The sea coast echo. [volume] (Bay Saint Louis, Miss.) 1892-current, 1907-04-27
WISE AND OTHERWISE.
For The Echo.

Vardaman's speech in the Opera House.
As one in attendance a few pen
strokes follow
While some Of US may disagree with
many OF his expressions and views along
lines Of current issue, as We are not all
strictly partisan, it was suggestive
discourse to hear.
One delightful feature was his pro-
'nounced refrain from personalities, vitu
peration and violent criticism of his
contestant for position; he handled ma
tional subjects and matters of statehood.
One instinctively felt, in his presence,
that from his point of view he was sin
cere, courageous, determined; and that,
like Hon. Ben Tillman, he could be a
persistent 'shard hitter" on occasion.
To one interested in prison reform,
Governor Vardaman's heroic recital Of
his dutiful, humane exercise Of execu-
tive power, in leaving no possibility for
the existence of ':graft" in the admins
tration of the penal institution of the
State, was most gratifying to hear and
is white plume in his record.
One thought he seems not to fully ac-
cept; that as the peacemaker of the
world we muse keep the grinning guns
and best trained jackies, surest expo
nents of power, behind the olive branch;
sufficient armament equipped for naval
police and defense of Pacific as we'll as
Atlantic seaboard.
Could we to-day arbitrate and sit as
such factor in that Hague Conference,
if the Cuban and Philippine wars had
not made Of US world power? And
that same world movement for inter-
national limitation of armament will re-
suit in glorious greatness for the
Foremost heir Of all the ages.
Our brave Americans are at all times
our volunteer land forces-the men that
never knew defeat.
1t would be only mistaken kindness
to withdraw American protection from
the Filippinos; our nations guardian
ship is yet necessary to keep out any
Interference possible to create compli-
cations for US to settle.
AS Gov. Vardaman drew his picture,
taken from the car window, OF the poor
farmer bending to his hoe, upon whose
back the burdens of national conditions
bore so hard, it flashed over me to re-
fleet how much Of that laborerS' savings
would be required to buy bond Of his
government, and mentally contrasted it
with relative conditions in European
republics. Do our people think of the
historic fact that every French peasant
feels himself a bond holder, and do we
much study the meaning Of the "bal-
ance Of power in the old world? We
few appreciate the immensity of the
United States contrasted area, or So
Geological conditions, or get to the basis
of reason, why this is thus.
History is making very fast in this
new century.
Digging our Panama Canal, we must
never be unminlful that it involves
u fresh necessity to sustain the Monroe
Doctrine in the annals Of future Ameri
canism; unborn generations must as
sumo that heritage, and it is wise to
look after making it an easier burden
for succeeding countrymen.
AS Gov. Vardaman SO plainly put it
and pathetically explained it, the exi-
gency of the times and surrounding
conditions require that women must be
hedged in by every protection that rea-
son and good Judgment can make avail
able. He we'll represented that the bal
lot in the hands of moral idiots, Great
ures of lust and incapacity, was only a
power OF evil.
His arguments, unintentionally per-
haps, all went to show that the
best means, the most powerful fac
tor, in promoting and sustaining wo-
mans elevation to self : defense, is
to place her beside her male pro-
tectors as a partner in citizenship;
add, with any qualified restric-
tions or limitations the State may die
tate. Now, when the expunging and
reduction of an offensive citizenry is
necessary, and in process of determined
rejection, the best thinking men must
see the need Of counting her into the
use Of the ballot.
Men should reflect seriously, assidu-
ously, upon these lines of argument;
he truly tells it to be the greatest prob
lem before the people to-day this
weeding-out process. We have passed
the age of the vassalage of intelligent
womankind; when she is the competent
instructor and holds the majority of po-
sitions in the great educational systems
OF the land, she is certainly splendidly
endowed to accept and WELD a partner
ship in citizenship in the autonomy of
statehood. In eleyating the quality of
mankind and the character of citizenry
elevate at all TIMES its source, which is
motherhood.
Men should feel it their reproach that
their women are yet barred by prejudice
and unreason from equality under the
law; the oft acclaimed sentence: egov-
ernments derive their just powers from
the consent OF the governed" is only a
| theory. Women are lett in the much
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