I 7
MACOM
J- -A
62d YEAR
MACON, MISSISSIPPI, FRIDAY, MARCH 31, 1911.
NUMBER 23
SENATORIAL SITUATION
SENSIBLY SIZED UP.
. i
i'i
i.i
.1
Capt. R. W. Banks Reviews Interestingly the Political
Situation in Mississippi Thinks Vardaman
Won't Win.
Pascagoula, Miss., March 25.
Editor Macon Beacon:
-I confess I am one of those who see
in Major Vardaman's candidacy a men
ace to the happiness of the people and
a danger to the prosperity of the state.
He impresses me as being an insincere
and mischieyous agitator whose teach
ings spring from selfish, overweening
ambition and will, if he finds a follow
ing, inevitably lead to domestic dissen
aion and the destruction of that politi
cal tranquility without which there can
be neither wise nor safe government
secured to the southern states.
His election weuld, I believe, be more
than a local disaster; it would be a ca
lamity to the South and an everlasting
reproach to Mississippi.
;If you put to me the question,
"Watchman, what of the night?" I
make answer: While Vardaman has a
number of admirers and adherents in
Jackson county who believe he will car
ry the county at the primaries in Au
gust, there are too many citizens of in
telligence and political integrity, too
many political men of honest thought
and common sense, if you please, who
are voters and who are too well advised
of his indifference to his official duties
and obligations, too familiar with his
short comings and graver offenses, and
of his loose ideas of law observance
and good morals, while governor, to
make it at all probable he will win at
the polls in Jackson county.
With the facts already before the
public, in reference to his use of G, &
S. I. R. R. pass No. 864 which, in it
self, was bad enough, but which he
make absolutely inexcusaole and un
pardonable by his disingenous state
ments and dishonorable conduct about
it, with the knowledge already before
the public of his acceptance and use.
throughout his gubernatorial term of
Office, of telegraph franks from both
the Western Union and the Postal Tel
egraph Companies; with the exposu'e
of his acceptance of unusual and ex
pensive "champagne" courtesies at the
hands of the Great Southern Hotel (of
which Captain J. T. Jones is the re
puted owner), and of his subsequent
ungracious allusions to his then host,
when he wrote in The Issue. "Old Man
Jones would walk across hell on a rot
ten plank to grab a dirty dollar;" with
the exposure of his evasions, equivoca
tions, fables and fabrications, in con
nection with other crimes of omission
and commission, in and out of office, of
which he stands charged and of which
he appears to be guilty, he has, it
seems to me, very properly "cooked his
goose" in Mississippi.
Again, Mississippi is distinguished as
a state which rarely makes a mistake
in selecting her representatives to the
United States senate.
Wise selections have been the rule
with her from her territorial days un
til the present hour, and it is scarce
possible shewill err this year. The dif
ference in equipment, mental and moral,
between either Percy or Alexander and
Vardaman to answer to the name of
Missississippi and become a spokesman
for her in the senate is too marked to
leave much room for doubt as to wheth
er or not the honor will be conferred
upon Vardaman. No amount of vigor
ous protestation of innocence on his
part, or bold denial of his guilt on the
part of his partisans and fierce denun
ciations of his opponents by him will
ever satisfy the proud, spirited people
of Mississippi of the major's innocence
of the misdoings with which he stands
openly charged, so long as his self-respecting
pride is too small and his in
tellectual cowardice is too great for him
either to face his accusers or permit
. them to face him on the charges he
brings behind their backs and dares not
make to their faces. In the role he is
playing, the people see too much re
semblance to the vaunting kid impu
dently railing at the passing wolf from
a place of safety on the housetop.
Such tactics do not deserve success
and have never yet won with a brave
poople.
From the best information I can get
from over the state, the trend of public
sentiment appears to be away from
Vardaman. His personal popularity is
passing; his political fortunes are wan
ing, and defeat stares him in the face.
He is killing himself by ill-timed, ill
founded, ungenerous, senseless abuse of
others.
