leaders of organ
lied labor. Such statements were abb
solutely false. did call attention to
the fact in a vigorous manner as pos
sible, and shall continue to call at
tenticn to it that certain well known
socialists, Bolshevists and l. w. w.
Gympathizers had instructed the white
men and women Of Mississippi to vote
fOr James X. vardaman.
Il, myself, heard the prevaricator
vino heads the list of proxies, or rather
divides that role with his chief rival,
Bilbo, state in speech recently that
Hubert Stephens made IL speeches for
Lee Russell. He knew that statement
was absolutely false, because ne was
IN Russell's headquarters at the time
and knew who we're making speeches
fDr Russell Others have grape-vined
the charge that until recently was
. vardaman man. want to repeat
here for the benefit Of my friends that
n one single responsible person in
Mississippi win state that | made =
single speech for Lee Russell, il gave
out single interview in his behalf, or
4 / solicited single person TO vote
eor him, viii quit this race.
-That proposition has stood since
me first day Of January. when dis
covered that part Of the plan Of my
male opponent was to have henchmen
infest the Hobbies Of local hotels and
huttonhole every person that would
rive them ear and spread that report
I never cast vote for James X. Var