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SMITH DISCUSSES EE EIGHT RATES
AND DISFRANCHISEMENT OF NEGRO
AND REPLIES TO HOWELL’S ATTACKS
THE ATLAS** GEOBCflSu?
-TSSffiHSFTH"
wsrnmmm
vhen thoy
fro
th#*
I lulled with the
-ork of the railroad you meant by domesUoatlng foreign
_ the theory that the corporation*? Will you tell this audl>
hlit right/ n rV.mm’lTtee wait appoint- I ralirWl comrnlBvinn forced thin great | ence what you meant when you *ald
d to negotiate with the rallroudi*. A I saving for the people. I deny that any i you were opponed to permitting foreign
••adjustment of rate* waa thereby ob-I such saving haa been made by anv- | corporations to r.efnove their canes to
taloed which will gave to Georgian** I body. I ask Mr. Howell for hla proof, the United States court?
Only Hope of Relief
a Return to Popu
lar Government.
SAYS RATES HAVE GONE UP;
SHOULD HAVE GONE DOWN
Tells Audience for First Time
Where Money From Piedmont
Bar Went—Scores King.
In hl« opening apeeeh In lh# Joint
IttctUMlon with Clark Howell at the
Peachtree auditorium Friday night, the
H<®. Hoke Smith aald:
•'Mr. Chairman, Ladles and Gentlemen:
"I have lived In Atlanta IS ream;
:hli Is the flrat lime I ever aaked your
support for office. Two weeks before I
announced my candidacy for governor I
had no Idea of enterlijg a conleat for
that high and honorable position. I
lira* Induced to become a candidate
chleny because so many of my fetlow
ttlaena throughout the elate expressed
Adeelre that I should lead a S«ht for
twiiular government against railroad
.•I corporate rule, but I cannot deny
’hot the threat* of exposures by Mr.
Clark Howell, made ibrouch the eol.
utima of The Atlanta Constitution,
timulsted me to the tusk. aj
-I believe In popular government,
believe that the free and unrestrained
' ole of a majority of the voters builds
the character of our cltltsns and brings
th. beet government.
"It can be easily shown that an alll
i of men. largely Influenced by the
.orations owned outside the state,
directs the machinery of the Democrat -
*• party, and, to a great extent, controls
the i...tides of Georgia.
"For twelve months past I have been
uigtng the people to throw off this yoke
and to take charge of their own af
fairs. The necessity for such action Is
made clear when you consider the bur
dens placed upon the people of Oeor-
Kln. I only ask you to consider with
ins tonight those burdens which grow
out of the unjust rhargea for carrying
passengers and freight made by the
railroad cotnpnnlas.
Entitled to Only Fair Profit.
"The supreme court of the United
Slates has declared that a railroad
■ ornpany la a public carrier, a public
highway, and only entitled to charge
such rates for carrying passengers and
freight a« are necessary to earn a read
Honibtr profit upon the money actually
mil Into their properties. They should
not be permitted to make excessive
charges to enable them to pay Interest
and dividends upon stuck! and bonds
issued In ex ores of th* money put Into
their properties
"If we make a conservative estimate
of the real value ol
i rolled by the nv* greni railroad sys
tems doing business In this stats and
cm spare this with the net earnings oT
i hi. systems In Georgia, we will find
that they are collecting between three
and four million donate annually from
the people In Georgia In extern of a
fair Interest upon their Investments.
"HUh freight rates are a tax upon
the Industries of th* masses of the two.
lde. A merchant or shipper may first
pay th* freight, but h* adds what he
has paid to the price nf his go.Kit rind
'he consumer* return th* money to him
in the Increased charges be must make
f..r what he sells. It Is the duty of th*
railroad commission to reduce the rates
»nd the duty nf the governor to see
'hst It la don*.
"For the purpoen of determining
whether the rates are excessive let us
use the charges which the railroad
. nnunlssten has permitted the South
ern Railroad Company and tb« Cen
tral «f Georgia Railroad Company to
charge the people of the slate. If w#
ilb \ ri IbM lit
practically
and merely
. *e two mads with rates cH
by roads similarly situated In Sou
<'«r,.ltow North Carolina and Virginia
«'■ will llnd that th* Georgia roads
make cha mAtataraMMaMfcBM
ccr.t high
;• t »i 11 j* nimM.fl
■ Twenty-five years ago n alandard
tariff for freight rales was adopted by
the tallroad commission. It wga a|
regular schedule nf rate* which rail
roads wens permitted to charge for ear-
■ ring different riassee of frrlght. Th*
rata, on th# Central and the Kouth-rn
were advanced until In KM they were
permitted to charge the standard tariff
and :'t per cent added.
Th* Commission's Reason.
"In permitting this Increase th* rail
road commission gave as a reason far
grunting It:
* That the great financial depression
nil over the country, that has affected
every branch af trad*, has been **-
N erely felt by the railroad rotnpanle* of
<:*orxiu '
While this stay bars been true In
i»n. for a aumber of year* past the
railroad companies have been doing lb*
]a>ge-t hnriaess In their htolory.