If time permitted, a roll call would
discover the fact that hir appointees
and their henchmen are his main sup
port. At the State Capital, when he
opened his campaign in the Colliseum
t& assemblage was presided oyer by
appoigtfe, ,w;or-$enTar' Chalmers
M. Williamson, a carpet knight of un
fleshed sword, but wit.ial as gallant a
gentle and loyal, loving friend as ever
stemmed the tide of battle or fell on
any field of carnage who, in calling the
meeting to order, dramatically inquir
ed, "What means this sea of upturned
faces?" and then proceeded to solve his
own riddle by calling for reports. The
first to answer was appointee "Judge"
W. A. Roane, a long-haired apostle of
Vardamanism from up-state. who report
ed substantially that, in his neck ot the
woods "the cattle" were thriving and
increasing, and were all for the White
Chief.
When he spoke at Gulf port he was
there presented to the audience by ap-
Eointee "Judge" W. H. Hardy, who
eing a gentleman gifted in speech and
plausible address almost beyond com
parison, gave the White Chief a send
off in euphemisms more soothing in
phrase than accurate in statement.
A few nights later the White Chief
was "billed" for Pascagoula. Here he
was taken in hand by appointee Lord
High Commissioner of Something, I do
not know what, Hon. W. D. Bullard,
who. in brief words and excellent taste
presented to the Pascagoulans the ap
pointing power to whom he was indebt
ed for the name of which I cannot at
this moment recall. Mr. Bullard's
brother, appointee "Judge" R. L. Bul
lard, of Hattiesburg, is also one of
Vardaman's appointees; appointed, I
believe, from Scott county.
And so it goes wherever the ex-governor
goes on his vote-hunting expedi
tions, he there finds members of the no
ble army of appointees upon whom he
confidently relies and who do not fail
to rally around the flag he bears and
by personal effort and appeals, drum up
a crowd in recognition of past favors;
and in token, too, of his excellent judg
ment in matters political, as evidenced
by the wisdom and patriotism he dis
played in the selection of themselves
for posts of honor which, usually, are
also positions of emolument.
If cut loose from his appointees, and
it is estimated they alone number more
than 1,200, and from the personal in
fluence they are exerting lor him; if
deprived of the support of those men
whose records long ago established their
hate of the Democratic party, and its
leaders under whom was won the rev
olution of 1875 which resulted in the
forced resignation of Governor Adel
bert Ames, at one time military satrap
of Mississippi, and the impeachment of
your former distinguished fellow-townsman,
our saddle-colored lieutenant-governor.
A. K. Davis to repeat, if the
support of his appointee and their fol
lowings and that of the agitators of the
Vardaman type who antagonized La
mar, George and Walthall and, by
every art and trick of demagoguery
sougat to defeat the two latter, be
cause of their opposition to the chime
rical sub-treasury scheme in 1892, were
withdrawn from Vardaman, he would
scarce have a respectable corporal's
guard now advocating his claims to
further political preferment.
Take away from him the support of
his appointees, "Judge" Eugene O.
Sykes, of Monroe county, a chevalier
sans peuret sans reproche; of appointee
"Judge" W. A. Roan-, of Yalobusha;
of appointee "Judge" W. H. Hardy, of
Harrison: of appointee "Judge" Bob
Cochran, of Lauderdale; appointee
"Judge" R. L. Bullard, now of Perry,
et id omne genus; of appointees to mili
tary honors, General C. M. Williamson
and Colonel Robert V. Rachford, Arc
ades ambo and their comrades of the
governor's staff, seeking glory, with
maiden swords, along primrose paths
that lead neither to the cannon's mouth
nor to the grave; of appointees of excel
lent record all along the line to the tune
of more than the proverbial thousand
and one, embracing every occupation
and station from village official to chief
justice of the supreme court, inclusive,
all of whom, figuratively speaking, are
now "tearing their shirts" to boost
him along and then deprive him of the
one time populist hosta and the alliance
crowd led by Frank Burkett, of "wool
hat" and "good bye to George and
Walthall" fame (by the way, the ablest
of the lot as he is now the first in merit,
if not in place, "the best and noblest of
the race, among all the major's anti
Democratic lieutenants), Hon. John A.
Bailey, Hon. Polk Keeton and others of
their ilk. together with the extreme
wing of the prohibition party under the
leadership of the late zealous, able and
sincere partisan, B. T. Hobbs, of the
Brookhaven Leader.
