Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1904-01-23

Hvored by Gov. Vardaman before TAX
Ing the oath of Office at the inaugural
ceremonies today:
MY Friends and Fellow Citizens:
Called upon by the sovereign suf-
traglsts to assume the duties and per-
form the functions OF chief executive
of this commonwealth--absolute In its
constituted authority-an indestructi.
Bile Integral element OF the general gov
eminent embrace the opportunity ar
forded by this occasion to make my
grateful acknowledgment to the good
people OF my beloved State for the gen
erous fayors which they have been
pleased to show me, to confess a sin
tere consciousness of my inability to
meet the demands of the great trusts
committed to my keeping, and to assure
thom that so profoundly am impressed
with the magnitude Of the task that
] approach II with those anxious and
awful presentiments which the great
ness of the charge and the weakness
Of my power so justly inspires
The State has the right to demand
OF every citizel the best there is in
him. The great problem which rises
mountain high in the pathway of the
States future, throwing its chilling
shadows over the most glorious possi-
bilities would alarm less heroic and
resourceful people. But the white peo-
pie of Mississippi have always proven
themselves equal 90 every emergency,
and, believing, as | do. that,
that which they have done Is but
IN earnest Of the things that they shall
do" am confident that under the d.
rection Of m Allwise Providence
which by oil its dispensation proves
that everything was created for a def.
into purpose and to perform a Ger.
tain necessary function in the economy
Of the world, that this paramount
problem-the race question: ulti.
mately be settled. and settled justly
protecting alike the. interests Of The
negro sld the white man. That the
negro was created for some good pur-
pose time has demonstrated; but thar
good purpose Is not participation In
tho government Of white men. The
crime Of all the ages against civiliza-
tlon was committed, when In the
sEgnnizing spasm of infuriated men,
Just aitsr the civil war, the North eX-
pressed its hqtred of the white people
OF the South \in the amendments to
tho Federal cOMstitutioa, which invest.
ed the negro wN,h all the rights ar.
privileges Of citizenship The inhu-
ences which dethroncI the raason, the
dust and smoke OF war.bred prejudices
and animositiss have been blown
away by the winds e. common selse.
the sections reunited by the spirit Of
Anglo-Saxon brotherhood, and that
mistake stands out naked to all tho
world in all Of its stupidity and ugli.
moss. 1t is the bastard offspring OF
the exigencies of war and Unsuitable
greed for gain, Tho nation should
correct this error--this stupenduous
solecism, and now is the time TO do 1t.
have no patience with the notion
entertained by men who insist that 'it
Is impolitic to press the question
now" 1t is never too early to correct
q mistake, to expose ea error, or to ex-
plode a lie. Now Is the time to do 1t,
and believe the Southern people
should take the initiative, They are
familiar with all the facts; they alone
are capable of informing the world of
tho profound, God-stamped, time.fyed
and unalterable incompetency of the
negro for citizenship in white mans
country. This is serious matter, and
the moral obligation resting upol the
white man into whose hands the des.
tiny Of the negro race. as VOL as the
future Of the State, has been commit.
ted, should develop the best there Ia
In him He cannot afford TO be un-
just, but ii is no time for sictly sentl-
mont | believe in justice. believe
in the sympathetic 3nd love prompt.
ilgs of the human heart but the sur
geon whose heart, rather than his
head, guides him in the treatment Of
desperate case, Is an unsafe doctor.
The nation should oct in this matter,
and act now. Procrastinati0n will
only complicate and intensity the diff.
ficulties. In the meantime, tho South
ern States must protect themselves,
Mississippi must conserve her own civ.
ilization, and by law maintain white
supremacy The welfare of the negro
demands it, as much as the interests
of the white man, My fellow citizens,
the eyes of the world are upon Mis-
sissippi today No more important
hour in all her history has been pass.
ed than that to which the hand Of
Time is now pointing, 1t is a time
for unalloyed patriotism to show forth
the integrity of It's metal in the cruel.
be Of courage, Of craftsmanship and
self-sacrilce for manhood to flower
in its glory of divine potency, as 1t
has Powered in every crucial moment
of the States history, Be not de-
TERED, dissuadel or intimidated, my
countrymen, by the siren song Of the
sordid aterialst--"that we are doing
well enough Eternal vigilance is the
price of liberty. When the stupid and
conscienceless dollar becomes the god,
pecuniary interest the only thing to be
considered, and honesty in and out of
Office but refined oxpediency--when
that becomes the order Of the day the
beginning of the end Of free govern.
ment is at hand Demosthenes, in one
OF his superb orations, stated the cause
of Greece's downfall in these undy-
ing words What has ruined Greece?
Envy when a man received bribe;
laughter when he confessed it; mercy
to the convicted, and hatred to those
who denounced the crime"-all the
usual accomplishments of corruption. |
Beneath the crushing weight of crime
that sun.crowned ciyilization--th first |
born of democracy-whose glorious et- |
fulgence illuminates the dark pages !
Of the past and still throws a mellow
glow over the present, went down
never to rise again; the blight of cor
mption had destroyed the very germ
of life, Would 1t not, submit, be
wise for us to pause, survey the field, |
and If possible avoid the snares into |
which that glorious democracy Of an
cient times fell to its ruin?
And now, my fellow citizens, as
am about to enter upon the discharge |
of the duties of the chief executive, !
which embrace many matters and |
things of vital interest to you, 1t is |
that you should understand |
what regard essential principles and |
policies, and, consequently, those !
which ought to shape and characterize
this administration. | shall under
take to put them in as few words as
The importance of the subject will al
low. stating only general principles
and leaving the details to some other
should deem 1t necessary |
TO elaborate them. Equal protection
under the law to all men Of whatever
rorcuo elan nf 1ifo I