The business of the Central railroad
has Increased since HM over lev per
rent. Its net earnings have also k»-
creaes*i ever IM per cent, while Its
mtleuge has Increased lees than <» per
lent. During this time It has alee tn-
r c-ted from net profits la aikUtloa to
the net profits Just referred to. an
ii i, rage or a million dollars a year In
■MtermenU.
without sulretahUal value
ly speculative stock. Th* high
rates the road hag charged have given
to this stock now a market value of
eighty million nf dollars more than It
had ten years ago. Tho railroads wera
vigilant to obtain an Increased price on
account of hard time*, but no one was
watching th* Interest of the public and
giving you a reduction as a conse-
(tuence of prosperous times.
•■As an Illustration of the way In
which the people are being unjustly
burdened by high freight rates, 'he
Southern railroad ptnwhaaad th* At
lanta and Florid* railroad, built by
Atlanta capitalists, running from At
ants to Port Valley. forTm.OOO. I.
rss capitalised this property at (2,-
*11, lit, and la undertaking to make
" » people, by high fi
thin capitalisation.
•It la aaay to understand from the
facts I have mentioned how the people
of Georgia are being taxed by the five
great railroad systems on local busi
ness alone, between three and four
million dollars a year In excessive
charges for carry tog freight and pas
sengers. The unjust charges placed
upon tha poople of our state are not
limited to local-rata*. Georgia dlstrib,
Comparison sf Rate*
"Let us compare tha rates charged
from th* Bast and the West to At*
lanta with those charged to Nashville,
Tennessee, xil In this connection you
must bear in mind that what la true of
Atlaata Is tru# of the balance ol Oenr-
Th* distance from New York to
Atlanta Is *?• miles. Th* distance from
New York to Nashville la IM miles.
Yet the rates per car Jogd ol 10,000
pounds are higher to Atlanta than to
Nashville on grst-ctoae goods per car,
ITS; on second-class good* per car,
ITS; oa third-class gnoda per car. III;
on fourih-rlaga tends per car, 1101: an
flfth-claaa gnoda per cur, ITS; on sixth-
via** poods par ear Mi. tf you make
th* comparison from New York to Cln-
- — discrimination
rlnnatl or Louisville the
against Atlaata la oven groater.
"Different charges are made per 100
pettnda fur different else*** of freight.
Ity a change of ctoesHtcaliou. moving
petleies from cheaper rlasaiflroUon*
lata higher-priced oiasslflvaUoa*. a
heavy Incrrap* In freight rates all over
the Houth was mads six years ago.
About lbe asms Urns an Increase was
made tu the charges for freight on
coal of 1* rente per Inn. This was
don* at a time when, by every rea-
seaside rule, a decrease In th* freight
Charxes nf not lass I baa It cent* par
ten ahsttld have been mad*. Atlanta
handles SIAM vara of coal annually,
thus making an Increase of about (MU
MP to Urn rest of hauling this coat
whan there ought to nave beep a de
crease of over 150,*09. U la easy for
evefy man lo understand bow the cost
of hla fuel bus been tncroaevd by the
Improper conduct of tha railroad com
pftQlMs
Applies to Many Georgia Points.
Although I havo used Atlanta a* the
point for this discussion,
made with equal or more force, tf !
should use Griffin, or Macon, nr Cor.
dot*, or Valdosta, or Boat*, or Colum-
bum or Ataartowa. or Albany, or many
other points in Georgia. It la a plain
proposition that railroad com pa me*
havo not given to Ooorgta the benefit
of her harbors or her riven lit furnish-
ng water transportation, while they
tav# done so for other state*, when
fixing freight rate*. It may be sug
gested that It I* not a question which
ran be Involved In a stats campaign,
at elate bouse officers have no power
to bring rrltef. With such a view I
"Georgia has tw.1 rplrndld harbors.
With but little expense steamboats
.. ■ff.PPg loan be placed upon the ocean, sailing
‘S55S har|jro.. aster, ports
>car to twelve million dollar* per >.or
where the steamboat line 1* one named
by the central railroad.
Effect* of Reduction Acked For.
•Tha money, therofars, which the
rail rend* would have received would
have been practically th* same as that
which they aow receive ae their pro
rata for shipment* from tb* Bast by
water and rail. Tha benefit to At
lanta and to other Georgia points
would have com* from the free uae
of any vessels they desired upon the
ueeaa, and It was conceded that ocean
rates could be eblatned at very much
lees than the pro rata of charges now
paid on through shipment* to the
steamer* named by the Central rail
road. The effect, as a whols, of this
reduction of rates from Georgia points
to Atlanta and to other Interior point*
would bav* been to make the rate from
the Fast to Georgia points about M per
cent I Sea than the present rates.
"Another benefit of this reduction of
Eastern rates would have been that
Western rate* would have come down
In preportion, aed the all-rail haal,
both East and Weal, would have been
reduced t* meet the new water and
rail hauL Two of tbl rommtofloner*.
Meet re. Joseph M. Brown and Warner
HIU, voted ngalner th* port rata reduc
tion. Mr. l"opo Brown voted for It,
expressly stating that be, at the same
time, voted to make similar reduction*
of rales throughout the state. Mr.
