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THE ATLANTIAN
the nation’s greatest distributing points, which has
through Camp Gordon practically added 50,000 consum
ers in a year, and despite all these things lacks the pride,
the energy and the ability to properly maintain a decent
thoroughfare to the great camp, and adds to that a disre
gard of appearances so complete, and a neglect of its cit
izens so great as to let its main street look like the out-
at-elbows main road of a bankrupt country village.
Is it not about time for the Atlanta spirit to come out
of its long doze and get busy on the question of street im
provement?
As evidence that it is awake let us get busy and give
.Whitehall a new coat.
The Haraison Narcotic Law
Sometimes as we look around, and see the variety of
important things needing to be done, we feel discouraged
at the magnitude of the work waiting for us, and are dis
posed to believe that we will never work up to a higher
level.
But look back twenty-five years and we will find cause
for encouragement.
Consider the long and hard struggle to secure the par
cels post and the dire prophecies of evil. But who would
go back now to the old way? And everybody is gainer.
Think of the bitter conflict which raged around the pure
food and drugs act, but not that we have it we see how
much the country is gainer and there is still room for bet
terment.
The Narcotic law in a sense slipped up on us. The ma
jority of us had not kept up with that battle for improve
ment, and when the law was passed there were even some
good physicians who felt annoyed. Already the good re
sults are clearly manifest.
The government officials in Georgia have seen to it that
the law is rigidly enforced, and practically every good
citizen in the state is now a friend to the law. And so,
little by little, we move upwards; a temptation removed
here from the path of the weak; an addition made esle-.
where to the advantages offered the young; life made a
little easier yonder for the burden bearers; thus we are
building a nation.
“Ad astra per ardua” is the motto of one of our states,
its meaning, “to the stars through difficulties,” might
fitly apply to all of us in our struggles upward.
One of these difficulties, the traffiic of unprincipled men
in narcotic poisons, is being overcome by a good law and
efficient officials.
Hooper Alexander
Those who are acquainted with the Hon. Hooper Alex
ander, our Federal District Attorney, have always known
of his deep devotion and loyalty to his state and the na
tion .
Unfortunately for the country he was for many years
not in position where his ability and his devotion could be
utilized to promote the common welfare as he earnestly
desired to do.
For the past four years he has been in a position of use
fulness. He has not only magnified his work, but has
May, 1918
voluntarily assumed other work which has been most ben
eficial during these troublous years.
A patriot to the last fibre of his being, a strong and
forceful speaker, a cogent thinker, he has carried the Gos
pel of Americanism throughout Georgia, and his labors
have been fruitful.
From the President down to the most obscure citizen
there is work to be done by every man in our country for
the good of our country. And every good American can
find that work by putting out his hand, he can not miss
touching something useful to do.
We commend to our readers the example of this splen
did citizen who can not satisfy his conscience by the dis
charge of official duty, but constantly, day in and day out,
goes out into the field, and ably upholds the hands of our
leaders who are steering our governmentalship through
the waters of strife.
J. R. Robison, Chief Field Officer
J. R. Robison, Chief Field Agent, with headquarters in
Atlanta, though new in this field, is doing excellent work.
Bob, as he is better known to his friends, belongs to that
type of man which wanting anything done—goes. As
a result of this spirit he is making it very uncomfortable
for that class who have no understandings of law other
than that, it is something to be evaded or violated if there
is a chance to evade the penalties. Our gravest defect is
a lack of proper respect for the law, because it is the law,
and because law is essential to orderly living.
The public official therefore, who makes the law re
spected by that class which respects only power is doing
a great and glorious work. The results of which will
endure long after his term of service has ceased. Mr.
Robison is a credit to the public service and his steady
rise in this his new field which in the past has marked his.
career in subordinate positions will be emphasized while
he serves at the head of this department.
Who’s Going to Be Mayor?
Atlanta has to elect a Mayor this year. Even in the
midst of a great war we may not neglect the current af
fairs of our city. Indeed, the abnormal conditions make
it imperative that we put strong men in positions of trust
and responsibility.
The Atlantian has no candidate. Many names have
been mentioned, but at this writing there seems not not
able trend towards any particular man,
It might be well for us to take a careful look and ascer
tain if it be possible to find some clean, strong patriotic
man, who is not identified with any faction or interest,
who has been a good citizen, who has capacity, and who,
if elected Mayor, would have no other interest during
the next two years than the welfare of Atlanta.
Such a man if drafted into the public service would
have no enemies to punish, no friends to reward.
It would not be rUaterial whether he were rich or poor,
provided he had the other qualifications. There are many
men in Atlanta who would measure up to the exacting
standard, but it is quite certain that not one of these men
is seeking the place.
It would be a refreshing novelty for us to pass by the