The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1909-07-24
VAROANAN On RACE QUESTION
Says THIS the Most Momentous Prob
lem Now Demanding Solution.

ing the two hours Hon. Jas. X. Var
daman. former governor of Missis-
sippi. stood before a large audience
at the Chautauqua auditorium Fri
day night and delivered his famous
lecture, THE Impending Crisis AL
though the audience suffered from
the intense heat the best of order
prevailed and the close attention of
everyone was held under the magic
spell Of the burning eloquence of the
speaker.
1t was almost time for the lecture
to begin when Governor Vardaman
reached the stage door. The orches-
ira had Just finished playing Dixie
and while the audience applauded
pleased expression stole over the
speakers face. Secretary Parker
made his usual announcements and
then introduced the lecturer. AS
Governor Vardaman stepped to the
front of the stage he was given an
enthusiastic reception.
He said he always felt at home
among a people who could give eX-
preston to their approval of that old
triotic heart He said when he comes
to shuttle off this mortal coil he
hoped his soul would wing its way
into the eternal world to the soft
strains of Dixie"
He disclaimed having come to en-
terrain the people and said it was
not his purpose TO arouse their pre-
iudice. but to talk about something
of vital moment to every white ciu-
zen of this country. He said:
Il am going to give you something
Ultimately | thing great good will re-
suit from it. | have been cussed and
discussed more than any other con-
sentative during the past five years.
He then said he did not claim to
be a conservative. He said:
"A conservative is a man who usu-
tally has no ideas of his own but if
an idea happens to stray into the
barren wastes of his mentality he
has not the courage to tell it..
Governor Vardaman then spent
some time discussing the question of
the individual citizens relation to
the government. He said the presi-
dent of the United States was often
: referred to as a ruler. when in fact
the people are the rulers. He said:
You are the sovereigns and if it
is not by your consent the laws are
, made then il is no use for me to
5 talk to you | had better go talk to
your governor or the legislature.
The president of this country is not
a ruler. He is nothing but your hir-
ed man. He is employed by you to
perform certain function at a fix
ed salary, The office holder is not
the ruler but the servant. The only
king in this great country is the
white man who deposits the ballot
and the only queen is the white WON
an who teaches him how to vote With
your ballots you write the laws of
the land and with your ballots you
can repeal them. The constitution
land the government were made for
Iyou Mans service to man is the
most acceptable service to God.
. When a man accepts public office
that man ought to choose between
selfishness and service to his coun-
try An honest office holder cannot
get rich on the salary paid in Amer
ica"
Governor Vardaman said that in
the settlement of this question the
: state of Texas was to play an import
ant part The ballot box of this
Is country must be purified. He said
that in many of the cities of the
matter of merchandise. If this coun-
try is ever saved, he said, it must be
saved by you. The politicians are not
= going to save it. They were never
hlIOWn 10 save anything unless II
was something to put in their pock-
cts. When the citizen fails in his
function this government will crum-
: BILE and perish
] Governor Vardaman then took up
, the race question and said 1t was
the greatest problem now confront
ing the Caucasian people. For more
- than an hour he discussed the ques-
} ton from a scientific, moral, educa-
: tional and political standpoint. He
took the position that it is impossi-
= BILE for the two races to live togeth-
2 er on terms of social or political
, equality He said the greatest prog
ress made in the education Of the
negro was during the two hundred