Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-04-06

full luster and is just beginning to show
threads Of silver. Vardaman's features
are strongly marked-a large nose. full
mouth and lips. and clear, searching eyes,
which move restlessly and indicate great
nervous energy; a clear, wholesome com
plexion, which means health and purity or
blood. While he is no dude, his neathess
of dress is not common among southern
gentlemen. Jackson people tell me tnat
he is as particular about his apparel as
society belle. When Iicalled upon MIN at
the executive mansion, he was wearing
neatly fitting blue serge sack SUIT with
a white vest, white tie, turned-doW colfar
and bunch fof vfofets1 In his
He Is often seen in more striking costumes
and his equestrian outfit has excited much
admiration. He rides well. l heard an old
gentleman say that Gov. Vardaman makes
the finest figure on horseeaek tna' mas
been, seen in the south since9ene war.
The Governors Manner.
The governor has great deal OF manner.
hut il is Irregular. At one moment he VIII
wear the dignity that BELTS his once anu
the next he will be fippant and trlhlns.
He is fond of making phrases and eplsratiS
and of talking about himselt. 'acAeoii
gentleman remarked that: ''Vardaman
thinks more of himself than OF any one else
and more than any one else thinks of him:
ue received me very cordially and showed
more of those eccentricities with wmcn ne
js credited He appeared like a country
gentlemen with perfect manners; was moo,
crate in all of his expressions ana oSliInSu
in his demeanor. Ana, as nas1 ~. .
suggested, 1t did not seem possible tnat
man of his looks should print In ms paper
and declaim from the stump soch Vlie anu
vulgar utterances as he mas naue apoIe
Roosevelt and Mckinley. But tnat' peoPie
tell me. has been his capital In politics. his
attacks upon Roosevelt ana ms attl'uue as
a negro hater were the issues upon wi Mni ca
he was elected to office ms cry lor d
fS.-sB
for a time but will soon play out. Mis-
sissppi politicians say that 1t Will never
carry him through another campaign. -
have heard several people remark thdt ~
Booker Washington had not drank that
CUP of tea and eaten those sandwiches IN
the White House James Kimbie Vardaman
would never have been elected governor OF
Mississippi. f..--.. -
be able to make the Senate on that issue
he is not to be downed permanently: he
can be counted upon hereafter as FACTOR
in Mississippi politics. and In natlonal pom
ttce also because of his powerful person.
atty. And his seyerest critics. VINO are
within the ranks of his own party, admit
that he has his good points. He mas SHOWN
great personal courage in defying mobs to
protect negroes from lynching. He has not
done so because he cares for the negroes
One or a dozen negro lives are OF no conse-
quence to him, any more than SO many
sheep or cattle, and not so much as horses,
but he is determined that the law Shall be
indicated: that the people shall not dis
grace themselves by violating 1t, and he
says he is willing to sacrifice his own life
to preserve the reputation of his state.
Only q few weeks ago he showed manli-
ness, courage and determination here at
Jackson in defending a negro from mob
He worked all night to save this capital
city of Mississippi from disgrace. Since
then it has been shown that the wrong
man was seized. and but for Vardaman
his innocent blood might have been on the
heads of the people OF this city.
Vardantan's Career.
vardaman is fopty7four years old. He
was born in Texas ins 1861, although his
father and mother aptere natives of Missis-
sippi and returned. here after the civil war
He was educated In, the common schools. !!
read law In the Office of a country practi-
toner and has not enjoyed the advan-
tages OF collegezcafeer or university
law school He hegampractice at Winona
Miss. in 1882 butaf6pmd newspaper work
more profitable land politics more agree
has edited country newspapers since 1883
He served his county in the legislature FOR
three terms In succession; has been speaker
of the lower hoalset has been presidential
elector twice ands president of the cleo |
toral college. He SERVED in Cuba from
August, 1893. to May. 1899. as captain and
afterward as major In the 9th Immune
Regiment; was an unsuccessful candidate |
for governor in 1895 and 1899, and, rum
ming third tfme was elected In 1908. He |
IS an active member of the Methodist
Church. a Free Mason and a knight of
Pythias.
Most Majestic Southern Building.
Jackson. the capital OF Mississippi, is an
untidy. irregular and uninviting town. |
scattered over a large area. 1t has several |
very good buildings. in addition to the fine |
new statehouse. but many more poor ones. |
Most Of the citizens seem Indifferent to
appearances. The new statehouse IL most |
important and undoubtedly the most ma
jestic building in the south. It would be |
an ornament to any city In the world.
know of no state or provincial capitol on
any Of the four continents that surpasses
1t for beauty of design or for appropri-
ataness to the purpose for which It was
erected II stands near the center Of thu