The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1907-08-18
MISSISSIPPI RIVALS,
Character Studies of Williams
and Vardamcn.
REGULATION OF RAILROADS.
Contention of the Southern Advocates
of State Flights Based on Logic arc.
Fact-Alabama's Curious Law-Scn-
ator Foraker a Good Fishter-Ma y
Vet Split the Ohio De;es ation-Har
riman tho Latest Public Target.

ator Foraker a Good Fighter-Ma)
Vet Split the Ohio De;esaton-Har,
riman the Latest Public Target
By WILLIS J. ABBOT.
The most Interesting recent happen
ing in the political field was the con
test for the scnatorship between job.
Sharp Williams and Governor Nardl-
man of Mississippi OF course I'll,
fight WIS simply for Endorsement ~
in SO safe 4 Democratic state ultmato
election. Mr.. Williams will not take
his seat i'll the senate until 1911. I1t
will serve his term in the SiNticth COL
grcsS and no doubt retain his lcICr--
ship of the Democratic minority. Mr.
Nardamau VIII remain governor Of tho
state. so il will be seen the loser III. >;
Il consolation prize"
Two Divergent Types.
Out of the millions of people in III"
United States who recognize the names
of these two rivals few know them by
sight. and almost equally few have
any idea of their personal character
iStics.
In the north Governor Nardainan Is
regarded as Il tircDrand. Il demagogilc.
q something worse than Tillman. whose
those of the now forgotten editor %
the once famous Okolona States. That
distinguished journalist. it may be re
called, was for some years Staked by
Il Republican national committee To
print burning editorials against the
negro and against the United States
government generally in order that the
bloody shirt might he the more sue
cessfully waved in Indiana and Ohio,
Nardaman. however. is not Il man OF
that type. He has to some extent
played the demagJguc i'll promising his
country supporters that he would at
tack and overthrow the fourteenth
and fifteenth amendments if sent to
Washington. The promise is so utter
ly absurd that it is amazing thA, i.
should have found any response and
support. but it did. Perhaps more Than
anything else it won for him the vote
which is shown to have cut Mr.. VII
liams possible majority down to'a few
hundred. Yet Nardaman is not the
raving maniac that he is considered
to be in the north In manner and ap-
pearance he is an aliStocrat, always
mild hammered unless making Il speech.
we'll groomeI. with Il tendency to
white clothes and IL Chesterticldan
courtesy. He says hard things on the
stump, but when he desccnds he is as
polite as the best bred man possibly
could be- And, while he has attacked
bitterly the negro population of his
state and while undoubtedly he be
ieves sincerely that it is Il menace to
the welfare of the rest of the popula-
ton. it should be remembered of him
has been more vigorous and deter
mined in fighting the lynchng evil
than he.
John Sharp Williams.
Nationally Mr.. Williams is the better
known of the two men. He has been
in congress for six terms. Three times
he has been chosen leader of the Dem
Ocratic minority and probably will be
again, although the temper of any
Democratic body is such that Il leader
has always to fight to retain his Lead
ership. Yet at heart Mr.. Williams is
not as democratic in tile nOnpnrtisan
sense of the word as Governor NarGu-
man. With the manners and demcanov
thought of Il patrician. Slender. IN
dersiZcd. careless in dress. utterly in
different to his personal appearance he
lacks that individual distinction that
will impress the general public. He at
fectS a slouchineSs of dress, a laZineSs
occasional lapse into bad grammar and
worse vulg2rismS that might readily
lead a stranger to believe that lie hd;i
come up from the Bowery rather than
from one of the first families of Mis-
sissippi. Yet there are few men il
tillleI IOuSc Oi senate VINO nave Ell
iOyed the educational advantages which
have been given to Williams If not
indeed born to the. purple. he was at
least born to comfort and to AL asS,ir-
ed position in life. He received his et.-
lcation at the Kentucky Military insti-
tute. the University of Virginia and the
University of Heidelberg. in Germany.
His mind is stored with knowledge.
and he has never been content to rest
upon his collegiate education only. bet
continues his studies to this day Yet
lis conversation is as colloGuial. his vo-
,abulary as careless, as those Of Il North
Carolina farmer. In personal inter
course one would seldom take him for
man of culture and of deep learning.
But on the floor of the house he is q
ifferent man. There. like Cyrano. he
lights with rapier that is swift and
,een.
Mr.. Williams is essentially an old
ime southern Democrat He is barely
1t middle age, and yet it is to he
doubted whether any doctrine of eco
lOmics or constitutional interpret,;-