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James K. Vardaman

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James K. Vardaman
Vardaman in 1910
United States Senator
from Mississippi
In office
March 4, 1913 – March 4, 1919
Preceded byLeRoy Percy
Succeeded byByron P. Harrison
36th Governor of Mississippi
In office
January 19, 1904 – January 21, 1908
LieutenantJohn Prentiss Carter
Preceded byAndrew H. Longino
Succeeded byEdmond Favor Noel
Speaker of the Mississippi House of Representatives
In office
1894–1896
Preceded byHugh McQueen Street
Succeeded byJames F. McCool
Member of the Mississippi House of Representatives
from the Leflore County district
In office
January 1890 – January 1896
Personal details
Born
James Kimble Vardaman

(1861-07-26)July 26, 1861
Jackson County, Texas, C.S.A.
DiedJune 25, 1930(1930-06-25) (aged 68)
Birmingham, Alabama, U.S.
Resting placeLakewood Memorial Park, Jackson, Mississippi, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse(s)Anna Burleson Robinson
Military service
Nickname(s)"The Great White Chief"
Allegiance United States of America
Branch/service United States Army
Rank Major
Battles/warsSpanish–American War

James K. Vardaman was an American Democratic Party politician who served in different political functions, including that of governor of Mississippi from January the 19th 1904 to January the 21st 1908.[1] Prior to his entry into politics, Vardaman practiced law and also became involved in the newspaper business.[2]

A wide range of social reforms were carried out during Vardaman's time as governor. According to one study, this included measures such as the adoption of a law reducing the legal rate of interest from 10% to 8% and laws governing life insurance companies.[3] State regulation of utilities, banks and railroads was also increased.[4] Increases were made in common-school appropriations by almost 20% while teacher’s salaries went up by almost 30.%[5] Educational provision was also made for those classed as deaf or dumb.[6] A uniform text book law was adopted, giving the same books in all of the schools throughout Mississippi. This saved people a lot of money in purchasing school books for their children.[7] At a hospital for those classed as insane, the first open air hospital for treating TB in the South was built. A state home was also set up to care for old and indigent Confederate veterans.[8] Laws aimed at improving public health and sanitation were also introduced.[9] A Department of Agriculture was set up in 1906 which, according to one study, “was especially important, given the recent appearance of the boll weevil in the state. State and federal scientists working together would help the state’s cotton farmers cope with this new crisis.”[10] Banks were also required to submit competitive interest-rate bids for deposits of state revenue, and the practice of letting private landowners use convicts from state prisons as free labor was ended.[11]

While serving as senator in Congress, Vardaman supported at the national level many reforms he advocated in Mississippi including higher tax surcharges on high incomes, government ownership of coal mines, shipping companies, telephone lines and railroads, and also long-term credit for farmers. In addition, he advocated guaranteed government pensions for the elderly.[12]

Many of Vardaman's successors would continue his reform agenda.[13] [14]

Less progressive was Vardaman’s views on race. Vardaman believed that African-Americans were inherently inferior and indolent. He was also opposed to the 14th and 15th amendments to the United States Constitution. These extended citizenship rights to African-Americans. Vardaman also opposed the appointment of a black postmaster in the state, along with an invitation of Booker T. Washington to the White House.[15]

References

[change | change source]
  1. ↑ The Official and Statistical Register of the State of Mississippi Volume 6 by Mississippi Department of Archives and History, 1924, P.26
  2. ↑ Encyclopedia of Mississippi by Nancy Capace, 2001, P.438
  3. ↑ Biographical sketches of James Kimble Vardaman by A.S. Coody, 1922, P.36
  4. ↑ [https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Mississippi_Government_and_Politics/ygMQDdnlH6cC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=In+a+Democratic+primary+election+in+1911,+Vardaman+was+able+to+unseat+Percy&pg=PA33&printsec=frontcover Mississippi Government and Politics Modernizers Versus Traditionalists By Dale Krane and Stephen Daryl Shaffer, 1992, P.33]
  5. ↑ Revolt of the rednecks: Mississippi politics, 1876-1925 by Albert Dennis Kirwan, 1951, P.175
  6. ↑ Biographical sketches of James Kimble Vardaman by A.S. Coody, 1922, P.33-34
  7. ↑ Biographical sketches of James Kimble Vardaman by A.S. Coody, 1922, P.345
  8. ↑ Biographical sketches of James Kimble Vardaman by A.S. Coody, 1922, P.34
  9. ↑ Laws of the state of Mississippi 1906, P.100-101
  10. ↑ Rednecks, Redeemers, and Race Mississippi After Reconstruction, 1877-1917 by Stephen Cresswell, 2021, P.198
  11. ↑ The Improbable First Century of Cosmopolitan Magazine by James Landers, 2010, P.162
  12. ↑ Populism in the White Southern Democratic Party With Reference to Alabama and Mississippi by William Sheward, 2001, P.233
  13. ↑ [https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Redneck_Liberal/f8_t3_Ss0_MC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=This+combination+of+race-baiting+and+economic+realism&pg=PA16&printsec=frontcover Redneck Liberal Theodore G. Bilbo and the New Deal By Chester M. Morgan, 1985, P.16]
  14. ↑ Hamilton, Charles Granville (1956) "Mississippi Politics During the Progressive Period," Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science: Vol. 9, Article 9 (https://scholarworks.uark.edu/jaas/vol9/iss1/9/)
  15. ↑ Mississippi A History by Westley F. Busbee, 2015, P.207
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