Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1922-06-23
PREFERRED NEGROES
TO ~CARPEIBAGGERS
JUDGE STEPHENS TELLS OF Rg.
CONSTRUCTION PROBLEMS.

vote cast ~ mat lime by Judge "a, d.
Stephens. who was . member OF the
Legislature. has prompted Judge
Stephens to address a letter TO e-
Senator Vardaman concerning his
record during that Legislature and
subsequently,
Judge stephens, who is the father
Of Hon. Hubert d. stephens. one OF
Nardamau's opponents for the United
SStes Senate. charges that 'he re-
peated reference to the incident
shows conelHsiyely that Vardlman Is
attempting to use 1t rs political CAPT
tai against his son. and says, I'm
Justice TO my son and myself | feel
Il my duty TO take c~oguizance OF the
matter"
The letter OF Judge stephens Is in
null as follows:
New Albany. Miss MAY ~, 1899. Hon.
jas X NariamaH. Jackson, Miss.
Dear Sir.
In your plper Of jan. ~, 1879 you had
al editorial IN which reference was made
30 the e,rtAn q R. X Bruce, a negro. 10
rse United States Senate. and my record
in that matler Again. ina your paper OF
April g. 1922. You had an editorial ON
the same s1bject,
Waite you say. "Whatever stephens
fathct may save 6one in no way affects
stephens fisness Tor tie position Of
Vntte6 States senatcr 60 yet your refTencs
to it not only once but the second time.
shows couclusi7cly that you are attempt
ing to "a. II ss political capital against
my son, Hubert d. stephens For that
reason. in Iustio . to my son aad rayself. |
teet It my duty 20 take Gognizanoe Of the
matter.
At the cime ~ the election to which
ysu refer, The Weekly Ciarisu,' pub
lich ed at Jackson, WAS tho leading Demo
or otto paper IN thu state. It's publishers
were Maj IL Barksdals and Col, ]. |.
Power. both II whom were strong Demo
orat. and Confederate soldiers. In an cd
itortal In that paper, dated Jan. 20, 1874.
you VAL find that It vac stated that there
WAS 10 chanoe tpr u to be elect
al to the senate. and that The contest
10 between carpstbagEsrs and. oolored Re-
publiaans For ourselves we had
rather trust the fortunes u the state to
o0lored men. who are permanently here.
and racv Of the soil Tran to the advent
urers.
In Just a week the election was held
and the result vas announced in that
Democratic paper but those Demosrstio
editors and Confederate veterans did not
utter one single word OF criticism Of those
who voted for Brucs. They understood
tho situation, they knew that many good
white men. sons Of whom we're gallant
Confederate soldie,s facing an ungleas-
ant political situation. voted Zoe Bruce
because they believed It was the boot
thing to NJ under the circumstances.
Capt. u 4 Mcheily Of vicksburE. Ii
N article on decentralization IA Miss<s
-~Ssss - 4fSSGHs u <k.& st<SS1SS
negroes 6T the Senate st efar time kNS
afterwords honored frequently by being
party and one Of them 20 years after
wards lacked only a rev totes Of being
elected to the united States Senatn
In 1873 ons wing OF the Republican
party indorsed AmsS for governor. the
other Einx Endorsed Alcorn Tor that office.
The Democrats did not have a tickst, but
indoi ssd Alcorn and his ticket. There wore
negroes on both the Ames and Alcorn
tickets, 40 that svsry white maA who
voted Ia that election, yotsd for "A negro.
BHing a Democrat, | voted fOr AlOurn aHn
his ttGkst.
That those familiar with my record
and the conditions that prompted my ac-
ti0A did not Oensurs me Tor II. 10 SHOWN
By my later political history
Ia 1854 L was . candidate FOG fsOatsr
repr esentatiys for The counties oG PontO-
tso and Union. and. waH siectsd by an
~ erwhskming vote. There were only 10
vOtes ont VI several hundred cast agaias<
No at my home % soinot THIS wss oag
nLpa years altar the dsciiO0 " Bruos.
whsn. that mstNr was fresh in the mlnda
- the people and every one u them was
thoroughly famiilA1 vita my record
In 1884 / was The Democratic presa-
denttaa 1lsct0r from my conEressiOnal die
trIot. aAd canpsixSsa with Senator La
MAJ.
In. lsss wss. . candidate cor COngyess
carried the oSV9kiss St Benton, Asr-
shAIi. Ttppah and Union. You retss "
Judge J. W. {. Watson a. being one u
thu men that va. voted for Cor the Senate
IN 1874. Judge WaLson was one VI the
Ieadlng men AID Democrats Of the state.
He knew my record, but WA my fstsaA
aad supporter in that campaign.
Ia 1891 YES appointed cirouh judge
w Gov MeLA urin, and my appotntmsnt
wa confirmed without being referred TO
4 committee
| have been a delegate to the natisaAA
Democratic convention. and there WA
not a single state Democ ratio convention
from 1874 until the state cha nssd to the
system that ! did not attend a.
. delegate.
Since ma vote to which you refer waa
oast | have been A candidate for Office
four times. and | never lost a single pre-
cinct In my home county. Union. except
81 one election my opponent carried hS
own voting p%Tscinct
The records show that in 1918 whea
you were a candidate for re- election 70
the Senate, you lost every one u the "a
In your home county. Hinda,
that there we're l.sss votes oestI
against you and only AIS votes for you.
the same election In LeFlors Couaty,
where you lived many years. there we're
663 votes against you and only zoo votes
for you.
have called attention to my POLITICAL
record that you and the public may know
my democracy has never lSen quss-
by my home people. want to say
further. that both nv father and only
were Confederate soldiers. anA
that while | was too young to be In the
CIVIL War. yet ! did my part In recoa-
days to rid tho state Of carpet
and negro rule In politics. and
that | have always been active in my e.
forts TO build up the state In every way.
ala now An Old man, but when the time
comes for me to 70 out into another
word, | can do so with the full conscious
ness u the fact that ! VIII leave behind
me a record for having always paid my
debts, for having been faithful to nay
family and friends. and for having been
true and loyal to my party and nj gov
eminent.
In conclusion. permit me to suggest that
your political future must be very dark
nd gloomy. that your political situation
must be very desperate. for you to 70
hack more than IS years to find some
In my record TO criticize. Hubert
stephens WAS not born untu ls months
after that vote wss cast. He was elected
attorney and five times elected
10 Congress. Although my vote was =
matter known TO all. vet II remained for
20 - NhA IT, - 1911. ~