The Semi-weekly leader. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1905-1941, 1907-07-24
JAMES K. VARDAMAN.
Thos. ?. Barr, the NeIl-KnOwn Method
lst Layman Of Jackson, Pays High
Tribute to the Governor.
Be temperate in all. things.

DC beltlpBFdle III all Things.
It-is very hard for men to dis
cuss any subject fairly and
|squarely on its merits. This is
especially so in regard to poll.
tics. Instead of using argument
and reason we resort to raw head
and bloody bones idea, in order
to brighten men into our way of
thinking; for instance, ii man
who is opposed to the open sa
loon, or believes in enforcing
the existing laws in regard to the
Sabbath, runs for Office the oppo-
sition will charge him with being
a hidebound fanatic, who would
rob men of all their personal lib
critics. A believer in the blue
laws who would 60 so far as to
prevent man from kissing his
wife on Sunday, and the fellow
who never kisses his wife on any
day will get red hot and want to
fight.
Because of this kind Of abuse
and misrepresentation many who
have never seen Gov. Vardaman
believe him to be some sort Of a
wierd monster with hoof and
horns and a forked tail, while his
friends know him to be a grand
man and they are willing to meas
ure him along side of his oppon-
ent in all lines, mentally, morally
and physically.
z Now let US state briefly Gov.
Vardaman s views on the nigger
question; the biggest question 10
the South today others to the con-
trary notwithstanding. Gov. Varda-
man believes that the negro as
race is unfit and incapable of prop
erly exercising the franchise; that
it was a mistake amounting almost
to crime when the right was
thrust upon him; he believes this
mistake should be correctel and |
is willing to work to this end; not |
at some future time, but willing |
to commence now. He believes
that it is better for both races
that the white people should have
absolute control of the govern
ment, and that it would be bet
ter for all for the two races to be
in all their public and
private, social and religious inter-
course.
In all his personal dealings
with the negro Gov. Vardaman is /
kind and just and as governor be
has shown that be is willing to
exhaust all of the power and re-
sourses of the law in order to pro-
tect him in his life and property;
yet in face of these facts he is
charged with being "a negro
hater. "A stirrer up of strife
between the races. ? Such ex-
treme charges excite the active
opposition of some people who
believe them, and some preachers
Of the gospel in their zeal IN ad-
V6cating the virtue Of education
and religion Of the negro, become
just as extraVagant in their ex-
pressions against Vardaman, going
so far as to class his views as a |
species Of infdelity which would
deny the negro part in the great
plan of salvation, and thus rob
the Christ of his rightful sover-
eighty over all nations, and saving |
that he who would thus selfishIy |
close the earthly door of hope to
the negro, would also close the /
door Of heaven to him, and deny /
the teachings of the man of CALI
lee. Think Of it.
All this abuse of Vardanan |
because he says believes the negro |
unfit to exeruise the rights of |
franchise, and that it would be
better for all for the whites TO have
absolute control of the govern |
ment. As Evangelist Gates often
said: 1t would be amusing i'll
it were not so downright sad. |
Such abuse and misrepresentation
does harm, and gets up bad feel /
ings on both sides and often hard
things may be said about the
preachers, and then some Of the
preachers in their zeal to oppose
Vardaman lose their high moral /
standard, aud rush to the support
Of men who drink whisky to ex-
cess, and some have been known
TO support those for office. Var
daman's friends claim II any
preachers son, or other young
man ever goes to hell by a drunk.
ards route, they can't charge that
James &. Vardaman set them the
pace.
In conclusion, ii seems to me
the Nardaman men are the only I
ones who are not losing their [
heads and resorting j to abuse Of
but they rally to the
!" White Chieftain, conscious that
be represents the best interests
Of all the people Of the state, and,
therefore, they hope TO see him
elected to the senate Of the United
States. fSigned,