The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1912-01-30
SENIOR SENATOR SAYS LEoIsLA-
TURE CANNOT ISSUE ms
TRUcTIoNs TO HIM.
uses CONGRESSIONAL RECORD
And Talks Plain About the LegIsIa-
tive Resolution in Connection With
The vardaman vindlcation. Don't
Like the Language.

Washington, Jan. Ex-senator John
Sharp Williams today submitted the
vardaman vindication Of the charges
that Gov. vardaman did not account
for trust funds placed in his hands.
He gave it the Senate and had II
published in the Congressional REQ
ord.
At the same time he had similar
order made with regard to q letter
which had been sent to J. W. T.
Faulkner, secretary of the Mississippi
Senate. in which he took exception
to the language of the resolution
adopted by the Legislature which d
that copy be forwarded to Senator
John Sharp Williams with instructions
to request that It be published in the
Congressional Record"
The letter was as follows:
81 at FIRST thought that I would send
the resolutions back to you with the
request that they be submitted to the
two houses of the Mississippi State
the word Instructions stricken out,
and the word request substituted
therefor. subsequently concluded,
however. that II did 1t might be mis-
understood and, where not misunder-
stood. purposely tortured and miscon-
strued. and that 1t was better to ig-
more the word Instructions and to
treat the comnunication as a request,
in SO far as the last clause is concern
ed, and to make the request of the
senate, which was asked me. This
shall do today (Monday).
'T think, however, that it is due to
the people of Mississippi and to my
self, to lodge with the two houses Of
the Mississippi State Legislature
statement which shall as a contempo-
raneous protest, prevent the language
which you use from being tortured
into a precedent for the future.
Defied by Lamar.
Even In the old days when legis-
latures elected Senators, the right of
a state legislature to instruct sena-
tor was a mooted question. The as
sertion Of such a right was defied by
Senator Lamar. I have heard Sena-
tor Walthall deny it, and have under
stood that Senator (afterward Presi-
dentl navia nuasfionad n
II was one Of those men in Missis-
sippi who, when the legislature un-
dertook to instruct Senator Lamar,
and when he appealed from the legis-
OF them, the people of Mississippi.
took the position that, although was
for free silver I was against the as
J sertion Of the right, on the part of the
legislature to instruct a senator The
people Of Mississippi. nine-tenths OF
whom were In favor of the Bland-Al-
lison bill, as was subsequently prov
t ed by their votes upon the silver ques-
tion, sent Lamar back to the United
; States Senate and thereby disapprov-
: ed of the position taken by the legis-
lature of the state OF Mississippi IN
n its pretense OF right to Instruct
n him. t,
"The reason, even IN the old time
e when legislatures made and unmade
d Senator'S, which was conclusive Il
+ my mind against the general right ol
n legislative instruction, was this: That
l. II such right existed, then whis
r legislature might instruct a Senator
who had been elected by Demo
cratic legislature, or vice versa, and Z
Republican legislature might instruc'
a senator who had been elected by I
D. democratic Legislature, thus bringing
II about the queer spectacle Of having
a man who had been elected by ons
'e body OF one school OF politics for th'
le express purpose OF advocating th'
II policies Of that school of politics. in
* structed by another legislature to nul
It lily these policies TO which he ha1
s pledged himself and In favor OF whicl
s he was instructed by the body whicl
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