The sea coast echo. [volume] (Bay Saint Louis, Miss.) 1892-current, 1907-05-25
GOVERNOR VARDAMAN'S
CHARACTERISTIC LETTER.
The Governor Scores President WORSHIP" p
Did Not Invite Mr.. Roosevelt to Make River
Trip-Would Much Rather Have Estimate Of
Skilled Engineer.

Jackson, May 2t.-The conspicuous
absence of Gov. Vardaman's name from
the list of Governors mentioned by
President Roosevelt in his letter accept
ing the invitation of the governors te
inspect the Mississippi river is causing
the usual comment, and is praised Oh
censured according to the p olitical pref
erences of those who discuss it here at
the capital. AS a fact, Gov. Vardaman
is the only governor whose name does
not appear in President Roosevelt S
reply and acceptance, and the absence
of his name is more conspicuous because
of the fact that Mississippi is SO vitality
concerned in river improvement and
government aid for the levee system
which now protects the richest section
of the entire state.
The Governor was today asked about
the Presidents commission of his name
in accepting the invitation to inspect
the Mississippi river and its tributaries
from the lakes to the Gulf. He replied
"The president did not owe me let
ter. have not written to him about
that trip or any other trip
"But you were requested were you
not, to write the President and Invite
him to take the trip" he was asked.
Yes, was requested to, but did not
write the letter. l did not write it for
the good and sufficient reason that am
opposed to the very modern idea that
seems to be growing in popularity that
the President of the United States is
the whole government. Some people
seem to think that the man who happe MS
to be President is hedged about by some
sort of divinity, inspired with certain
extraordinary gifts that makes him both
inerrant and omnipotent. We are rap
idly drifting to the point where it seems
that all power is to be concentrated in
the executive. He is the whole thing.
He assumes to control his Republican
partisans in the Senate just as the aver
age ward boss controls the hoodlums of
his ward. The lower house of Con-
gress seems inclined to do his bidding,
with Speaker Cannon leading, while the
Democratic minority sorter nibbles at
the heels Cannon, and unless something
is done to check this gradually growing
ursurpation of authority it is only a
question of little while before the
President will control and coerce the
judiciary.
81 am opposed to the principle under
lying such conduct, and l am opposed
to the cowardly spirit of flunkyism thu
manifested. I have no objection to
President Roosevelt taking that trip if
he wants to take it, but do not know
of anything in his training or accomp-
ishments which would make his views
as to the practicability of this great
enterprise more valuable than the views
of any other fairly sensible man. What
ever he may see or conclude in the mat
ter will necessarily be superficial, and
the fact that he is president of the
United States will not add anything to
the adherent worth or value of his views.
81 would much rather have the esti-
mate of a skilled engineer, or the opin-
ion of Gen. T. G. Catchings or Congress-
man Ben Humphreys on the feasibility
of the undertaking than have the opin-
ion of Theodore Roosevelt. If it is the
puspose to have him exert his presiden-
tial influence in order to secure an ap-
preparation for this great undertaking,
then am opposed to the use of his Of
flee in that way. l am greatly in favor
of this great scheme for the improve
ment of American waterways, but it
is very much more important that the
President of the United States should
be urged to remain within the limits of
his constitutional sphere of action. If
ever in the history of this republic it
was necessary to restore, as John Allen
expresses it, the parity between the
Executive and the Legislative and judi
cial departments of this government,
now is the time"
Representative Bowers at Washington.