Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-12-06
VARDAMAN SURPRISED
DECLINES TO BE CHAIRMAN OF
BOIL wEEvIL CONVENTION.
Takes Occasion to Ventilate Views on
Rights Of American Citizen and
Slaps Roosevelt.

The Commercial Appeal publishes today
letter heceived from Jackson. Miss. IN
which Gov. Vardaman declines to be per-
manent chairman of the boil weevii con-
vention at Shreveport. The letter was
given out today by the governors secretary.
1t follows. in part:
JACKSON. Miss, December 4, 1904.
Hon. j. c. Pugh. Chairman, Executive
Committee National Cotton Convention,
Shreveport, La.
NY Dear Sir: On my return to Jackson
last evening was shown Eumber of clip
pings from two or three newspapers pup
lished at Shreveport, La, protesting in the
most scurrilous rms against the PROPOSE
ton to have me serve as permanent chair
man of the national cotton convention to
be held in that city on the 18th to 10Th In
slant.
AS you are aware that the invitation 10
serve as chairman came to me unsolicited,
you can doubtless imagine my great sur
prise at this editorial outburst.
l think it best for me to decline the honor
and to leave the convention free to name
for it's presiding officer whomsoever 1t may
see fit.
The question of the craftsmanship being
settled, l cannot refrain from noticing IN
this connection a rapidly growing tendency
with our people. which l fear may soon be-
come characteristic and which to me Is
more to be deplored than the boil weeVil or
any other enemy to our material interest 1
discuss the disposition to surrender the I'M
perial right of free-born white American
citizen to express his honest thoughts-the
disposition to barter their manhood and
sell their independence for a mess of pot
tage of material prosperity or political
place.
an editor of your city against permitting
Governor Vardaman to serve as chairman
of the convention was based upon the
fact that Governor Vardaman has incurred
the displeasure Of the present President or
the United States, who regards courtesy
to Governor Vardaman as a discourtesy to
him, and for which discourtesy to him he
would with delight punish all the cot
federal aid from their effort to stamp out
the boil weevil or head 1t off from it's
devastating march to the north pole.
Slaps the President.
hope the President of the United States
is not bad man, as conduct of that char
acter would stamp him. But I am not sure
of it. You can no more tell by what Mr..
Theodore Roosevelt says today what he
will do tomorrow than you can tell the
character of the person buried beneath the
stone by the epitaph engraved on the stone.
The people of the south are indeed in a
deplorable condition, if, in the life of this
to enjoy the privileges of citizenship and
exercise their rights under the Constitu-
ton they must kiss the hand that smItes
them, must applaud the tongue that ma
ligns them and glorify the contemplate
crea ture who would break down their in
situations, dishonor the traditions which dis
tinguish their civilization and in either ig-
norance or malice place their affairs on a
par with the disorganized and discredted
republic of Haiti.
In the performance of the functions of his
office as President, standing as the embod-
iment of the majesty and power Of the
laws of this great republic, I, as a citizen
thereof. am as loyal to Theodore Roosevelt
as any man who lives beneath the stars
and stripes. But for the little individual
who has seen fit to malign Jefferson Davis
and with brutal discourtesy refused to cor
rect a falsehood written about him, after
Mrs. Davis had called his attention to it;
who has insulted the southern people, VIC
lated the laws for the purpose Of humiliat-
ing Mississipp1ans particularly. 1 have no
| more respect for him. though he be Presi-
dent, than I had for this same little in
dividual when he was pursuing his most
becoming Notwithstanding bronchos On
a western ranch.