Mexico weekly ledger., 1904-12-15
ROOSEVELFS TREATMENT
OF JEFFERSON DAVIS
Provoked the Telegram = Garrard
Harris Of jackson Writes Pub
lie Statement Which Pur-
ports to Represent
Governors Views.
Mississippi Bureau,
The Commercial Appeal,
Gnanular puildipn

JacKSOn, MISS, NOV. 80, 1904.
Echoes Of the telegram of Gov. Yard
aman TO President Francis of the st.
Louis Exposition, 10 reply to a mes
sage sent by that distinguished gentle
man to the Governor, informing him
that the President saw and admired
the state building and expressed great
qualification at the participation Of
Mississippi in the Exposition, are now
beginning to be heard. 1t has been
the one subject Of conversation 10 Of
fetal circles and around the capitol
Beyond question public sentiment
condemns the reply made By Gov.
Vardaman to the telegram of Mr..
Francis, though the Governor is not
without few who support him in bis
message.
The following is a communication
printed to-day In the News, which, 1t
is stated, was read by the Governor,
and presents bis side Of the case:
Editor the News;
1t seems to me you are un1uly severe
In your condemnation of the message
sent by Gov Vardaman to President
Francis Of the Exposition relative to
Theodore Roosevelt's gracious ap-
probation Of the Mississippi exhibit
and building.
There was no discourtesy to Presi'
dent Francis. A calm perusal of the
message shows that; but when Gov
Vardaman thought of the desecra ting
spectacle Of Theodore Roosevelt en-
tering the replica Of the home Of JEFF
erson Davis, that gentle old mar
whom he DETAINED, about whom ht
J told deliberate untruths in his pub
lished works; TO whom, when the pool
old Misslssippian, ex-president of thu
Coniederacy, after being called by thii
same Roosevelt "the arch traitor,
"chief repudiatlonist, zone Of a "bruta
race' veRtured to call RooseFelt's g. at
tention 10 courteous terms to a glar
ing misstatement as to bis being
''repudiationist" received a typewrit
ten communication, not even signed
not even addressed as an ordinary let
ter, as follows:
"Theodore Roosevelt desires no
communication with Jefferson
Davis"
say, when GovsVardaman recalled
all this, and thought Of the blatan
: Roosevelt stamping through the room
I nallowed by the memories OF the hear
3 Of the Confederacy, who, when feeble
weak, old and broken in heart an
I spirits, he had gratuitously insulte'
7 and wantonly DETAINED, 1t was natura
g and human, as a MissisSippian VIII
q resented the desecration, to have giN
e en- expression to something not exacl
1 ly complimentary to the Rough Ric
S er.
True, the governor could have II
mained silent, but after Roosevelt ha
iusulted the south by saying that th
"southerners have strong strain
"a brutality in their natures" after oil
inv with "nigger' as a wanton az
tiance Of our traditions, after forcin
another ''nigger" down the throats
, Charleston people as collector and rel
" resentatiye of the port after punlsl
" ing a whole community in this sta'
!. for the lawless acts of a few men, aftt
offering every malicious wrong D
. could to our most illustri)us citizeI
the president of the Confederac
y y Roosevelt graciously consents to a
: prove our exhibit made at the Expo
i itiop, and through our executive a
~ we to crawl to the feet OF this arral
charlatan, and there lick the boz
III which has time and again spurn'
" us?
nd Not il the southern nature is u
40 changed. The Governor might ma
on carroled joyfully over this distinguiS
I'D inc mark of Immortality conferr
=