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THE ATLANTIAN
September, 1914
to criticism than any other act of the present adminis
tration, has had his earnest support, in the belief that it
will be a great improvement on the old system. Un
doubtedly, he is trying to serve the public; and the Geor
gia public, believing that, have given him an unqualified
endorsement, not for results obtained, because results
are yet to show, but for service, honest service, faithful
service—and no man, however great, has the ability to
give more than that. His fidelity to his obligations as a
Senator have earned for him fairly the splendid tribute
paid him by the people of Georgia in the overwhelming
vote which they gave him on August 19th.
Mayor Woodward
The present Mayor of Atlanta, James G. Woodward,
has had a most unique record. Three times he has been
elected Mayor of Atlanta, in each case after a most des
perate battle. This has been due largely to the fact
that he has always had behind him a phalanx of voters
as solid as ever was the old Macedonian phalanx, and
which, through evil and good report, has never wavered
in its loyalty to the Mayor.
During this last term, the Mayor has so conducted him
self as to secure the good-will of a large number of men
who have never heretofore been his supporters—with the
result that he is now a candidate for re-election without
opposition. In view of past history, this is really a very
remarkable condition of affairs.
Mayor Woodward’s personal honesty has never been
questioned. His devotion to a prudent and economic ad
ministration of the city has never been questioned. A
man of unusual strength of will, his angularities have
made him oftentimes enemies when a milder word from
him would have left them friends. During the last two
years, the Mayor has softened perceptibly. He is not
so harsh in his demeanor toward his opponents as for
merly, though yet perhaps too ready to use the veto. He
has managed to co-operate with Council in the main, r
is given credit by the public with a sincere desire to serve
the people as they should be served.
Of course, without opposition his election is a foregone
conclusion; and it is to be hoped that the disposition
which he has shown during the last two years may be
accentuated during the next term to the advantage of
the city of which he is the representative man.
A Twelve-Hour Day for Firemen
From the first issue of the Atlantian up to the pres
ent time, it has always contended for justice to the po
licemen and firemen. These men are the faithful ser
vants of the public. They have never been overpaid and
are not likely to be. They keep long hours, and contin
ually risk their lives to protect our persons and our prop
erty. From a psychological standpoint, it is hard to un
derstand the reluctance of the governing powers to give
these men their due. No other public servants have
ever been treated so ill. The time seems to be ripe to
give that measure of justice to the firemen which has
been accorded to policemen. The justice here spoken of
is not a demand for more money, though certainly they
are not overpaid, but a demand for a reasonable day’s
work. As our fire-fighting force is now constituted, the
men have a twenty-four-hour day practically, with an
occasional chance to run home. It may be contended that
the greater part of this time is not spent in active work.
Hut the essential fact remains that they are cut off from
the home privileges which are granted to other men.
Added to that, when the fireman does work he has to
work ten-fold harder than the average man; and every
time he goes to a fire he takes the risk of life and health.
A twelve-hour day regularly would put him, to some
extent, in line with the rest of our people. There is no
reason why they should be discriminated against, except
that a system has grown up which it does not occur to
us to change. It is a bad system, and it is time that
somebody was speaking out in meeting. The Atlantian,
seeking no favor, not at all sensitive in its feelings and
fearing nobody, does not hesitate to present the claims
of this splendid body of men for civilized treatment.
The County Unit Iniquity
The Georgians are great Democrats—in a Party sense.
But they are very poor Democrats when it comes down
to the actual management of their affairs.
The County Unit System, which obtains in Georgia,
is one of the most un-Democratic schemes ever devised
by shrewd politicians to defeat the will of a majority of
the people. It is inherently dishonest. And yet there are
thousands of men in Georgia, claiming to be honest men,
who, because this iniquitous scheme gives to their county
a little advantage, are willing to stand up and defend it.
Democracy means equal rights and equal privileges.
The vote has been hedged around with restrictions, deem
ed wise in order to save the public interests from injury
at the hands of those unqualified to give an intelligent
vote. Aside from that, all those to whom the right is
given should be on an equal footing. Then the County
Unit System comes in and says “No, this does not suit
us. We want the men in Quitman, or Dade, or Warren,
to have five times the voting strength of men in Fulton,
or Richmond, or Chatham.” There is absolutely no ex
cuse for it under the sun except a desire on the part of
the beneficiaries of this rascally system to hold the undue
advantage which the system gives them, and thus enable
them to dictate to a majority.
It could easily happen, under this system, that a can
didate for Governor, or Senator, or Congressman, ob
taining a very large popular majority, might be defeated
by the operations of the County Unit method. For ex
ample: Suppose that a candidate for Governor should
get 10,000 majority in Fulton, 5,000 in Bibb, 5,000 in Chat
ham, 5,000 in Richmond, 2,000 in Floyd, 3,000 in Musco
gee, 2,000 in Clark, 2,000 in Ware and 1,000 in Thomas.
Now, suppose he gets in forty other counties in the State
another 5,000—making a total majority of 40,000. His
opponent comes up with an average majority of 100 in
100 counties, making 10,000 total. Though defeated on
the popular vote by a 30,000 majority, he gets the nomi
nation by the operation of a system which gives from two