Joseph M. Brown gave as hie principal
reason for refusing to vota for the
reduction* not that the proposed rates
would fall to be remunerative to th*
Georgia railroads, but that th* com
bined rail and water ratrs to the East
would be a* much reduced that the all-
rail lines, East and West, would b*
Compelled to reduce thslr rates to meet
th* competition; In ether word* that
the unreasonably high rate* now being
permitted by th* Oeorgta railroad com
mission from the porta of Georgia to
Interior points In tleorgfa furnished th«
real Opportunity for the railroad com
panies to give cities of other states
much lower through rales than were
nlven to Georgia points, and because
tb* rsdacUiMW demanded In Georgia
would Interfere with tb* unjust exist-
Ing through rut* system, ha would not
grant a reasonable reduction from the
porta of Georgia to Interior points. It
timnto bow much the pso
ra! tuindi,-d thousand dollar* each
years. It must always be borne In
mind that having won a fight for re-
adjustment to Atlanta, the readjust
ment necessarily followed to other
points In Georgia, and all over the
Mato the reduction was made, ns well
as to Atlanta Tin- fight IfiM made prl-
marll,
"IV Wtpate St
•T'tafva n,,.ngh.« igm 1 began calling
the sttswtte* of tk« pee; ’<* or the store
to the Inexcusable 25 per cent which
the Boutharn and Central railroads
ware charging In axes** of tha stand,
ard tariff. I also called attention to
the 20 per cent excess beyond the
standard tariff which the Atlantic
Coast Line was permitted to charge.
I also hare called attention to the 2i
per cent In excess of the standard
tariff which the Georgia Southern and
Florida railroad was permitted to.
charge. These excess charge* had
hern without excuse for years, but
nothing had bc< n dan* to reduce them.
I told the people that the agitation of
the subject alone would help them,
said In my uiberton speech last fall
that before the gubernatorial election,
tho railroad commissioner’ll would find
that they could no longer afford to
continue in '.nice without doing any
thing at all for the people. As a con
sequent M the igttatlen alone, the rail
road commissioners, In the early part
of the present year, reduced the 25 per
cent extra charges allowed the South
ern and Central to 15 per rent, and the
20 per cent allowed the Atlantic Coast
Une to l* per cent, but they refused
to make the reduction on the Georgia
Southern nnd Florida. w
What Honast Commission Can Do.
T have shown that a proper reduc
tion of rata* from the ports to In
terior point* will largely overcome the
present unjust through rotes to Geor-
S a point*. CHve th* people of Georgia
11 road commissioners with all tne
power of th* stat* to regulate local
freight rates; rive them full power to
Investigate Interstate freight rate*,
and. If necessary. In behalf of the state
lo fight before the Interstate railroad
commission for Just through rates;
bqek your railroad commission with a
governor who knows the evils, believe*
they can be remedied, and la willing to
fight to remedy them; arouse all the
Ifwwil AAmmapcIgl Iwwllaea In nroil fflfi' In
but whatever It amount* to,
complhihcd by your own fellow citi
an»l In spite of the blunders and
faults of the railroad commission.
Repealed Eight Out of Nine.
“The railroad commission refused the
port rates reduction. They p:uu»ei] nine
AtiaffZ bift lnoi'i' i.t'iilv'for I ordera on fr^Urht ctaiws In over
* twelve months* time ftuii rrpeyded elijht
ot th*#p only order had left
at the cb'se of last year reducing
freight rates was one with reference
to stoves, which may have possibly
muds a reductPm In freight rates
less than 110,000 a year. It was dur
Ing this period that Mr. Howell was
extolling the commission. Local rates
then were excessive to such an extern
that they ought to have been reduced
(4,000,000 a year. His railroad commie
slon, with the valuable work It
then doing, having made n reduction
of (10,000 In over a year, at the same
rate, of speed, would have required 200
years to glvo the people tho local re
ductlons to which they were entitled.
E call on Mr. Howell to show the
order of the commission which saved
tho JLOOO.OOO he had tulked about. He
can show non".
'I ask Mr. Howell to show what ex
cuco he has for saying that the rail
road commission secured the reduction
In Interstate ratee that was obtained
about twelve months ago. t call his
attention to the fact that In his own
papef In mentioning these reductions
he has said: 'Roads make concessions
to Atlanta committee.’ Again In the
same article his paper publishes:
was only after a hard struggle
that Atlanta'a committee was able to
secure from the railroad officials the
reduction.’ This was his account of the
reductions when the agreement to make
them was reached.
How Inconsistent Is the position of
Mr. Howell! lu one breath he de-
ares that the railroad commission of
Georgia obtained these Interstate re
ductions, nnd In the next hi .'nth he
declares that the Georgia railroad
commission can do nothing toward rcc
i Pet
’i t s I* trus, although, according to a
circular I sawed tar tb* sale of bon da
, f the Southern, It Is declared:
-That the bookkeeping force of the
Rout bent hoe literally been obliged to
» "k overtime In order to conceal the
- nplus which has been piling up.’
Should Have Been a Reduction.
