The leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1895-1905, 1903-08-19

Vardaman's plan in its last anal
ysis.
Let those who heard Maj. Var
daman calmly consider some
facts and things about the race
question which are settled, so far
as Mississippi is concerned.
1. That the negro has no political
control or influence in this State
and that the white people are
practically unit that this condi
ton of affairs shall continue.
2. That the white people are
unit that the negro shall not be
recognized as a social equal and
will resent every movement of
his in that direction.
3. That the negro in Missis-
sippi, as race, already occupies
the place of a servant and me-
NAL, which Maj. Vardaman con-
tends is his God-ordained sphere.
What more, then, is there for
the white people to do than has
been done9 Would Maj. Varda-
man or his supporters recon-
mend determination, or that Mis-
sissippi put them back into sla-
very again? Practically speaking,
that is about all that is left to be
done, and every schoolboy knows
that this step couldn't be taken
by the white race of Mississippi, if
desired, without a bloody clash
with Uncle Sam, and a repetition
of the experience of forty years
ago.
Major Vardaman quotes Stats
tics to prove that the negro is
more criminal now than when a
slave, and ascribes this to the eff
forts to educate him. 1t is not to
be wondered at that where a
whole race of several million peo-
pie are released from centuries of
bondage and suddenly clothed by
law with the civil and political
rights of their former masters,
that considerable per centage of
the race should fail to properly
appreciate their new relations and
mistake license for liberty. So
it is really the negro's freedom,
aud not the education that he has
secured, which makes him more
criminal, as Major Vardaman ar
CUES. To be both consistent and
logical, Major Vaadaman should
boldly advocate his re-enslave-
ment, instead of seeking to ap-
ply the rosewater expedient Of
denying him a little book learn.
ing.
The simple truth is, Major
Vardaman is a fanatic on this
race question, and for thai
reason all the more mischiev.
GUS and dangerous race agita
tor. The very influence of his
speech here has been for evil in
this county. The man who pro-
claims in a public address that il
he were sheriff he would run 6
prisoner away from a mob; that
if he were the Governor and the
sheriff called on him for troops
he would send them; but that as
a citizen, where he thought the
prisoner deserving of death, he
would lead mob to hang him,
proclaims at the same time that
he is not the man to be trusted
by the people with high official
authority. How could the people
be expected to respect rightful
authority if he who sits as their
chief executive boldly proclaims
before his election that he does
not!
We said that the influence OF
Maj. Vardaman's speech had been
for evil in this county. The proof
of it is that men who are advoca-
ting him for governor have been
heard to make use of recent
crimes in this county as an argu-
ment for resorting to mob VIC
lence. Let all good citizens who
desire the peace, prosperity and
best interests of both races in the
state soberly consider these
things and imagine, if they can,
what would be the reign of mob
violence and lawlessness through
out our borders with such an ex-
IRENE man as Mai Vardaman in