The Kemper herald. (Scooba, Miss.) 1875-1908, 1907-07-18
Mr.. NeviNe's Letter.

the hands of Mr.. Sam Neville.
President oil the Board of Trade,
and others in Meridian on the
4th of July, Mr.. Neville has writ.
ten the following explanatory
letter:
Blue Ridge Springs, Va,
July 9th.
To the Public:
Governor Vardaman's charge
that I ACTED in the interest OF
Mr. Williams and to his (Gov-
ernor Vardaman's) disadvantage,
is without any foundation, and I
most emphatically deny each and
every charge or insinuation made
by the governor to that effect.
The correspondence published by
the governor and my conduct
prior to, and on the day of the
JOINT debate completely retute
any such charges. The govern
or does not state what act or acts
of mine were in the interest OF
Mr.. Williams, nor does he state
what | did to his disadvantage.
| challenge him to point out a
single act of mine which indica-
ted a desire or purpose on my
part to favor Mr.. Williams.
The governor in his card re-
fers to the report sent out to the
newspapers to the effect that ]
ran down from the committee
room and stated that he, the gov
ernor. had refused to abide by
agreement and that he had con-
sented to the program in black
and white, and that the Board oil
Trade expected to hold him tc
his agreement. With reference
to this [ desire to say that the
governor stated to me III the
presence of Mr.. B. V. White that
he, tho governor, did not come
to Meridian to enter into a joint
debate. The proof of my state
ment is contained in the CORE
spondence published by the COY
ernor. The opening sentence oil
my letter to the governor under
the date of June Goth, when read
in connection with the govern
or's letter to me under the date
of June 20th, leaves no doubt
about the matter. My letter Of
the Goth of June began as fol
lows "With further reference tc
our invitation for a joint debate
with Hon. John Sharp Williams
i'll this city on July 4th, we take
pleasure i'll stating we have per
fected arrangements wherein the
speaking will begin at 10 O'Clock
a. M"
Now, IN regard to the length
of the speeches: | told Governor
Vardaman over the telephou be-
fore the came to Meridian tina
we could not change the length
of the speeches with out MIR
Williams consent. Thus the
matter stood on the morning OF
July 4th. Mr.. Williams in his
letter accepting the invitation to
a Joint debate requested that the
terms of the debate be as follows:
One hour aud thirty minutes
to each speaker, thirty minutes
for re ioinder and fifteen minutes
for sub-rejoinder. Gov. Varda-
man in his letter to me under
date of June 28th SAID: 81 prefer
that Mr.. Williams open the de
bate in an hour and a half or
two hour speech; adjourn for
dinner until halt past one o'clock
and then I to have two and q
quarter hours and Mr.. Williams
a rejoinder Ct fifteen minutes,
I do not think | want any re
On the morning OF
the 4th some friends of Govern
or Vardaman and Mr.. Williams,
held a conference for the pur-
pose of coming to an agreement
as to the length of the speeches.
1t was finally agreed that the
speaking should be as follows:
Mr. Williams to open the debate
in a speech of two hours; Gov
ernor Vardaman to follow in a
speech of two hours, MIR, Viii:
liams to speak thirty minutes in
his rejoinder, aud Governor Var
daman to speak fifteen minutes
in his sur-reioinder. TheGpeak
ing was in accordance with sthis
agreement. These are the ;taets:
Judge from the utter reck-
lessness with which Governor
Vardaman made his baseless
charges agaiget me that it is q
very trivial ,Rsa4er with him .to
charge one win wrong doing,
| have been taught otherwise.
It is a fact we'll known to all
the Meridian Board Of TEsaae,
including friends of Governor