"Tb* earn* rale which gave these
reeds an Increase of charges for sorry-
)■ freight la IIM, It proper vt*!Unre|
: .*>: *le of tha state a reduction of
freight charges. The net Income of
r :«* Central of Oeprat* railroad tor tha
I ear HM wo* (2,(«Mo*. la addition to
the net profits spent for betterments.
of Income bonds, a large part of
r.rth, ten yew re ago. were worth about
- , -nu oa th* dollar. had a surplus af
b'W from Us net Income
"The Southern railroad ten years ago
for lower rstes to
liar.ts. and tf to ttUnta, then toother
t-lnts, from Savannah and
runs wick. Th# Atlant t freight
B _ petitioned the railroad emi
ssion for a reduction of charges from
rannah to Atlanta So sir.rng a
care was made that at .me time the
offli.r. of the rallroids conceded l*s
Justice aa.l undertook to give tbc re.
auction, but finally they failed to do
so. The reductions asked for would
a have Imrught th* charge* substan-
y below what la now charged In
th Far,Ulna. North FaroUna and
Virginia. It would not have brought
tb* rata* tower than th* rhargea volun-
stxty minions of preferred Mock tartly guide by tb* Central railroad »n
ta bad red and twenty miMnns a thrr
common stock. This stock
Is hard to tab
pi* of our state are taxed each year
on account of this Inexcusable decision.
Aiks Full Due* for Geergla.
"It may bo argued that Georgia It
proepsr.ms, TWs to undoubtedly true.
No living man ha* groater confidence
In tho future of Georgia than J. But I
oak that all b* given to th* state lo
which U to snllUed. I believe that
Georgia has opportunities to bacuma a
manufacturing state and a commercial
elate, scarcely rivaled, not excelled, by
any slate In th* Union. Because th*
state la growing rapidly, because the
people' or# prospering Is no excuse fer
preventing, by uneqWl freight rates,
ibejrrowth to which ah* to entitled.
"The traveling men of Georgia build
up tha business of the state and con
tribute Immensely t«f the prosperity of
the railroad companies. They have
been pleading for years to obtain
thousand-mite hooka, good on sit rail
road system* and their connections In
the state, and they have asked far a
t-ewnt rat*. The traveling men not
only serve those who employ them, but
they serve the local merchant*, and
they serve the whole people, by th*
Information which they distribute
throughout the whole cut* with ref
erence to the commodttle* which they
sett Their demand has been reasona
ble; the railroad companies nave turn
ed a deaf ear to tt. The Southern rail
road, the Central of Georgia Railway
Cempony. nnd the Georgia Southern
and Florida Railroad Company, de
clined even to participate In the use
of the Interchangeable thousand-mile
book*. The railroad commission of
Georgia baa had the power all akxxr
to fix this rata for the traveling meg,
and lo make the books good on the
Southern, Central and Georgia South-
era aid Florida railroads. It hoe tail
ed to da Mb and In fating It bos (ail
ed to discharge a duty which It owed
the people of Georgato. In point of
fact, a fiat 1-cent per mil* rate for all
nuweagers on th* big syatewva would
be sufficient, after free passes to those
not entitled to them are eliminated.
"Th# freight chargers collected from
the people nf Georgia on local and
through business In txceaa of reason
able charges, and. therefore, unjust,
amount* to over fir* mlllloa dollars a
year. Th* Georgia railroad commis
sion, It It ware organised with men
who really desired ta serve th* peo
ple. and backed by a governor who
was really In sympathy with th*
movemeat, ha* th* absolute authority
to radge* the local rata*.
(to met Winy Css be Dene. .
"Fan anything be done In Oeorgta to
protect our people from tb* unjust la-
taretat* freight rates? There to go
something ran be dag*.
The Atlanta freight bureau mode a
long fight against excessive Interstate
rates. It carried the fight even brio a
fiadelphla. via Savannah, local temporary hnM-up of the rail-.
local commercial bodies In Oeorgta 1 ta
the support of the railroad commis
sion and tho governor, and you will
find that the railroad companies can be
made to respect the rights of the peo
ple. but the state mast carry th* light,
and not the Individual shipper.
"There to an unmutaknble l**uo he-
tween the people of Georgia and the
railroad*, and It must be fought out
until the people win their rights. I
wo«ld hot do the railroads an Injnatlca,
but I demand for the people a square
deal, and I declare that they are not
now getting It
"And the same Issue which extols
between the people and th* railroads
exlgto between Mr. Howell and myself.
1 have championed the cause of the
people: he has done all that he could
ta support the other side. Ig hi* for
mal announcement, ln hl " speech**. In
editorial* published In his paper,
through letters try Joseph M. Brown,
and published In hie paper, he has en
deavored to show that my contentions
are unfounded, and he has defended
the railroad commission and the gov
ernor. In hla announcement he con
demned what It* termed 'assaults pub
licly directed against the railroad com
missioners.* And he declared that ‘the
local rates, which are under the Juris
diction of the Georgia railroad com
mission, are less than tho*e of our
slater states of Alabama and South
Carolina.' Ha 'declared also against
any power of the railroad commission
to brUtg relief from unjust Interstate
rate*. All over the state he has da-
fended the railroad commission and
vtlllfled mo for criticising them.
