The Grenada sentinel., 1904-01-23

| taxing the oath which made him gov
ernor of Mississippi, Maj. Vardaman
delivered the following inaugural ad-
dress:
| Nv Friends and Fello.c Citizens:
| Called upon by the sovereign suf-
| fragists to assume the duties and per-
form the functions of chief executive
of this commonwealth-abs in it's
constituted authority-an indestructi.
bic Integral element of the general gov
ernment-I embrace the opportunity af-
| forded by this occasion to make my
grateful acknowledgment to the good
| people OF my beloved State for the gen.
erous favors which they have been
pleased to shpw me. to confess a sim
cere consciousness of my inability to
meet the demands of the great trusts
committed to my keeping. and to assure
them that SO profoundly am impressed
with the magnitude of the task that
approach it with those anxious and
awful presentiments which the great
ness of the charge and the weakness
of my power SO justly inspires"
Mississippi is a great State. Her
history is rich with the spoils of
time'-of heroic deeds, profound
statesmanship-the home of the high
whose genius for law, devotion to prin-
| ciple and strict adherence to consti-
| tutional government, have made her
the protagonist-th guiding star-t0
her sister commonwealths in some of
the most vital matters of legislation
and constitutional reforms.
OF her material greatness, the half
has not been told. Her lands are fer
tile and fruitful-respendi1g lavishly
| to the sturdy stroke of the honest hus-
bandman-superb forests, whose
| woods are coveted by the world-un-
developed mineral resources-water-
ways-railroads-a gateway on the
Gulf of Mexico, through which the
ships of every nation may pass to
bear her treasures away and empty
them in the lap of the commercial
world; and climate as genial and
dy and heroic race.
great interests-the hopes and aspira-
tions of men-the happiness and well
fare of my fellow-countrymen-t
possibilities which sleep in the womb
of time-the difficulties, complex
problems and pregnant issues which
confront this people, the solutions of
which will test the permanency of
their civilizatiOl-an committed and
related to the auspices of this occa-
sion, l am overwhelmed with painful
misgivings at the thought, ''and hum
BILE myself before the magnitude of
the undertakings
l should despair absolutely, were I
not re1ainded by the presence of so
many patriotic men, incorruptible and
sagacious statesmen, fresh from the
people, representing every profession
aad class of her citizenship, imbued
with common hopes, interests and as
pirations, forming in their official ca
pacity the legislative-a coordinate
branch of the government-that In
every emergency, l may confidently
turn to them and find i1exhaustible
resources of wisdom, of virtue, of pa
triotisrn and of zeal on which to rely,
under all circumstances.
To YOU, then, my countrymen, who
have been selected by your fellow cit
1zens, tntrusted and charged with the
serious functions of legislation, shall
ever look for that encouragement, for
that wise and prudent counsel; l shall
draw inspiration from your fearless
performance of every duty, your patri-
otic devotion to the right at any cost,
and Ghall expect that harmonious CO.
prerequisite to the accomplishment of
the great work to which the people of
Mississippi have called us.
The campaign through which we
have Just passed marks an epoch in
the political history of Mississippi. AL
though it was an intestine cOnflict-a
contest within the Democratic party
(the general election held in Novem-
ber being in effect but a ratification
Of the result of the primaries)-a par
ty composed as it should be, exclusive
ly of white men, there was great
deal of bitterness and unnecessary
partisan rancor engendered. The free
dom CT speech, while it may have been
somewhat abused, was in no way
abridged. A full and ample discussion
of all questions, both through the
press and on the hustings, was per-
the case in a free country, wherever
falsehood, vituperation and misrepre-
sentation were resorted to to win STRAIT
egic advantage, wreak personal re-
venge, or for any other purpose, some
honest and fearless man was ever
present, armed with the truth, to drive
back the hosts of error, to put to
shame the calumniator and vanquish
the enemies of right.
The primary election law enacted
by the last legislature afforded an op-
portunity which was readily embraced
by all white qualified electors to par
ticipate in the government of their
State-to go to the polls and with their
ballot register freemen's will.
There is no danger in falseh0od-
false doctrines, conscienceless and ir-
responsible error are harmless, the
poisonous tongue of the sanctimon-
ious, mercenary and -sectarian par
tisan, the machinations Of the artful
demagogue, the cunning OF the diplo-
matte ONCE seeker. all are absolutely
impotent and innocuous, just SO long
n truth is untrammeled and tho
source Of all political power rests with
and is vouchsafed by law in the hands
Of the white people Of Mississippi.