claimed a victory for their party. On the other
hand, both tickets being composed exclusively of Republicans, thousands
of Democrats refused to vote for either, while some of them voted the
Ames ticket. At any rate the election resulted in the success of the
Ames ticket by a majority of more than twenty thousand. The regular
Republicans also had a large majority in both branches of the
Legislature.

[Illustration: HON. B.K. BRUCE United States Senator, 1875-1881]

CHAPTER VII

MISSISSIPPI SENDS B.K. BRUCE TO THE UNITED STATES SENATE

As soon as the result of the election was known, the candidacy of B.K.
Bruce, for United States Senator to succeed Senator Ames, was announced.
Ames' term as Governor was to commence the first Monday in January,
1874. His term as Senator would expire March 4, 1875. Upon assuming the
duties of Governor he had been obliged to tender his resignation as
Senator; thus it devolved upon the incoming legislature to elect a
Senator to serve out the unexpired term, as well as for the full term of
six years. Bruce's candidacy was for the full term.

The secret of Mr. Bruce's positive refusal to allow his name to be used
for the Lieutenant-Governorship, which would have resulted in making him
Governor, was now revealed. He had had the Senatorship in mind at the
time, but, of course, no allusion was made to that fact. As between the
Senatorship and the Governorship he chose the former, which proved to be
a wise decision, in view of subsequent events. It was soon developed
that he was the choice of a large majority of the Republican members of
the Legislature, white as well as colored. His nomination by the party
caucus, therefore, was a foregone conclusion. Before the legislature
met, it had been practically settled that Mr. Bruce should be sent to
the Senate for the long term and Ex-Superintendant of Education, H.R.
Pease, should be elected to serve out the unexpired term of
Governor-elect Ames.

This slate was approved by the joint legislative caucus without a hitch
and the candidates thus nominated were duly elected by the
Legislature,--not only by the solid Republican vote of that body, but
the additional vote of State Senator Hiram Cassidy, Jr., who had been
elected as a Democrat.

Senator Alcorn's keen disappointment and chagrin at the outcome of his
fight with Governor Ames was manifested when Senator Bruce made his
appearance to be sworn in as a Senator. It was presumed that Sena