The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-07-05
WILLIAMS. VARDAMAN DEBATE
CONGRESSMA AN AND GOVERNOR
talk FOR q. 8. SENATE SEAT.
Williams says Country Needs Men To DO
1hings. Not to Advocate the Impossible
-vardAman F1ayp the Negro and IL
sorry That the C~Onfederacy Failed.

NaruhmAn f1Ayb tUe Ne8rO anu IN
sorry That the C~Onfederscy Failed.
MERIDIAN. Miss, July Gov. James
X. Vardaman and the Hon. John Sharp
Williams met here in joint debate this
morning before an audience of probably
10000 people. The debate opened ut 10; 80,
MIR. Williams leading, and closed at $50
with Mr.. vardaman's surrejoinder. Mr..
Williams said in part.
What we need In our executive bodis On IL
not men to advocate impossibtlities but men
to do things. One thing l know and that il
II Mr.. rardamsn should enter the Senate
agttating the repeal Of the Fifteenth Amend
ment he would com ont with q drastic en-
forcement Of the Fourteenth Amendment. IL
such a thing as the repeal OF the Fifteenth
Amendment could be brought about without
reiDstatins the negro question In politics !
would work for Il. vote for IL and do anything
in my power possible 10 get It. but IL looks
to the as impossible.
Al To government ownership Of railroads
Mr.. Williams said:
II Ia not advisable to try to get this st the
present time. and In case IL was gotten It
would be a curse TO the South. 1t would put
the Southern people where they would likely
have TO put up with railroad trains without
separate coaches and otherwise be brought
too much Ia contact with the negro.
Mr.. Vardaman's address was character
istic Of the man. Among other things
he said:
Thank God we have few millonaIres. few
cities aud no paupers In the State OF Mis-
sissippi. There is to-day q tendency to i'm
perislism. to drift away from the moorings of
our fathers and to get away from the old
principle OF State rights. MIR. williams speaks
of me saying Mr.. Bryan is ahead OF his day
and time. Yes. ! say he IL a long way ahead:
as the morning L. ahead OF the midnight.
MIR. Bryan does not want to make Govern
ment ownership OF railroads an issue. and
neither do |.
Ia discussing the repeal OF the fifteenth
amendment Mr.. Vardaman painted a tragic
picture Of a poor woman outraged by a
negro in Jackson; Of the negroes arrest and
trial: how the woman sank into uncon-
sciousness on the witness stand, while "the
brute leered In Hendish glee.' He wound
up this recital with the declaration that
he would not have had this woman suffer
what she did In that cout room for all the
negroes in the United States.
There was cheering and much applause
at this fight.
disappointed in MIR. Vardaman's address,
that he had drawn a horrible picture OF
the negro fiend, but what would the repeal
of the Fifteenth Amendment nave to do
with il? Would it abolish the negro?
Would not the negro with the Same nature
and tendencies still be herep
The repeal of the Fifteenth Amendment
would be accomplished only by a two-third
majority in both houses OF Congress. II
Mr.. VardamaD was sincerely in favor of
this why did he not in his long service in
the Legislature Of Mississippi try to have
fha GfafA IaUtalafnra rap0rnntap it9 uhxy
did he not try to get it recommended during
his three and a half years tell as Governor3
MI Vardaman Is getting IN the habit Of
finding too many liars.' Williams said.
The jackson Ners is a liar and now he
questions the stenographer hired by me,
whom l never saw or heard OF before l
hired him. Then he discovers that the
Times-Democra and the Gulfport Tribune
are also liars Continuing he said
asked him how he would amend the four
teenth amendment and have never received
an answer. Now my friends. | will ask YOU.
DO you want Z he yankee TO take charge OF the
negro question:
Answers came loudly: 'No, No, No, No"
Now this agitation would simply mea n
the enforcement Of the fourteenth and not the
repeal Of the fifteenth a mendment. As far as
I can see the door Of hope il already closed
on the negro politically. IL Ii not the negro
francntse tnaL IN now u menace 10 MlssisSippi.
IL IL the negro himself. He Ia cut ont Of the
fra nchise now. but 1t is him We fear and not
his vote.
The surrejoinder by Mr.. Va rdaman was
not a success. de went to pieces under
the sharp tongue and watchful eye OF
Williams. Several times he undertook
to quote Mr.. Williams. was halted by the
Congressman and admitted himself in
error. The crowd howled with delight at
these tits.
Mr.. Vardaman begged for silence, saw
ing I've had sat In bis wet clothing until
hosrso. but wanted a fair hearing. lie
finished with ar appeal TO the voters for a
chance tolshow IN the Senate to the people
Of the North the status Of the negro uues-
lion. lie said that II elected to the Senate
he would let those who do not know the
real danger from negro suffrage know the
exact condition OF affairs In the South.
Again he warmed to his subject and said.
] am not Of those who are glad that the
Confederacy failed in her purpose. would
rather live under the stars and bars. under
Jefferson Davis. than under the Star NJ and
Stripes with Theodore Roosevelt AS President
OF the United States.
This statement was cheered to the echo.