In Vardaman's following are men of
many political creeds opposed to the
Democratic party who have for years
impeded its progress and prosperity as
far as it was possible for them to do.
Among them, too, there are, to be
sure, many honest, earnest, patriotic
citizens, and among these are many who
are misled, because of being misinform
ed as to the facts, through the agency
of designing demagogues.
Never before, in any political year of
Mississippi history, has so many lies
been told from the hustings, nor so
many slanders and .nfamous concoc
tions of the brain been published in the
press about any candidate as has been
the case within the past twelve months
in reference to Percy and Alexander,
whose greatest sins are their superior
ity, in intellect, courage and morals and
political worth to Vardaman, ana their
wisdom and patriotism in opposing him
for the United States senate. Nor has
a mere honorable or patriotic legisla
ture, tekrcjr it si a whole, ever on-
mm rm
oe vievis -AV no1
As
6 Jt tea
WOo
... V -1 ' "V.
a m m m
rut t, res
n,i . win
e t.. it S'
it
9c
1
IT IS
EASTER NOW
or rather
EASTER TIME.
Your Spring Buying should
start right now,. In our store
Y j I we have provided for you
Near Silk Foulard X"we,1-a" lines. are nV?e
a 1 a a.
completion ana we win ue
pleased to show you through
as we can dress every mem-
55
?ssa Gen,
ic
.yo
Dresses.
The best Dress value of this
season ; we are now showing a
variety of patterns m Near Silk
Foulard Dresses. They look like
silk and wear better than silk.
they are the dress attractiveness
and quality. We are moving
these garments fast, now work-
ber of the family.
-or
1
inp; on the second shipment,
quick and get the pick.
Prices $4.00 and $5.00
Be
wTpm M
OUR SLIPPERS
for the LADIES
That's what you will hear all
over this town, because we
iy give the best style and the
SSj most quality.
Every lady has $2.50 or
$3.50 to spend for Slippers.
Here we show the exclu
siveness of our dainty styles.
They fit well; they wear well.
Every pair makes a customer
BOYS' SUITS
We have the best line of
CLOTHING FOR BOYS
ever made. They are smart and snap
ny, just the latest colorings and made
of good and strong woolens, stylishly
made. Pants are Full Bloomers, side
buckles, welt seams just the garment
to give the chap the real mannish ef
fect. Prices to please you.
y m?r . !
(fHj' XrJ
A-x ill
i Co mf;:iy cgn I
til , " ran I
n.
M Ml 1 M
m'li
vened in Mississipdi than which elected
Hercy over Vardaman to the United
States senate.
Never was such political turpitude
and intellectual cowardice witnessed in
Mississippi as that of the White Chief
who seeks to profit by the slander ana
defamation heaped upon the legislature
and Senator Percy by others, notably
the shameless Bilbo, and yet runs from
truth and facts, as they apply to him
self and to them, as though justice is a
raging: Hon, and dodges joint discus
sions with either of his opponents like
a truant school boy of the .olden times
dodged the schoolmaster when flogging
was in fashion.
The spectacle of his dodging Percy
and Alexander is as pitiful as his
claims, his boastings and his denuncia
tions of the honorable antagonist he
feat 8 and refuses to meet in honorable,
fair debate are contemptible.
He is a cock that crows lustily on his
own dung heap; to hear him one would
think he was challenging the earth to
test the keenness of his spurs. But
alas! he is not "one of the tlue hen's
chickens." Let but a Percy or an
Alexander appear upon the scene and
challenge him to back his crow by his
spurs and then, like a barn yard fowl,
he raises his hack feathers, droops his
head and tail and slinks away singing
the song of the dunghill.
Lord! how I wish Old Cavett Big
Bud God bless him, could take his
money down and put it up once more on
Alexander; for I know how it grieves
his gallant soul to "pit a cock that won't
fight" to put his money on a chicken
that runs away, because he can't stand
the cold steel of the gaff. Poor Em
mett! how my heart goes out to him in
his distress. He is game all right has
a heart of oak; aye. a heart of gold
and as true as death.
