The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1911-02-09
Criticised Gov. Noel.

Governor Noel and SAID tnat ne is
bald on the top of his head and bald
on the inside of his head" He would |
not class him as grandmother, said |
he, because he had too much reverence
for his and other grandmothers, but
that the little pronoun 'it" is an ex
cellent definition of what he is, and
that his administration will go down
in history as the most discredited of
all
Acts of Mr.. vardaman.
Mr.. Hebron told of a personal eXpe
rience he had with Mr.. Vardaman in
trying to get him to express his prefer
ence as to committee appointments in
the legislature and of Vardaman's
refusal to take any hand in the mat
ter, because he did not think it right
or proper for the executive to inter-
fere with the legislative branch OF
the government.
Mr.. Hebron said that the text book
commission advocated and appointed
| by Mr. Vardaman has saved the state
thousands of dollars; that Vardaman re-
fused to be dictated to as to his APP
pointments on the commission by the
book trust or by anybody else, and
that there is not enough money in
| Christendom to influence him against
his judgment. Several opportuni-
| ties were referred to where
he said Mr.. Vardaman could
have secured large sums of
money to use his influence in behalf
of certain interests and no one would
have ever known it. He could not
think of anyone foolish enough to be-
lieve Mr. Vardaman would have let
those opportunities pass and then graft
on the small amount allowed him as
contingent fund.
Mr.. Hebron said that the state had
gained $4,000 over that of the old
regime through the present convict
| law, advocated and put through by
Mr.. Vardaman and his friends. This
amount, he said, is larger than the
entire contingent fund would be for
fifty years, and alone sufficient to give
him the endorsement of all. The con-
victs are also better cared for than
ever before in the history of the state,
and in addition to the fact that in
four years they would have earned
for the state $650,OOO in cash and i'm
provements on state property amount
ing to 100000.
Mr.. Hebron stated that Mr. Varda-
mans interest in and efforts on be-
half of the state institutions, especial
ly the insane asylum, should commend
him to all To this DR.. j. D. Donald
remarked that his efforts in this direc-
ton entitled him to a state monument;
and the suggestion was well received.
The speaker then said that Mr.. Varda-
mans services to the state cannot be
estimated by dollars and cents.
| Vardaman as a Friend.
Another voice was heard from the
audience, proving to be that of Mr.. A.
McGregor, who said: "Vardaman is
as good a friend as any man or woman
in the state ever had" Loud ap-
plause followed.
The speaker said that Mr.
Vardaman was opposed to for
eign saw mill corporations con-
trolling the lands of the state, be-
cause he wanted the lands for Missis-
sippians, but was quite willing for the
mill men to invest their money in tim
Der or in mills; that in vetoing the bill
allowing corporations to own ten mill
ion dollars worth of land, Mr.. Varda-
man knew he would bring down upon
his head the wrath of these corpora
tons, but he acted as he always acted,
not from policy. but for conscience
sake, and for what he believed to be
the. best interest of the state and the
people.
Letters and newspaper articles
were read in defense of Mr. Varda-
man, and the assertion made that he
did not believe that Judge Nevill, at
torney for the Gulf and Ship Island
railroad. Mr.. Vardamans chief accus-
er, had ever made a trip to Washing
ton that he did not ride on a pass
and the story Of Mr.. Vardaman having
made trip on a pass was related as
published in The News Wednesday.
In regard to the transportation used
| by Mr.. Vardaman and the board of
trustees in visiting the old soldiers
home, Mr.. Hebron said that the legis-
lature refused to appropriate a sum
for that purpose and that the trustees
either had to pay their railroad fare
| out of their rockets or accent Masses