The Tupelo journal., 1911-02-10
That Vardaman Pass.
Continued from First Page.

SAA<
the pass, prior to publishing his en-
phatic denial. he could easily haye dom
30.
His failure to make an investigation
to develop these facts is proof conclus
i've that he is neither fair no candle
with the public, hoping to escape JUS
censure by evasive tactics.
Merely by sending a telegram to thu
passenger department of the Gulf {
Ship Island road Mr.. Vardaman coult
have obtained a statement as to hov
the pass was procured, and who made
application for the transportation
These were matters of official record
The plain truth of the matter is tina
the pass was procured by Hon. T. M
Henry, then holding the Office of Stat
Auditor of Mississippi. from the -legs
department of the Gulf & Ship Islant
road.
Nor will it avail Mr.. Vardaman OF
his apologists to say that he was "sav'
ing money for the state" or doing j
for the old soldiers"
The fact of the matter is that the
Beauvoir home had not become thu
property of the state when this pass
was used.
The property had been purchased
from Mrs. Davis by the United Sons o
Confederate Veterans, and that organi
zation had submitted an offer to donate
it to the state.
But the legislature had adjourned or
March 22nd, the dav before Mr.. Varda
man and party started on the trip to
Gulfport.
Furthermore, it adjourned without
accepting the donation, and the title
did not pass the State until the legisla-
tive session of 1906.
Therefore, Mr.. Vardaman cannot hide
behind the skirts of the Confederacy ir
this instance, or claim that he was
Saving money appropriated for the
old soldiers"
vi.
The stupid inconsistency of the ex-
cuse, explanation, apology, or whatever
other name you may call 1t, is shown
by the following extracts:
81 do not now question the fact that
transportation was issued by the G. &
S. l. railroad to the directors of the
soldiers home, upon which my name
appears. And l may have ridden on
it."
And then, in seeming forgetfullness
of what he had previously written, Mr..
Vardaman says in another column OF
the same issue:
81 do not believe l had ever seen it
until a copy of it appeared in the or
gan of the opposition. The fact. is,
the signature looks to me like a very
clever forgery. 1t is a part of the
frame-up to embarass Mr.. Vardaman
in his candidacy for the senate"
In n breath he admits that h.
might have, and in the next he almost
swears he didn't.
That twaddle about forgery" is
merely another eyasive tactic. an effort
to implant doubt in the minds of his
followers as to the genuineness of tho
pass, or desperate wriggling to escape
from the trap in which he has beer
caught.
The Daily News will wager Mr..
Vardaman one thousand dollars, and
leave the decision to the cashiers of al
banks in Jackson having membership
in the Clearing House Association, tina
Signature attached to Round Trip Pass
No. 1854 is genuine.
The bank cashiers of Jackson are all
very familiar with Mr.. Vardaman's
cognomen, and the ANN in which he
writes it on checks, drafts and notes
especially on the latter. Several OF
them have already stated to the Daily
News that the signature is unquestion-
ably genuine.
Furthermore, Mr.. Vardaman we'll
knows that if there is any forgery in
volved, he can easily send the perpe.
TRAITOR thereof, to the penitentiary, and
that the editor of the Daily News could
be promptly jailed for publication of
criminal libel. We cheerfully assume
this risk. that word is a misnomer,
however, for nc risk is involved.
II will say, however," continues Mr..
vardanau, 'that have never before
written my name just exactly as it ap'
pears on the photograph Of the pass
Probably SO. Signatures of the mes
stereotyped form may vary slightly
especially when written in a hurry.
Perhaps, by taking peins with the task,
Mr.. vardaman might give US a better
example of his chirography. Most O
us could do the..same with u sigma
tures.
But James X. Vardaman unquestion
ably signed his name to Round TRIP
Pass No. 1854 on the return trip or
March %, 1904, and he knew that it wa
complimentary pass. accepted in fia'
grant violation of the law, when h