The Chronicle-star combined with the Moss Point advertiser., 1947-08-22
- Br
Bilbo Dies
Thursday AT
New Orleans
Progressive Hedrt
Failure Given As
Cause Of Death
BY The Associated Press

New Orleans, Aug. 2l.-Sens.
tor Theodore G.. Bilbo of Missis-
sippi, master of filibuster and
sharp-tongued champion of white
supremacy. died here today with
out ever having taken his dis
puted seat in the Goth Congress.
Death of the 69-vear-old Demo-
cfat left forever unanswered the
question of whether he was n
titled to his third term in the SEN
ate. from which he was barred
on bipartisan charges of unfit
ness when Congress convened last
January.
AT that time Bilbo, seriously i'll
with cancer, was accused of in
timidating negro voters during
his campaign, and with misusing
his office for personal gain in
dealings with war contractors.
Both charges. had. been investi-
gated by Senate committees.
After a two-dav fight on the
issue, the Senate agreed to post
pone a decision pending improve
ment of Bilbo's health. Mean
while. he was allowed to draw his
Senate salary.
IF | live. I'll be back with my
fighting clothes on Bilbo de-
clared when the compromise was
announced. re
But the senator. who had under
gone n mouth operation for
cancer here in August of 1916, re-
turned for another last January
and a third in June He spent
two weeks in July receiving
treatment in a Vicksburg. Miss.
hospital, and on Aug. 7 entered
Foundation hospital here for a
complete physical checkup.
Heart Failure"
He developed a nerve inflam-
nation which partially paralyzed
him, and later a blood eliot on
the lungs. Doctors said these
things, rather than the cancer,
were principal immediate causes
of death.
Doctors declared the death as
due to progressive heart fail
ure." Bilbo died at 100 D.. m.
The name Bilbo and the phrase
white supremacy" have become
~inseparable in the public mind.
The outspoken Mississippian had
introduced a bill in Congress TO
ship the country's 13,000,0 600 ne
groes back to Africa. He public
" admitted having joined the Ku
Klux Khan Last year he pub
lished a book entitled Take Your
Choice-Segregation or Mongreli-
zation.n
Asked who would pick south
ern cotton if the negroes were
moved away, Bilbo once declared:
the mechanical cotton picker
and it won't be demanding social
equality OF intermarriage with the
whites
Next to his views on the race
question, Bilbo was probably best
known for his oratory and his
personal adornments. -
With rich vocabulary and UNI
firing voice, he joined in many
a Senate filibuster or just fill
clustered alone. His most usual
targets were anti-lynching and
anti-poll tax proposals.
The death of Senator Bilbo gave
rise to many speeulations as to
possible candidates for his unex-
pired term in the Senate, which
viii run til January, 1853.
Attorney General Greek Rice
said that an election is required
by law since this is a year of a
general election The special cleo
ton for the unexpired term will
be held c%oncurrently with the
general election November 4. The
special election will not be man
aged by the Democratic execti-
tive committees of the various
counties, since this will not be in
the nature of a Democratic pti-
mary, but BY the general election
commissioners.
Candidates for the special cleo
ton must be nominated on the
basis of an old ruling of the
which slim
stands. This rule states that :
candidate, in order to qualify for
a place on the ballot, must secure
the signatures of fifty registered
in each county.
Colmer Mentioned
Political circles in Jackson dis
fussed numerous figures as posi-
bic candidates, among them Paul
johnson. Jr.. who was Just de-
n his race for governor:
Tom Q. Ellis, who was defeated
Continued on Page 7, Section II