The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1911-10-17
ALL WE'RE CHARMED
BY HIS ELOQUENCE
Splendid Grafton and Pleasant Visit Of
Hon. James X. vardaman of
Mississippi

At $50 last night 10 large and at
tentive audience, Mr.. L. w. Duval. in
| his easy manner and with words most
befittingiy spoken, introduced to the
people Of OcaIa the distinguished pol
| itician and gentleman from Mississippi,
| Hon. Jas. K. Fardaman. Mr.. Vardaman
spoke of the pleasure it gave him 70
hear the nice things that Mr.. Duval
| said Of him: that he was glad TO hear
them, whether true or not
| Mr.. Vardaman Is a most eloquent
| speaker and held his auditors every
minute of the time He spoke OF the
right and wrong side Of questions and
| said that an idea dropped now would
benefit the generations 10 come, and
that Were not only working for the
present but future generations. We
are now living under an artificial gov
| eminent, he said, and compared it
with the story of Hercules and An
taeus. and drew a lesson from the cor
ruption of the Roman republic. The
government is in the hands Of the yot
ers and If the laws are not what they
ought to be it Is because the people
do not do their duty; a man cannot
serve two masters; work and vote the
right way and all will be we'll He
1
does noble work among the poor in
the slums and said that he would
rather have it said that he had saved
one soul than to have his name en-
graved among the presidents Of the
United States.
Mr.. Vardaman stated that MISSISSIPPI
pi was the first state to give woman
the right TO control her own property,
and to educate her to enter the bust
ness world. He quoted many Of the
great men of the past and present,
one Of whom was Abraham Lincoln,
whose views and his own were ident-
ical. He said it was not the high
courts that constituted a state, but
men of great influence. He spoke of
sentiment in a beautiful way, and told
many funny little stories. He said he
was the most cussed and discussed
man in the South, but he was going to
try and better the conditions for the
Southern people in the future as he
has done in the past. Said he has been
called the "nigger hater," but he paid
a very touching tribute to the old ne
gro nanny in antebellum days and
gave his views on the race question.
He then spoke Of the whisky question
1.-The first vote he ever cast was TO
close up the saloon and if he had the
power he would close up every brew
cry and distillery before morning. He
closed with a glowing tribute to wo-
man, and especially the women Of the
South.
| Mr. Vardaman can hold an audience
lspellbound with his eloquence. He
ispeaks in rhyme and verse, quoting
at will from the best known men in
| hi or IL 70,
almost two hours. held the close atten-
ton, and was frequently and heartily
I applauded by his audience, which tho
not so large as it should have been
was made up of representative people
Mr.. Vardaman arrived Sunday even
, ing and registered at the Ocala House
He was wearied with travelling and
publicity, and desired a day of rest
which he seems to have obtained. He
visited some of his friends. amone
them Mrs. D. G. Haley, wife of his for.
mer secretary. and the family Of Mr.
| S. T. Sistrunk Mrs. Sistrunk took hin
for a long auto ride to Silver Springs
: and other places, and he was very
much pleased with what he saw.
Mr.. Vardaman granted Star re-
t porter a brief interview last evening
= He spoke in high praise of Ocala
which he said was one OF the prettleS
/ little cities he ever saw. He wa:
charmed with the beauty of Silver
Springs, and highly commended oul
roads and the excellent farming coun-
try they ran through. He highly ap.
!, preeiated the kindness of Mrs. Sis
trunk and the other friends, who ha(
enabled him to spend such a pleasant
and restful day.
Mr.. Vardaman held no public recep.
ton while here, but had a most cordia
greeting for old friends and new HI
, is one of the rare men who blend dig.
nifty and courtesy in just the prOpel
proportions.
Speaking of presidential possible
ties, Mr. Vardaman said he was con.
fident of democratic success. He die
not evince any Partially, but said b,
thought Woodrow Wilson had the bes