When the contest was over and it
was seen that Percy had won, Old Cav
ett was among the foremost to congra
tulate him upon his gallant victory.
When the turmoil of the strife had
ceased, and the smoke and dust of the
battle had lifted so that men could see
clearly to be glided by reason, it was
Cavett who jjkroduced the ringing res
olution breathfiig the spirit of truth and
chivalric honor and expressing the
very essence of,' justice in exonerating
Senator Percy from any connection with
or knowledge of bribery or corruption
in connection with his election and Var
daman's defeat, which thrilled the
hearts of Mississippians with pride
everywhere. )
It was a graceful and magnificently
fitting thing to do ; and it was hand
somely done too. And the gentleman
from Noxubee emphasized his loftiness
of soul when he said: "I introduce this
resolution not as a Vardaman or a Percy
man, but because I do not believe there
is a par. icle of, taint upon Senator Per
cy's commission."
And when Percy like a crusader of
old, returned from Holy Land, entering
the lists at the Gelit!e and Joyous Pas
sage of Arms of Ashby came back
from Washington In Apiil 1910, and
without hesitation or circumlocution,
boldly issued his defy to Vardaman and
Vardamanism, the challenge delighted
no one more tnan E D. Cavett, the Old
Confederate and 4 'Grand Cyclops of the
Noxubee County Den of the Kuklux
Klan." ' -
For the eloquent words and the spir
ited manner of Percy, before the joint
session of the Mississippi Legislature,
April 15th, 1910, had struck home and
rang true. They struck a responsive
chord in the heart of every loyal son of
Mississippi, and when the speaker con
cluded there was not a man within, the
sound of his voice bat that knew his
words were those of truth and soberness.
It was realized that they were the ut
terances of one who would die. if need
oe, for honor's sake.
They were words which carried hope
and confidence to hearts of his follow
ers and sent dismay to the souls ef Var
daman and those advocating his cause
who had engaged in disseminating the
lies and slanders to which Percy had re
ferred. It was superbly done, and
there is scarce a doubt but that the
knightly bearing, the courage, the cour
tesv and the inerenuous manner of his
throwing the gauntlet at the feet of the
White Chief, challenging him to joint i
debate in which the action of the legis
lature (in conferring the commission of
a senator upon Percy and refusing it to
Vtrdaman because of the latter 's un
worthiness) would be defended "before
the people of the State of Mississippi"
reminded Mr. Cavett, as it did others,
that "The Crusader has returned."
It was Ivanhoe. "The Disinherited
Knight," home again and in the saddle,
"riding straight up to the central pavil
ion" and striking "with the sharp end
of his spear the shield of Brian de Bois
Guilbert until it runs again." And
that redoubted Knight, who at Ashby's
joust was thus unexpectly and rudely
defied to mortal combat, was not more
astounded than was Jas K. Vardaman
at the direct, unevasive ond unequivo
cal challenge, then and there, to him by
the newlv made senator on his firt ,
home-coming.
With love to all our friends.
Your friend truly.
ft. W. BANKS.
10 VOTES 10
if returned to the
Macon Beacon
by April 7th and
properly filled out
Name
Address ......
tDisirict No
Not Good after April 7 th
Trade With Patty Bros.
FANCY VESTS
We have secured a special assortment of
men's fancy vests in the latest fashiona
ble cut and stylish shades. One of these
vests will greatly add to the smartness of
your appearance Come and see them
their beauty will surprise youand their
low price will be a still greater surprise.
PATTY BROS.
The Best Place to Trade
Bargains in Horses-
I offer for sale a grey mare 6 years
old and a buckskin combination horse
6 years old. 'Both gentle and not afraid
of automobiles,
E. V. Yates.
Strayed or Stolen
From Bigbee Valley, one dark brown
filly, two years old; also one dark biy
filly two years old. Both may to to
gether. Information will be rewai deJ.
A. B. Cunningham.
Stolen.
Stolen from M. M. Hunter's store,
two miles northeast of Macon, on Sat
urday night, March 25. a cream-colored
mare, blaze in face, one hind foot
white. Reward will be paid for any in
formation Mrs, T. 5. Muipbey.