Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1907-04-20
JOHN SHARP WILLIAMS
REPLIES TO GOV. VARDAMAN
GIVES OUT INTERVIEW BY WAY OF
REJ0INDER TO OPPONENT.
His Attitude in Opposition to Federal
Control OF Railroads Stated With
Special Emphasis, and He Seeks to
Show Inconsistencies.

,
given out at Columbus and the later one,
in reply to Hon. William Richardson ?"
was asked Hon. John Sharp Williams
here today. lie replied:
"Yes, and do not understand my
friend, Gov. Nardaman He seems not
to be living up, either to his fifteenth
amendment issue, on TO his position of
qualified Endorsement of federal govern
ment ownership of railroads. He says,
in his interview given out from Coum
bus, Miss, on March 30, that he has
held out no promise to the people of
Mississippi to get the fifteenth amend
ment repealed In that interview he
conlesses that his entire service to the
people upon that question will be Il
self confessedly unayailing advocacy
and 'agitation' though he adds that he
expects to live to see the amendment
repealed. He, in fact, accuses me of
being 'disingenous' for having made
the statement that he has held out to
the people of Mississippi the hope of
securing the repeal Of the fifteenth
amendment. In order that there may be
no mistake about this quote the
questions OF the interviewer or sup
posed interviewer, and his replies YER
batim, as they appeared in The Com
uleIclal Appear OF March 81:
Governor, Mr. Williams intlmates
that you are not honest with the people
in attempting to create the impression
upon the people that you will have the
h1teenth amendment repealed, and the
fourteenth amendment modified, II you
are elected TO the senate
am surprised that any honest man
should be so dlslngenuous as to make
that statement nave not made such
promise TO the people, and do not
expect to make such promise to the
people, but ! Will tell .you what | will
do, II elected to the senate. | am go
ing to advocate the repeal OF the fiji
teenth amendment and the modification
OF the fourteenth amendment, in the
senate ana ont OF the senate, and eX-
peet to llVe to see 1t accomplished
This IS quite tumble from the po-
sltlon taken in an article by DIR, Ward,
entitled THE Man, the Hour and the
Opportunity. The people OF Mississippi
understood that The Man was Gov,
Nardaman that The Opportunity was
~ repeal the fifteenth amendment, and
that The Hour was now, and unless
have been very much misinformed, the
governor, or others acting for him, have
scattered several thousand copies OF
The Man, the Hour and the Opportuni-
ty' broadcast over the state. Now, the
governor tells us that he is not the man
and that this IS not the hour and that
am guilty OF disingenuousness in having
made the statement that he has held
himself forth as the man, or this as the
hour, or the opportunity.
This seems quite tumble from the
position hitherto held by the governor
and more i'll accordance with the opln-
ION OF the people OF Mississippi as fal
MS l have seen them As far as | have
thus gone | have found two other peo
Pile besides the governor who thought
that he might secure the repeal OF the
fifteenth amendment. One OF these was
the editor OF one OF the newspapers II
favor OF hlln. lh'' man held up ms
hahd TO SIGNIFY that ne Ihought th'
governor could secure the repeal OF tn'
iltteenth amendment, but a1terWard soi'
that he had done 1t out OF daredeNlltry
or, as ne expressed II, because ne nlad'
IL rue never 10 take II uafe' II tn'
people OF Mississippi Waht. man III th'
senate whose Sole ana seH-appolnte'
MISSION Is merely TO advocate somelhini
concerning winch 1t IS so lhpracticapl'
that 1t is Il misrepresentation TO accus'
nm OF expecting TO get 1t, 'heh Uh"
is their allalr.
NY Irlehd' lhe governor seems u
grow indignant because l nave Salu !"
several places that oeiore TINS campaign
is over he must take a position uh
equlNoeally IN opposition 10 the govern
meht ownership OF ranIoaoS ana yen th
people OF MISSISSIPPI tnat ne WIN leVe
anywhere or under any circumstances
either as delegate TO a hatiohal con
Ncntion or senator II eiecteo 10 'n
senate, vote Tor or lall TO NoVe aSalnS
proposition IN favor OF soNetil'le,'
ownership ana operation oi Ial''""uS
lie accuses me- III lacV' oi pI"eSouogi'
because nave sald that ne i"usV e''ne
take that position OF slaE AT hoine, u,
'N' -.
must hot nave amy tou1ys anu u''i
nuVelyS ana us "uu g Sa'us a;2 "G9"t ,hot M
Win no,or rndor apv circumstance,
anywhere. vote for or fail to vot
ngainst fodaraI o,ynersbin and opcratio
of ro;lroods have onoted in an in
teryicw of mine his former language i
snoecbes ond interviews. His expres
Sons woro Inv no means uneouiyocal.
hoI;oyo +L,t tbo noonlc of Nississipr
ovnoct him 70 toke tbe nosition which
want hin, IN tnte have known nj
nosit;on -, thot or,ostion only from hi
mhlic ntteronccs which we're an il
dorsemont ~ ,tbe theory of Government
ownorsbin tbouoh coupled with the e,
prossion If q doubt, ne to the immed
ate nroeticobilitv' of It. an expressio
of willingness to trv' federal legisla
tion drst Int leaving an openinp to Q
to fnaoral ornershin ultimately.
hovo n,,oted bis nrccisc eynressions in
nroy;ors ;ntory;ew and sball not ,mnet
eoriI, tolo nm tbo snace reouisite {
ronna+ tho orot lions agoin IIe cnnnC
wall donv their occnrary as they we,
g;vor az fron, ill., own non. ar. at an
rate wcro nenned from his dictation.
g.. c......o. nc.r.aa,odp Jssue
DAYS ooVeihoi o'iauui'u 0
Several thousand oil the people I
Mississippi heard him at Jackson VINE
Mr., Bryan was there, ana, ! aoupV no m
noted, as | did, the iact tnae nc W.
careful not to oppose iederal oWne'sn' own F'll