Says Hewtll Defends Road*.
According to the published report
In hla paper of a speech he made at
Mabellog, In Cobb county, ha defends
the railroad commlslon, as now organ
ised, by declaring: 'Your railroad
commission stand* ready to rectify any
dtocrimnatlnn In rata* In the start,
and the** are the only rates oyer which
It has any pewar.' And he added that
'the fact to that few discrimination* In
local rate* are now complained of.' He
put hlmsetr dearly In the attitude of
not only Indorsing th* railroad com
mission, but Indorsing th* existing lo
cal nils*.
"In an editorial In The Atlanta Con
stitution on August 2. IMS, ht elabor
ately defended th* railroad commission
call upon you, Mr. Howell, to de
fend your claim that the railroad com.
mission secured the reduction to wbloh
I have referred. I call upon you to
explain your claim that the reductions
amounted to a million dollars a year.
I call upon you to tell the peoplo of
Atlanta why you published at tho time
that th* committee,representing the city
of Atlanta, secured tho reduction that
th* committee .secured them, and than,
subsequently, you changed your post
tlon and gave the credit to the rati
road ^commission you" were seeking to
•The truth about It la you cannot
successfully defend the attitude of your
allies on the railroad commission, and
not being able to defend them you can
not successfully defend yourself.
Refers to Copied Editorial.
"But I ask you, Mr. Howell, to turn
to your paper under date of Febru
ary It, 1901. Thar* you have copied
on your editorial page an editorial
from The Macon Telegraph. Yog copy
It without censure. You give It In a
sense your edttoriel approval. By
copying It without criticism you have
carried to the paopto of Georgia an
unjust^ crttlclem upon the citizen* of
•That editorial charged Atlanta with
seeking an undue advantage In freight
rates over the other cities In Georgia.
It charged that Atlanta was seeking
the port rat* reduction tor Atlanta
alone, and not for Interior points In
Georgia. It charged that a* soon'as
Hon. Pope Brown rendered hla decision
favoring th* port rates for Atlanta, and
othar points In Georgia as well, he was
promptly displaced as a candidate.
"You well know that the Atlanta
freight bureau in It* fight for port ratee
took th* position before , the railroad
commission that the reduction should
ports te these
freight rates from the porta to lateriot
points In Oeorgta prevent the Interior
points from raraiftng their proper ad
vantage by th* use ef transportation
from the Beat through tb* porta of
Georgia.
"With this queetlon la Involved whal
I* new commonly known In Georgia as
th* port rata fight, mad* by th* At
lanta freight bureau
through haul from Xaw York, Ro*.
wo* ton or Phr
oral vtlUftaatton
state.' He term* iny critlcim* a* 'eln
later* knd •misrepresentations.' He
then declared that 'bark of It all there
Is nothing more substantial than the
desire of other men to bold office.* Ho
closes hla editorial dsfrndlng th* rail
road commission with th* Matement
that The compnlgn of misrepresenta
tion and vlllfflcuilon against them must
and will prove oa utter failure.'
“Now, 1 Invite Mr. Clark Howell ta
meet the forte of unjust local freight
rats* that t hav* brought t* his alien
tlon. I Inrita hint to discuss mj
criticism nf th* railroad commission
era with refsreacs to Intsrchangsabl*
mitoogs and reduction of passsagsr
rates tn what respect have I mads a
misstatement? In what respect am 1
Inaccurate?
"Not king ago th* point waa made
that the capitalisation of the Central
of Georgia railroad today waa exces
sive, and that It* chargee for carrying
freight and passengers wore sufficient
ly high to enable It to earn dividends
on an over-rapUallsatlon. Mr. Howell
promptly sprang Into tho nreaa with
his paper and declared that the capi
talisation of tha Central today was
not oa great per mU* as M was before
th* wsr. 1 pointed out to him In my
Columbus speech that by th* report#
nf the Control Itself 'U capitalisation
baton ttv* war was (lMM par mils,
and It to n*w IJfiaoo. H* has left hto
Inaccurate statement In dsfsne* of tb*
road without explanation or apology.
Challtngsa a Reply.
"Ws are supposed to hav* com* here
tonight for a debate. 1 show that ho
has defended tho railroad cotulmsslon
and has defended the present local
rates. I call on him to discuss them
In detail and show In what regard ray
criticism* are Incorrect. Mark what t
IsU yon, fallow rlturn* he will not
undertake to dtocnas them: ha can-
Dot do M.
"I bav* already colled your ottaa
Uon to tho fact that th* Atlanta freight
bureau and tha chamber nt commerce
of the city, as a result of tb* fight they
made and th* negotiation* they held
with railroad officials. Induced a red ra
tion of intsrotat* freight rats* over a
year ago, which will sava Iks psntds
of Georgia, tt to hoped several hundred
thousand dollars a ynr. the exact
amount It la Impossible ta leli. Mr.
