Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1908-01-17
GOV. Vardaman'S Farewell Message
Remarkable Document Making Strong Recon-
mendatiOn For Public Good.
Salary Increases Urged.

Salary Increases Urged.
For attorney general.
For circuit judges. chancellors ant
district attorneys.
For governor private secretary
For state superintendent of educa'
ton.
For superintendent Of deaf and
dumb institution.
General.
Reform in management of county
convicts.
Betterment of state militia.
Pension all INDECENT and needy
Confederate veterans.
Continue geological survey.
Increase governors contingent ex-
lpense fund.
Improve the executive mansion.
Establishment of rural high schools.
by bond issues, state and locality to
bear expense.
Abolish prison trustees as guards.
Overplus of convict's earnings to
be given his family for maintenance,
or reserved for him until discharged.
Improvement of public roads.
Change education Of negro to train
his hand and heart.
Empower capitol commission. to
tear down old capitol and sell land.
Maintain soldiers home properly.
Increase powers of attorney gen.
eral.
Commends clean, honest business
methods of auditor, state treasurer
and secretary of state.
Levy sufficient tax to meet every
possible state expense, providing
against deficit.
Reduction of taxes possible if long
time, low interest bearing bonds are
issued to provide for all permanent
improvements.
The governor expresses himself for
chilly on the subject of statutory pro-
hibtion:
Abolish the Saloon.
If l were called upon to name the
one thing that has wrought the most
harm in the world, caused more pow
erty. heartaches. blighted lives, frus-
trated ambitions, than all other agen-
cies for evil combined, l should say
the Incorporate use of intoxicating
liquors. Whiskey taken immoderate-
ly is hurtful to man physically, spir-
itually, mentally and financially. 1t
is-an evil, without a mitigating Incl
dent. 1t is the deadly drug into which
the jewels of the hearts best love
are dissolved and poured into the
mouths of men to madden the brain
and destroy the soul. 1 saw a young
man in the morning of life, with the
sunshine of hope radiant upon his
brow, with the pulses Of youthful
spring bounding in his veins, in the
midst Of a world Of promise. Life to
him was a fair prospect, and hope
sprang eternal in his breast. l saw
him enter the saloon, drawn there by
the siren song of temptation. The
first drink of the seductive drug pass
ed his lips. / saw the sparkle in his
youthful eye turn to stupid leaden
gaze. He came back again from day
to day, until the love of the aecursed
stuff had, become a gnawing disease,
against whose cravings he was abso-
lutely helpless. The sun of hope and
happiness had passed behind the
cloud Of dissipation and death, ere it
reached the meridian. And / said,
the cause of this mans downfall
should be removed-anything that en-
excessive drinking-which
leads to this unhappy end, is an enc
my to society and ought to be exter-
I have heard a thousand
in favor Of closing the sa-
loon, and not one of keeping it open.
It's influence is hurtful in politics
The blear-eyei, soaked-brain. soul
quenched habitues of these dens of n
;euity, are easy victims for tie ward
and pofitica! bribc giver.
they vote for men who will no. en-
force the law, but who like Them
selves, hold the love Of drink Id law
less power above the interests Of
their country. The sa,con is al enc
nv to the Christian religion. j. fills
iails with criminals. sle insane asy-
ldm with lunatics. and the world with
idiots and pauperJ-in a word, it
stands for everything that is bal. and
against everything that is good. II
Is verify the Circeaa vortex from
whose voluptious whi.l, comes hn-
nan swine to sca.'e- 4ie seeds of s:r
md death, from which will surrey
spring, the tares Of sunless sorrow.
rust that you mag see fl. to enac:
avs at once wh;ca viii forever wipe
this stigma from the state of Mis-
sissippi.
Cincinnati, Ohio-A parade Of thou