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September, 1922
THE ATLANTIAN
It does not seem at this late day that it has yet dawned
on the men in power that the only solution of the trou
bles growing out of the transportation, coal, and oil monop
olies, is absolute governmental control, and yet these little
men, vain in their own conceits, who think themselves
statesmen, have as yet no conception that the only solution
lies in the direction indicated, and after years of obstruc
tion by piffling politicians and exploiters, coupled with
much loss to all, and much suffering to the general public,
it will come. f .
WHO WILL BE MAYOR?
Solomon said that in a multitude of counsellors was
wisdom. If that is sound doctrine we can deduce that in
a multitude of candidates there is to be found a good
mayor. Maybe so! Maybe not! For the thing depends
on whether the highly intelligent voters of this hustling vil
lage should happen to vote with discretion for the best
man.
Far be it from us to say who is the best man. We
have too much regard for our health to have six hostile
and fairly husky citizens hunting for the small scalp which
has escaped the ravages of time and matrimony.
But we will elect a Mayor, and give us six guesses and
we will tell you who will be mayor.
Then after that mayor has done his level best or worst
the old burg will still be doing business at the same old
stand.
Therefore, why tear our shirts, or shirtwaists, over
the game? Let us play it honestly, without malice or
hatred, using our best judgment, and then after election
let us get behind the man elected and push like the devil.
That way we will make a good mayor, even though the
chosen man should be grouchy, or dull, or wooden, or radi
cal, or plausible, for whatever he lacks all of us betwixt us
can furnish, even to gray matter—that, however, only in
moderation.
HENRY FORD AND ORGANIZED CAPITAL
Ford took a bankrupt railroad and promptly put it on
its feet. He paid and pays his men well and yet makes it
pay. He has no labor troubles. Every capitalistic ex
ploiter in the country is his enemy..
When he wanted to reduce rates they persuaded the au
thorities in Washington to forbid it. At another time the
Wall Street contingent tried to break him and failed.
They have defeated his great enterprise for Muscle
Shoals. You see, it might help the common folks and that
does not at all agree with big money’s view. Ford knows
that crowd, and one of his late utterances is that when we
“Curb organized capital we have stopped all railroad
strikes,” and that is God’s truth.
We have known some large capitalistic manufacturers
who never had labor troubles, and in each case inquiry
into it developed that these men had built up a steady
trade for good stuff and through good years and poor paid
their help well. .... ,
It is the habit of capital when conditions are sub-normal
in the country to cry out that labor is overpaid. That
claim is viciously untrue. Take the average yearly pay
of every wage earner in the United States, as shown by
the census, and you will readily see how untrue it is. In a
paraphrase of the language of David, ‘ I have been young,
and now I am old but I have never seen a poor coal opera
tor, nor a rich coal miner,” and that settles the charge of
overpaid coal miners.
Ford is the one man of his generation who has given
the world full value for what he has taken from the com
mon earnings. His suggestions are entitled to our most
profound consideration.
BLALOCK LEADING FOR COMMISSIONER OF
AGRICULTURE
Apparently Blalock is leading his competitors in the
race for this vitally important work.
Commissioner Brown’s desperation is shown by his
digging up charges of unfair play in business transactions
by Blalock. The third man he ignores entirely. Every
time Blalock comes back with temperate and convincing
reply. He does not touch upon Brown’s private affairs,
but confines himself to his public record.
His gross nepotism, his extravagant, wasteful and un
productive administration, gives Blalock plenty of ammu
nition.
If the people of Georgia want results they will support
Blalock. If they prefer sound and fury, they will support
Brown, for, there is literally nothing to Brown but a big
voice.
The enormous mail flowing into Blalock’s office indi
cates that the people are about fed up on Commissioner
Brown, whose voice is so mighty and whose crop is so small.
GOVERNOR HARDWICK HAS MADE GOOD
Many men who did not vote for him two years ago will
vote for him this year. The writer is one of them who did.
He has lived up to his promises. He has made just as good a
Governor as the conditions and his ability would permit.
The state is not in good shape. It is not his fault. No
blame can attach to him but to the incompetents sent to
the Legislature by the people of Georgia.
The Governor has argued, persuaded, pleaded, but to
no avail, for like the parable of the “Rich man and Laza
rus,” they would not be persuaded even though one should
come from the dead to show them.
Whether he succeeds himself, or is defeated, the next
Governor of Georgia will have two years of purgatory,
and so it will be with succeeding Governors until the peo
ple realize their duty and send competent men to do the
state’s work.
For 20 years the present writer has watched Georgia’s
government. It would perhaps not be fair to say that it
is the worst governed state in the Union, but it is entirely
fair to say that it is one of the worst half dozen.
The people of Georgia have shown precisely the same