The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1907-02-15
VILLAINS 70 vARpAMAN.

Mr.. Williams paper is in striking
contrast TO the petulent and lima
tured Interview Of the Governor,
and cannot fail 10 make a fine i'm
preston on the public mind. II is
dignifed, manly and heightened, but
carries with il a vein Of biting sar-
casm as keen as the edge Of a pol
ished rapier.
Mr.. Williams says he was amused
at the Governors reference to his
news bureau" lin view OF the fact
that probably not two weeks have
passed since he became Governor
that he has not had an interview in
the Memphis or New Orleans pa
pers.'
Mr.. Williams replies TO every crit
icism made upon him by the Gov
ernor, and if he does not give him a
Roland for bis Oliver" then the
English language is meaningless
something for him to discuss, digest
and think about the balance OF his
official life.
MI. Williams deals both in logic
and good-natured ridicule, and turns
the Governors high-sounding
phrases to good account, and makes
him appear quite ridiculous at times.
He notes that the Governor said
II am going to discuss public ques,
t~ions-measures, not men, principles
and policies, and not persons" and
says:
ut is a great pity that he did not
act upon it, instead Of violating it in
toto and discussing me and my i'm
aginary characteristics, as the iaun-
diced eye Of a rival candidate sees
them. shall do what he said he
was going to do and in discussing
measures / shall discuss my views
Of them and his views Tin as far as
am able to ascertain any views he
has. shall in no event discuss
him. I shall not come back in
kind. ! shall indulge in no petty,
pettish, personalities analogous tc
those which ! have quoted. | shall
not follow the Governors linguistic
example for several reasons
Mr.. Williams says IF ! replied in
kind and he in kind again and so on,
there would inevitably arrive to a
point where the affair would cease to
be q contest between debaters and
would become a contest between
sharp-shooters."
lie has a good deal to say about
the discourtesy Of the Governor, and
his inability to govern himself, and
says that If he has decided not to
engage in Joint debate that he could
have made that announcement in
perfectly measured terms Of court
esy, and he need not have sought,
from what | had said, any mere pre-
text, either to entertain or to stimu-
late a naughty wrath. II, upon the
other hand, he really is 80 incapable
of Q lf-government that a difference
Of opinion upon a public question
provokes him to discourtesy, if not
to insult, then he has demonstrated
his unftness for a place in the Sem
ate"
Mr.. Williams again challenges the
Governor to meet him in joint de-
bate, and says that he still enter
~. 49,. ga
tains "the hope that the Governor
will reconsider the conclusion at
which he seems to have arrived, so
that we can discuss questions in a
gentlemanly way in joint debate be-
fore our would-be constituents the
great question Of Federal ownership
Of railroads among other questions
Of actual pending, practical politics"
lie refers to the speech made by
the Governor before the Press Asso-
in May, 1905, 10 show that
he was not then an advocate Of rate
by the Federal govern
ment, and objected to the Interstate
Commission having the power to
FIX minimum as we'll as maximum
He also shows by the Gov
own words, his views on the
government ownership proposition,
and says he seems to have a 'theo-
foot on one side Of the ques-
lion, q practical foot on the other
,ide a snresent' lat nm n aide and