HoweU, ta hi* earnest effort to bock up
his Olqnita on th* railroad commission,
appointed by hto friend. Oovernor Ter
rell. has told tho people of Oeorgta
both In hto formal announce merit and
In hto spreehea all over th* stale, and
In hi* editorials, that th* railroad com
mission through Its orders obtained
thin seduction sf Interstate rotas, its
has put Um figures showing tb*
amount, raved annually at from (ME-
era to tLCae.eoa. and he has sought ta
tnaks tb* people of tb# state feel rat
he made to Atlaqta. and alao to other
points In Georgia. You well know that
hla attack upon Atlanta waa simply
an Inexcusable effort to array otnor
parts of Georgia against me In my race
for governor, upon the theory that I
would give special privilege* tn Atlan
ta and antagonize other cities In th*
state. You know that th* attack upon
th* Atlanta freight bureau by Th* Ma
con Telegraph was Inexcusable, and
yst you copied the editorial and never
lifted your vole* or yeur pen to defend
the conduct of your fellow cltlxens
from the false chargt. You actually
circulated the false charge through
your paper. I want you to tell your
fellow cftliens tonight how you expact
them to support you for govaraor with
{ uch a present record, during tbs prea
nt yaar, as a part of your present can
didacy.
Support of Railroads.
"I con well understand how your
course will give you th* support of the
officers of railroads located In Atlanta
and of the polltlcat attorneys located In
Atlanta, and of thoaa whom they can
control, hut there your support will
stop. You are not meriting by your
conduct the support of yuur fellow cltt
sens at large.
"It la true that In general language
you ray you are In favor of justice to
the people, but when you come (o spe
cific expressions you line yourself up
sn th* railroad ski*, and you naturally
and logically today afe receiving their
eupport.
Tn th* editorials In your paper you
have declared In favor of domesticat
ing all the railroads doing business In
this state. In your formal announce
ment you said: T believe that they
should be compelled to lltlgst* In tbe
courts of this state alt qussttoos art*
log between them and th* peopl*.'
"Now, I oak you to tall your follow
cltlsens how you propose to domesti
cate foreign railroad corporations, and
how you pro pass to prevent suits
against foreign corporations from be
g removed to th* United States court,
hen you made this declaration surely
you meant something, and knew what
you were talking about. I Invite you
In this joint discussion, face to face,
to apeak out. so that our fallow cltlxens
pointed out In my Madti
that the only way to prevent foreign
corporaUoas from removing thslr rose*
to the United States court was to re
quire them to organ!** local corpora
tion! In Osorgto. end to transfer their
property to these local corporations
and to operate their properties through
thslr local corporations.
"In year Tocos* speech you sold that
hod persistently taken tk* pmitten
that I would take every railroad In
Georgia operated by foreign capital out
of the hands of Its owners and fore*
th* roads on tb* block
out Yon doctored, re-
(erring to me: 'He raid he would ns*
rerntlt a road owned or operated by
t0 Mrvt th , ptupi, of
( _ f I* confiscation par* and
Demands Howell's Authority.
"Now. Mr. Howell, I want you to
show your authority for any such
statement ever haring been made by
Th* real benefit to be derived
front Joint d toons*too* ran com* from
putting propastttom to each other and
lading eat the real truth, f ray to yen
that I never took sack a position, and
yon are utterly inexcusable for ebari
ng me wltb It.
"But ta com* back to what you mid
with reference to year own posttton.
* repeat will you till this audience what
your discussion of this subject with
great Interest, and I will, furthermore,
be prepared. In iny concluding remarks,
to furnish my own position with refer
ence to It. »
"I hare ilerlaresl time and again that
today an alliance exists between the
lending attorney* anti hlreg political
agent- of ttm Mg railroad sytuems In
Georgia and tga ring, ta change of the
Dfraitrafl.' »t*te machinery.
•’Let u» be hlfteflr*!. Fight years
ago a chairman of tne state Demo
cratl< Kxecutlve committee was cll'wn,
and Hon. Flenflng duBIgnon
selected for the position. He was at
torney for the Plant Bystem and_tho
Southern JJxpiees Company,
years later. Hon. E. T. Brown
made chairman. He was attorney^ for
the Beaboard Air Line railroad,
years later, Hon. M. J. Yeomans
made chairman, and Hon. J. J. Bpald
Ing vice chairman. Mr. Bpaldlng Was
attorney for the l.oulsvllle and Nash
vllle railroad, and his firm was con
stantly engaged In heavy litigation to:
other rallrood companies. Sir. Yeo-
mans a;.].. .1 nr.-.] Judge Hamilton M'
Whorter from the state at large i
member of the state Democratic Ex
ecutlve committee.
McWhorter and 8upram* Bench.
•The first startling evidence *f the
Influence of the polttoal attorney came
to the people of Georgia when It was
learned that Governor Terrell under
place on the supremo curl
bench to Judge Hamilton McWhorter.
His position as political at '-triey of
the Southern Railroad Company is too
well understood to need discussion.
For year* he had not been practicing
law, but had beep practlclug pftlltlcrt.
