Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1904-12-07

~
al IN tiOns Of which Governor Vardaman
'S12S had been invited to preside, in
Shreveport, the brilliant Governor declines in the
following terse style
DEAR SR:-On my return to Jackson last evening,
was shown number of clippings from two or three
newspapers published at Shreveport La. protesting
in tho most scurriOus terms against the prOpOsi.
tiOn to have serve as permanent Chairman Of the
National Cotton Convention to be held in that City
on the 18th to 10th inst.
As you are aware that the invitation to serve as
Chairman came to me unsolicited, you can imagine
my great snrPrise at this editorial Outburst
Now, while own myself greatly indebted to you
for the personal compliment you pay me by oskiDg
me to preside as permanent Chairman Of that Con.
ventiOn after discovering objections by the press Of
your City, and some Of your cO-wOrkers, toy your
selection Of Chairman think it best for me to de-
cline the hoROr and to leave the Convention free to
name for its presiding officer, whOmsOever it may
see fit. That will be more in accord with Democrat
ic usages and think the best way to do it.
The purpose of this convention is 70 discuss ques
Eons Of vital interest to the Cotton growing States
and by discussion to evolve, il possible remedy or
means by which an impending disaster to the agri-
cultural interests Of the South may be averted; and
am not willing TO permit mattOr OF personal ma
ture to interfere even in the remOtest degree, with
the contamination Of the original plans and purposes
Of those who initiated the enterprise.
The question Of the Chairmanship being settled,
cannot refrain from noticing, In this connection,
rapidly growing tendency with our people, which
fear may soon become characteristic, and which,
to is to be depored than the boil weevir or
any other enemy Of oar maternal interest It is the
disposition to surrender the imperial right of free
born American citizen to express his honest thoughts
the disposition to barter their manhood and sell
their independence, for mess Of pottage OF mater
ial prosperity or political place.
neEOi the strong 90 arguments made by
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 dispIeasure of the pres
ent President Of the United States who would re-
gard q courtesy to Governor Vardaman as a dis
courtesy to him, and for which discOurtesy to him,
he would with "dee.light'' punish all the cotton
growers Of the South By Withholding Federal aid
from their effort to stamp out the boil weevi, or
head itof from it's devastating march to the North
pole. I hope the President Of the United States is
not as bad man rs conduct Of that character would
more tell by what Mr.. Theodore Roosevelt says to-
day what he win 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 deplorable condition,
if, iu the life Of this Republic it has come to pass
that in order to enjoy the privileges OF citizenship
and exercise their rights under the Constitution
they must kiss the hand that smites them, must
applaud the tongue that malgns them and gloriiy
the contemplate creature who would break down
their institutions, dishOnor the traditions which
distinguish their civilization, and in either ignOr
ance malace place their affairs on q par With the
disOrganized and discredited republic OF Hayti.
Recognizing as I do the pernicioua effects Of the
boil weeviI; the poverty and desolation which fol-
lows in its wake say to you, after mature deliber
alton, that would rather have the boil weevil
thousand times over would rather have pestilence
and famine anything with honOr-than to see our
manhood degraded and yield servile and sycOphant-
c submission to the insOIenOe Of any man. even the
occupant Of the Presidents Office OF these United
States.
The South does not ask Of the President favor
she only demands her rights. There is 8 growing
disposition the part Of our people to magnify the
virtue and importance OF the Office holder, separate
and distinct from his Office; and to minimize the
nower and dignity Of the private citizen They