The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1911-03-24

monwealth of June 30, 1902, hs wrote:
1T has been the supreme rule of my life
when dealing with the public to practice
the utmost candor. In a word, I have
never had a political secret" In the
first number of his Issue, February 1,
1908, in his salutatory, he said: "The
truth regarding public affairs shall be
told. Men. in public life will be treated
as public questions" And again, he said,
in this paper: "The Issue is going to
tell the people of Mississippi about all
public matters insofar as it is able to
learn, and is going to put itself to some
trouble to learn it." There is no need
for this matter to be shrouded in dark
ness or mystery. Since the governor can
not recollect as to the fact, his memory
could easily be refreshed if he will
practice the supreme rule of his life,' and
take some trouble to find out the truth
he can, I believe, in two days, by
writing to the proper office Of the rail
road company, learn whether such pass
had been issued and used. This whole
thing reminds one Of the Irishman, who
was arrested for some offense and, when
asked by the judge, "Are you guilty or
not guiltyi" said, "Sure, and how can l
know, your reverence? l haven't heard
the evidence yet"
vardaman Lobbying for a Trust.
The first plank, my fellow citizens, Of
the national democratic platform is the
demand that the corporation keep out of
politics. Not only do they influence leg
~islation by gifts of campaign funds, but
they are represented by powerful lob
bies. l do not think that I exaggerate
when l say that during the session Of
the legislature as many representatives
OF the corporations, seeking to get or
thwart legislation, come to your capitol
as there are legislators. The evil is a
great and growing one. The evil Of it,
the bribery that sometimes accompanies
it, has led to another great evil, that
of unscrupulous legislators introducing
hold-up bills-bills which they expect to
be bought off. By adroit agents and lob
byists honest legislators are often de-
ceived, and laws %flagrantly illegal and
unwise are often passed. I have no de-
AiCL WIN y tnClIl6CItCS
or clients have to 60 before the legisla-
ture for relief. It is condemned by no
rule of law or code of ethics. But how
about a man who holds himself out as
the special champion of the poor man
against the rich, and who lobbies for a
railroad which is trying to circumvent
the law? We have a statute against
trusts and combines, and one combina-
ton especially forbidden is a consolida-
ton or merger of two parallel lines of
railroad. Can you conceive of the cham
pion of the poor against corporations
lobbying for such a bill? What! Var
daman lobbying for such a measure,
that is a combination and trust pro-
hibited by state and federal law, a com-
b~ination of two parallel roads which
would destroy competition and create
a monopoly? Let us accept Gov. Varda-
mans invitation when he asks us to
scrutinize his creed. The Y. & M. v.
railroad has a line in the delta parallel
for many miles to the Southern. Now
the Southern is the same road that lob.
bied through a bill for a merger with
this merger that evoked from Major
Vardaman his awful denunciation against
mergers. May l read one or two? In
the Commonwealth Of August, 1902, he
wrote: That this consolidation is
clearly a violation of the law there can
be no doubt . . that the CONNER
cial interests of all the cities touched
by the M. & o. obtaining freight and
are suffering is also well known" And
again he said, "The only thing to do, it
occurs to me, is for the officers of the
law to enforce the law. If the law pro-
hibits combinations of that character,
the laws should be executed. 1t
occurs to me that he 1.-THE governor)
might use a little of the peoples money
to protect the rights of the people and
uphold the laws against trusts and com.
bines." And again he said, on January
B.. 1902: ut was recognition of that
fact THAT every railroad company would
e~xtort, plumber and rob) that caused the
enaction of the law in this state which
prohibits competing lines from CONSOLE
dating" Notwithstanding all this, it is
q matter of common knowledge, which, |
take it, Gov. Vardaman will not himself
deny, that he came to Jackson and lob.
bied for this consolidation of the Y. &
N' "hN SAS oOdthCiHy WNiCu COISOll-
dation was a trust, and which the Su.
preme Court so adjudged. 'Oh, con-
sistency, thou art a jewell"
Vardaman and the Vouchers.
The government of our country is a
vast and complex business. It is bust
ness involving the expenditure of a
billion dollars a year. The senator
chosen must guard and pass on these
expenditures. There are committees in
the senate on expenditures in every de-
partment Of government. He may be
appointed to serve on committees on ex-
penditures in the navy, or army, or de-
partment of justice, or executive con.
tingent fund. This is an important ser
vice. 1t is important hat you know
the business qualifications and fitness
of the candidate before sending him to
serve on these committees. If put on
them he would hardly exact from public
officers a higher degree of care and dill
gence in accounting for public moneys
than he would apply to himself. l want,
-, Alsa