His appointment pouto only have been
made for the pur ;r >se .' '-rmlF.log
him lo show ro flu es ..f the
Southern railroad Ills Influence with
the hoed of the Democratic parly in
Georgia. While this may have been
valuable for him. It I- also important
that rtie people of Georgia should un
derstand th'- Inituvno-. „i well a.-, tire
railroad riUcare,
•■startled t,v the Inlluinrr of Judge
Hamilton McWhorter with tho govern
or, we look hack on.1 find that a rail
road attorney ho* been prarrirally at
tb* heud of tha tlt.1* Democratic Ex
ecutlve eommUli!' ever since Govern
or Candler war elected g'-v( mor, nnd
that Mr. Yeomans, two years ago, put
the political agent ot the B-reikera
rallrood, aide by side with one of your
railroad commissioners, as memt-era
af the executive conunlttqe from the
stat* at targe.
"What business has a man who runs
politics In the Interest .if a great rail
BAGWELL’S PUPILS
rood company managing the affair* ot
the Democratic party? The Demo
cratic party I* supposed to servo the
great manga of tha psoptc. There to a
conflict of Interests between the people
end the railroad companies; on tho ono
side, tho railroad companlet are aeek
Ing to tax the peopl* wltb high frelgnt
and passenger rate* to tbe full extent
of their ability; on ’.qe other aide, thy
people are demanding their Just rights.
The power of the state alone can pro
tect the people. The ratlroad com
panies are certainly strong enough to
take care of themselves.
Th* whole organization of the
Democratic party should be with the
state officers In the struggle fur the
rights of the people. When you trans
fer that organization to the control of
the hired political agents, or the regu
lar attorneys of the great railroad com
panies, you give up that Instrument
which alone con be Used to protect tbc
peopl* from unjust taxation In high
trelirilt and passenger rate*.
Criticizes Committee's Action.
"Let us turn to the slate Democratic
Executive committee which met her*
tbe last day of April. Instead of wait
ing until tb* open meeting and dis
cussing all matters publicly In the In
terrete of the people a caucus was held
ta shape things in the dark. The
three leading spirts of that caucus
were Judge Hamilton McWhorter, po
litical agent of the Southern railroad;
Judge Enoch Callaway, a corporation
attorney, at times representing clients
politically as well os In the court
house, and Hon. Warner Hill, your
railroad commissioner. There you sec
the cloee Identification of your rail
road rnmmteatontr and the rati rood
politician*. There you see the al
ienee Inside tha Democratic organiza
tion controlling It.
“New. what relation do thee* men
bear to the candidacy of Mr. Howell?
I do not know one who la foiling to
support him. True, Judge Hamilton
McWhorter says that he to for Caju-
nel Jim Smith, but may be that this Is
the best way to help Clark HoweU.
To bt entirely candid, however, I be
lieve there are others Judge McWhor
ter would rather eee governor than
Clark Howell. He naturally fears if
Clark Howell to governor, Albert Hon.
ell may supplant Hamp McWhorter.
"But let tu come down t* the fight
over the Democratic executive commit
tee of Fulton county. The merchants,
manufacturer* and workingmen went
te tbe eourt-bous* and elected there an
executive committee, taken fresh from
their ranks. They Intentionally put
upon that committee a number of
friend* of Mr. Clark Howell. These
friends of Mr. Clark Hnwell were In
duced to withdraw from th* committee
and Mr. Clark Howalt threw all hto In
fluence behind what to called the
"Felder committee."
Personnel ef Cemmitte*.
"Let u* see who soma of th* nun
or* upon this commute*—Mr. Howell's
friends, whom he wishes to manage th*
affaire of the Democratic party tn Ful
ton county.' The chairman to Mr. Tom
Felder. He I* the attorney for Ar.
mour & Company. He Is attorney for
Armour A Company In their refriger
ating car bualncM, In the struggle that
I* going on by th* nation and state t*
put an end to the exorbitant charge*
which they make tor handling fruit In
refrigerating car*. The vice chairman
of this committee to Mr. Robert Alston,
site of tbe attorneys for the Atlantic
Coast Line and the Southern Express
Cempony. Upon this commute* to
found Mr. Jeha D. Little, on* of th*
attorney* of th* Central railroad and
one of th* counsel In Georgia of the
Louisville and Nashville railroad.
REMARKABLE DEMONSTRA
TION IN SHORTHAND.
Convincing Argument That High
Rat* of Speed with New Meth-
oda Discounts All Systems.
In the (uaembly hall of
Business Collese. at |»g SShf 119
street, waa given lost night one of'[h!
moat remarkable short hand 0
DUfinem lojieseL at its ■
street, waa given last night one of'[h!
most remarkable short hand 0
etratlons ever witnessed In AHam™™.;
une attended by a large “
disinterested people, many of whom
are highly educated and comrV,.^
stenographers, who hav* had ye«- ?,{
experience In Graham, Plum,” an !
SJ un »°n -"hort hand. All were agrre!
that the results obtained In the on-
week* study of Chartler Shorthand
surpassed any record ever made In from
four to six weeks’ Study In the
terns with which they are oequalntcf "
Nek students who had never studied
any system of shorthand took un thi.
syatem Monday morning, and after flv!
