The Semi-weekly leader. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1905-1941, 1907-07-03
Mr.. WILLIAMS SPEECH.
"A CORRESPONDENT POINTS OUT SEW
ERAL FLAWS IN HIS ARGUMENTS,
And Makes Pointed AIIusion to a
Speech in Which Dagoes and Red
Pepper Figured.
To the Editor of The Leader !:

tWilliams sharply criticised Gov
ernor Vardaman on what ne alIeg.
ed to be Governor Vardaman's
position upon the repeal of the
Fifteenth amendment to the Con
stitntion of the United States, anc
upon Government ownership ot
railroads. 1t would not, ot
course, be necessary to answer
these criticisms but for the fact
that the friends of Mr.. Williams
are hoping to influence the voters
by asserting that Governor Var.
daman cannot answer them.
therefore ask space to call atten,
tion to the want of merit in these
criticisms which Mr.. Williams,
friends say cannot be answered.
The first criticism of Governor
Vardaman's position as stated by
Mr.. Williams was that the Cover
nor either does not know how to
agitate the repeal of the Fifteenth
amendment to the constitution OF
the United States or he is net sim
cere about the matter; otherwise
he would have sent resolution to
the Legislature asking it to make
application to Congress to call a
convention for the purpose of pro-
posing the repeal of the Fifteenth
amendment. Mr.. Williams knows
that such an argument is mislead-
ing. He knows that amendments
to the constitution may be direct
ly agitated in at least two ways,
viz: by insisting on the floor of
both houses of Congress that Con-
gress propose AN amendment to
the Constitution, or by insisting
in the legislatures of the several
states that the legislatures make
application to Congress to call a
convention for the purpose of pro-
posing amendments. Notwith-
standing this knowledge Mr.. Will
liams states that because Cover
nor Vardaman does not follow the
latter method he does not know
how to agitate the question or
else is insincere. In other words,
if Governor Vardaman does not
agitate the question in the exact
way in which Mr.. Williams says
it should be agitated, though
there are different ways in which
it can be done, Governor Varda-
man does not know how to do it
or else he is insincere about the
matter. Mr.. Williams formerly
stated that if his retiring to pri-
vate life would effect the repeal
of the Fifteenth amendment he
would gladly retire at once. If
the repeal of the Fifteenth amend
ment is SO important as to cause
him to be willing to make such a
sacrifice, why did he not agitaite
the question? As the minority
leader of the Democratic party in
the House of Representatives he
had the opportunity but did not
open his mouth, and now criticises
Governor Vardaman because the
question has not been agitated by
Governor Vardaman as he thinks
it should have been. Had Mr..
Williams been fair to his audi
ence he would have stated that
the question may be agitated in at
least two ways; leaving his audi
ence to say which is the better
way to agitate the question as
we'll as to determine whether Gov,
ernor Vardanan is or is not sin
cere. 1t is we'll known that Gov
ernor Vardaman secured some of
the most valuable legislation in
the history of the state of Missis-
sippi during the last session of
the legislature and that he did
this in spite of the fact that he
was being antagonized by certain
element in the Legislature now
friendly to Mr.. Williams. Had
Governor Vardaman offered the
resolution to the legislature which
Mr.. Williams thinks he should
have offered the element friendly
to Mr.. Williams and antagonistic
to Governor Vardaman might have
defeated it, thus enabling Mr..
Williams to say, contrary to the
will of the people, that the matter
had been settled by the legisla-
ture of the state Of Mississippi;
or else that Governor Vardaman
made a mistake in submitting the
resolution. He would no doubt
have used the situation to his best
interest. Judging from the argu-
ments he now presents he would
have stated that Governor
Vardaman made a mistake in SUBJ
mitting it since be states chat
nearly every public uttterance of
The Governors has been a mis-
take!
The second criticism of Cover
nor Vardanan's position as stated
By Mr.. Williams is that Governor
Vardaman was once in favor of
Government ownership of rail
roads, but has now changed his
position. In support of this state