Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1907-11-09
.Vardaman and Roosevelt

sNardaman ana Roosevelt
Our worthy governor can't get Presi-
dent Roosevelt Off his mind. On two
occasions during the past week he has
turned loose self-written interviews in
bitter and vituperative denunciation of
the chief executive of the nation. The
mere presence of Mr.. Roosevelt in the
south has the same effect on our COVER
nor as that produced by waving red
flag in the face of bull lie bellows
most awfully, paws up the earth with
fanatical furry, and it is inpeed fortu-
nate that he has not bitten himself
while in one of these hydrophobiac
moods, for the result woods, for the re-
suit would be certainly fatal
OF course, the governor is entitled to
his opinions concerning Rooseveltian
policies and principles, and, further
more, he has the Godgiven right to ex-
press these opinions freely, but all that
he has thus far said concerning the
president is unquestionably inspired by
personal enmity and green-eyed jeal-
ousy. The fact that the people of Mis-
sissippi and the south generally are in
clined to accept Mr.. Roosevelt's amia-
bic remarks in a friendly spirit, and
give him credit with honest intentions
in spite of his occasional idiosyncracies,
is regarded by our governor as a per-
sonal affront. To his mind the presi-
dent is rotten to core, utterly without
hope of redemption, either here or here
after. In brief he is a public enemy, a
yeritable wild sailor of he sea dashing
the ship of the state to wreck and ruin
on the rocks of anarchy.
This, of course, is an unreasonable
view. 1t is to fanatical for serious CON
5ideration. Only a mind filled with
malice could conjure up such a cencep-
ton of Mr.. Roosevelt. Few of US adj
nire the president in all his parts, but
that he has good points no sane person
can truthfully deny. Deep down in his
own heart Governor Vardaman knows
that the president is not bad fellow,
and our governor, of all men in the
Universe, Should not attach somuch seri-
BUSINESS to earlier utterances of public
men. He has himself said many things
that would have been better left unsaid,
md which he cannot now endorse
Worse still, he reduced those sayings
0 cold print, and the record will for
yer stand against him.
There is an old adage to the effect
chat "a wise man may change his mind
"a fool, never Doubtless Mr..
Roosevelt regrets the vnkind words
poken in earlier years concerning the
outh and the southern people. In
.S85, when Mr. Roosevelt wrote the
magazine article of which the COVER
or so bitterly complains he had not
cached that state of mental maturity
f which he is now the accredited pos
;essor. 1t is hardly legitimate, and it
$ certainly uncharitable, to dig up an
rticle written twenty-five years ago
md assert that it now represents the
Jews Of the man who wrote it. Often
Fe do not think the same things today
nat we earnestly advocated on yester-
day, or we may accept views on mat
Jers and morals that do not appeal to
our reason at this moment.
II find that his vindictiveness and
ituperation extended all down the line.
ven o the great conciliator, L. @, C.
.amar =" says the governor. The
,.ooseve!tian sentence quoted by the
.overnor in support of the allegation
lardly sustain the idea that the pres
lent cherished a personal grievance
gainst Mr.. Lamar, and even if such
&as the case, that animosity was evil
emily forgotten when Mr.. Roosevelt
appointed a son of L. @. C. Lamar as
cgister of the land Office in jackson.
Concerning the presidents attitude
towards the south, the governor says
chat "he think it is popular to indulge
IN little innocent flattery." Was it
innocent flattery when Mr.. Roosevelt
appointed the widow of Ex-Governor
John M. Stone as postmistress at Iuka,
j position which she needed and richly
deserved? Was it innocent hattery
When he appointed Gen. w. T. Martin.
a gallant Confederate soldier and long
life democrat, as postmaster at Natchez?
Was it innocent flattery when similar
honor was accorded to Col. Sam B
Thomas, one of the most beloved citi-
zens of Kinds county? Is there any
llattery in the fact that two-thirds of
the postoffices in the larger towns of
Mississippi are occupied by men who
main unwavering allegiance to the
democratic party? Was the president
trying to fatter the south, when he
gave a summary discharge to the bat
tallion of negro troops at Brownville?
Did the president have in mind only a
purpose to flatter the south when he
appointed grandson of Stonewall
jackson to the military academy at
West Point?
The sincerity of Mr.. Roosevelt's de-
sire to win the friendship of the south
ern people-something he did not pos
sess during his first three years in the
executive office, cannot be questioned
BY any fair-minded man. 1t is his
evident purpose as he has frequently
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