The Starkville news., 1918-03-22

but for vardaman. the bill would never
have gotten out OF the committee room.
, | do not mean to disparage others; but
Il was his fighting spirit his efforts
and determination that forced the COM
{, mittee to report the BILL, and II was
due to his management and through
his personal influence that 1t passed
the senate"
Reed, of Missouri and Sherman, of
Illinois, who favored the bill and
know 10 whom credit is due, will say
as much as Mr.. Shields has said, and
, It Is freely and openly admitted by SEN
ators who opposed the passage of the
bilI-Norris, of Nebraska; Kenyon, of
Iowa, and others, that, but for the per-
sonaI influence and indefatieable eff
fort of Senator vardaman, the bill
never would have passed.
One senator, western man, whose
name may be had for the asking, a
personal friend of Senator vardaman,
was not enamored of the bill because
there's human nature in folks, you
know-his part of the country would
get none Of that forty.five million dol
lars, and he had 1t in his mind to talk
the bill to death.
To 90 Back little. The bill had
been taken up by unanimous consent.
There was an effort being made to get
unanimous consent to vote on the gen.
erai revenue bill. Senator Vardaman
refused to consent to that, unless
unanimous consent was given and five
the flood control bill. A good many of
the senators. perhaps, majority of
them, Mr.. Williams, of Mississippi, be-
ing among the number, thought it
Outrageous to permit this quasi To-
cal biiI' to stand in the way of the
general revenue bill; and Mr.. Varda-
man was severely criticized by the
press at the time for Impeding gen.
sraf legislation" He "stood hitched,"
Just the same, and demanded unani-
nous consent and five hours for his
bill before he would permit unanimous
consent to vote on the revenue bill.
Get the point right here. Neither bill
could be taken up without unanimous
consent Neither side could move a
peg without the other side consenting.
The hour called for man to "stand
by the people of Mississippi" And the
junior senator Of Mississippi stood.
Stood in defiance of the wishes and
the threats and the criticism of lad
ministration ieaders"-among whom
was the senior senator of Mississippi
who thought everything should give
way by their divinety ordained pro-
gram.
Unanimous consent having been
forced by Senator vardaman, and the
bill having the right of way for five
hours and no more, 1t had to be passed
before those five hours expire, or die
About four and half of the five hours
had expired when this western sena-
tor began to talk. He could talk tFSr-
ty minutes and kill the bill; and he
had it in his mind to do so. But an
other friend of Senator Vardaman's
went over to this western man, and
while he was speaking, said to him:
"Don't fiiibuster; the bill has merit
in il, and our friend Vardamar's heart
is wrapped up In it; for mis- sake. let
the bill come to a vote" And the man
who was speaking, looked down at
his friend, and then looked across the
chamber at Vardaman: He paused IN
his remarks; studied Vardaman's
anxious face moment, spoke just a
few more words, then took his seat
The vote was taken and the bill
passed. But for the personal friend
ship of those. two men for Senator
Vardaman the vote would not have
been taken; the time limit would have
expired and the bill would have died.
That is the truth; and yet there are
men in Mississippi being deceived by
men who know better, into believing
that "Vardaman has no influence IN
the senate; let's send man there who
can do somthin'."
The Congressional Record discioses
the further fact; when the vote on
the flood control bill was taken and
the roll was called, among those re-
ported as "not voting is the name
"WiIliams."
This measure, which, but for Ben
Humphreys and James K. Vardaman
never would have become law, means
more in dollars and cenIs, in security
to life and property, to the people OF
the great valley OF the Mississippi,
than any measure that congress has
passed since the republic was formed.
| In one form or another legislation OF
L.4a. h.a heen hanuinu fire