The Port Gibson reveille. [volume] (Port Gibson, Miss.) 1890-current, 1922-08-31
Bic STEPHENS
RALLY TUESDAY
Opera House Filled With Voters from
Every District and Great Enthusi-
asm Manifested Throughout Speak
ing.


The Stephens rally Tuesday after
noon exceeded every expectation, The
opera house was filled with enthusias-
tic supporters Of the winning candi-
date, and Mr.. John L. Smith delivered
fine speech.
Rev. 5. r. Young acted as chairman
Of the meeting, introducing j. G..
Spencer who had been selected to in
troduce the speaker Of the occasion
Mr.. Spencer's ability as stump
speaker is too well known to require
special mention, yet, in the few re-
marks which he made before he in-
hit.
Mr.. Spencer stated that ne had ask
ed to be allowed to attend the se-
cret meeting which the Vardaman
supporters held Saturday, but was in
formed that it was for "Vardaman
men only He then informed them
that the Stephens men were going to
have a meeting Tuesday and they
were all invited to be present.
The speaker then said. II am an
old man and have no ak to grind. The
only interest | have in this campaign
is to free my state from grating Bill
bo, savory Russell and Vardamanism.
was a personal friend Of Vardaman:
voted for him and was his campaign
manager IN this county. Going TO
Washington ruined him. He must have
been bitten by German mosquito.
could no longer support him. Then
Mr., Spencer introduced John L.
Smith, formerly Of Clay county.
Mr.. Smith began his address BY de-
clarIng that the outstanding question
in this campaign is one hundred per
cent Democracy. "No matter how you
try. to avoid this point, it still re-
mains, declared the speaker.
He declared that he also had voted
for Vardaman Then he had embrae-
ed the democracy Of George, Walthall
and other great Misissippians; but
when ne went into the Republican
ranks and when he was untrue to his
country, there came the parting of the
ways, Shall that Democracy remain
power for our children" declared
the speaker, Tor shall it be tainted
with Republicanism, Bilboism and at
last scandalized by Russellism p"
MIR. Smith then read several ex-
tracts from Vardaman's paper, in
which he had scored Democrats, es-
pecially President Wilson, and prais-
ed Republicans, especially President
Harding. Laying the paper aside, he
ec arcd that something must be
one, and it viii be done on the fifth
TO defeat this man" Here the speak
e was interrupted by prolonged ap-
plause
The speaker commended the Wilson
administration, declaring that it gave
he countr the best banking ssytem in
he world; the farm loan bank by
hich the poor man could get long
lime loans at a minimum rate of in
terest, and the Adamson labor law
hich gives the laborer shorter days
and more money for his labor.
The audience almost went wild
when he likened Vardaman to the
Sphynx-silent, yet mysterious. A
Democratic head, a Republican body,
claws Of Bolshevism, Socialism, Bill
boism and Russellism, and a tail of
that puppet who has travelled all over
the state, whom they call Luther M.
Burch.
The speaker then read figures from
the state auditors books showing the
enormous debt which has accumulated
against the state during the Bilbo and
Russell administrations His figures
showed that at the beginning Of the
Bilbo administration there was out
standing only about S270,000 worth Of
.355 per cent bonds. At the end Of
that administration, the state had Az
and 5 per cent bonds outstanding to
the amount of $5,000,000; and up to
this time in the Russell administra-
tion the state has bonded debt Of
81 ,O0O,0 900.
Mr.. Smith declared he had never
seen such enthusiasm throughout the
state for Stephens in any other cleo
tion. He stated that in the first pri-
mary Mr.. Stephens fought the battle
alone, while every speaker the Varda-
man forces could get had a stump
and was speaking from it. Now,
there are many men speaking for Ste
phens, and he believes Stephens will
win by 10000 majority.
The speaker closed by paying a
glowing tribute to Miss Kearney, de-
claring that many others who had lost
as she had would have sulked, while
she Immediately entered the fight a.
gainst the enemies of the state and