The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1898-06-11
THE PETTY act or
TERNOR.

SOSCiu0F Oh any STATE In the Union
and it is surprise that he has
been able to reach the exalted DO
sition that he occupies. 1t is doubt
ful If in the history of this countr,
governor has been guilty of SC
petty an official act. We have read
some very severe criticisms on Gov.
McLaurin, but we had been in
clined to believe that he was the
victim of malignant press. We are
pretty sure now that all that has
been said of him is true.
Hon. James K. Vardaman, editor
of the Greenwood Commonwealth.
was elected captain of a military
company at Water Valley, Miss,
but owing to slight phys:c defect
IN his right arm which was broken
when he was a child, he failed to
pass the examination. This, how
ever, would not have been in his
way had the governor of Mississippi
acted differently. The war DEPART
ment at Washington directed the |
mastering officer to muster in CON-
mlssloned officers, Notwithstanding
their rejection by the surgeon for
physical defects, if insisted upon
by the governor. This ruling
placed Mr.. Vardaman chances in
che hands of Governor McLaurin.
Mr.. Vardaman wrote to the COVER l
nor informing him of his desire 10
serve in the army and lead the
Water Valley boys who had honored /
him by electing him their captain.
Here Governor McLaurin saw and
seized the opportunity to punished
political foe who had simply used
the constitutional right of free speech a
which is guaranteed to every '
American citizen. MIR. Vardaman A
had upon several occasions criti- -
clsed the governor in his paper,
the Greenwood Commonwealth,
and for this reason the governor
refused to insist upon his acceptance Ju
by the United States government "
Compare the petty act Of the gov IN
ernor to the magnanimous conduct I.
OF Mr.. Vardaman who advised the ~.
members of the company not to A.
dlsband, but On the contrary, to =.
stand together and under another +.
Feader march to the front. AS so T.
we'll said by Mr.. Vardaman Gov. adj
McLaurin has t'prosttuted the
functions of a great office to the
punishment of private, personal, IT,
political foe.''
The action of Gov. McLaurin is
OUTRAGE
in his power this Mississippi au- Of
ocrat would deny to every political th;<
opponent the right of volunteering Tel,
is services to the government. Er,
We are presented with a most ~, 6
emarkable anomaly. A man gives Sn,
his business, abandons his home, w;t,
fters to sacrifice his life for his tho
ountry. He is coolly informed n,t,
y the governor OF a great State that ~, G
will not be permitted to do this. NJ
nd pray tell us why? Merely be. FIJI,
Iuse on several occasions in the ,,.r,
'st he has had the temerity to criti- sh;r
Sc &C rtain official acts of this self ,>,
with
The treatment Of Mr.. Varlaman II.
inc 'eVeneetul work Apr
some Peevish old maid than the r,as,
executive or one OF dore
remost States in the Union.
1t is indeed strange that State T.!
Itch has produced as many broad J. w
nded and brainy statesmen as men,
sslss1pPl should be at the mercy Prou
d man who will resort to such Mac
ntemPtible methods to punish publ
itical enemy. Shades of Davis, his I
mar George and Walthall, pro- adop
poor old Mississippi! listed
onel ,