<la if u T otc from dictation or.il-
nary business letters (practice matter)
at the rate of more than 100 word, per
minute. Professor Spencer then wrote
on the board any matter handed him
from the audience, which they read
without the slightest hesitation ’
We claim that the system Is marvel,
ous. and it Is marvelous. We do not
claim that students cam make hlxh-
class stenographers In ten or fifteen
days. That la Impossible. We do not
claim that It can be mastered In less
than one-hnlf the time required for
Graham, Munson, or Pittman, written
with a greater rate of speed and read
three times as fast.
We guarantee that all student, who
are prepared for tha enurae will be
able to write 100 words per minute
and read their notes with perfetc ease
In from six to twevle weeks' time. Stu
dents who are not able to do this can
call at the offleo and have their money
refunded. As to our ability and willing-
ness to do this, we refer to Maddox-
Rucker Banking Company.
■"Upon the committee Is also found
Mr. Albert 'Howell, one of tha atterfl
n-y* for the Southern railroad, th* Atl
lanta and West Point railroad, the!
I Western Union Telegraph Company
[and the Pullman Palace Cor Com pan ■
and th* attorney In Georgia (if not]
still, certainly last yaar) of tbe New
York Mutual. New York Life and
Equitable LW* Assurance Companies.
Also Mr. Hollins 'Randolph, attorney
for the Seaboard Air Line. Mr. How
ell Is trying ta put Into authority this
committee with a representative on it
of nearly every big railroad corpora
tion In the state. "
"Now, I hove not criticised any of!
these gentlemen discourteously, but I
have called attention to a condition
that exists—the controlling presence
end Influence of the ratlroad lawyers
and hired politicians In th* Demo
cratic organisation In Oeorgta.
"And 1 have called upon the people
to free the Mate from this Influence.
They are active (nrtorv In that part of
tha Democratic party In Oeorgta with
which Mr. Howell to allied. They ere
a pert of what may be properly ealled
The Reigning Dynasty In Georgia,' or.
In common Anglo-Saxon, The Con
trolling Political Ring.'
Peopl* Must Taka Control.
"If the people of Georgia nre to
really take control of their own af
faire, If they are to really obtain pro-
tectlon from exorbitant freight and
passenger rate#. If we are to really
have a government by the people and
not by th* corporations, then th- cor
porations must be beaten by flrst de
feating their agents who seek to con
trol, and you must beat the imUtlnd
allies of their agtnts a* well as tbe
agents themselves.
The danger from the control of the
state by the railroad companies and
their allied corporations to not limited
to the power which their agents and
attorneys exercise in political affair..
It culminates with the contribution of
money to political campaigns.
"I charge that railroads In Georgia
have sought tn control the state sen
ate and that money has been contribut
ed to the campaigns of members of lb#
legislature and of those even higher
In authority.
•The old-time system of presenting
matters to the legislature, when the
tcem r.il counsel and the superintendent
of the road would go to the capital and
argue a question upon Its merits before
a committee and then go home, has
passed away. In Its place the polltlcsl
attorney and subordinate agents, gath
ered from different parts of the state,
undertake, through politick! Influence,
to prevent legislation which th# cor
poration* oppose, nnd te pass Icgl.ls-
11on which they desire. Political pull
has taken the place nf an appeal to the
reel merit* of questions being consid
ered. Let the political attorney lx
barked by funds of the corporations in
help elect or defeat a member and hla
power to enormously Increased.
Attack* Entire System.
I attack th* entire system us dan
gerous and hurtful. I call for legl.ls-
Jlon which will make It a crime for
any corporation or oasoclatlon to con
tribute money to elections of member*
of the legislature or state house of
ficer*. I believe that th# entire use
of. money either to buy voter* or te
hire men at the polls should be for
bidden by statute. I favor legislation
which will limit the right of an em
ployed attorney, or agent, to appear
letore a committee and make an ar
gument In public. I would make It a
crime for them to undertake to con-
tor In private with legislature, and I
would require ever)’ man who lakes
an employment to at once register tne
fact of hto employment with the sec
retary of state. , ,
T believe that every candidate for
a state house office, or for tbe legisla
ture, should be required to file, un
der oath, a statement of Juet what ha
spends In connection with Me candi
dacy, what he spends tor It. era
where he get* the money from.
T am oppoaed to convention nomi
nations. I favor not only a resolution
to De passed ot the next Democratic
convention, requiring that future nomi
nation# shall 1-e at the ballot box. but
I otoo favor legislation wWrh will **
the time for our primaries, and require
that our nomination* for lettlsl* 1 ;’™
and state houso officers shall be at tn*
ballot box. .
"Our state senate to composed of for
ty-five men. twenty-three being * m *;
Jority. Under our present ‘
rotating senatore. first tolling ' ”
county and then another tn the •*>“
torial district, name th# senator, sna
under the further system of requiring
the other counties of the senatortst
district to accept the selection of «*•
county from which th# senator Is
com*. It to really only
th* corporations and special Intere*
to control twenty-three counties l3 ',
state. It give* them th* power •""£
to control the state sen .te and to blocs
any legislation to which they are
Favors an End to It
Thle Is far from bring govrrnmeai
by the people, and I favor action or
Continued on Peg# Eleven-
To Drive Out Malaria
And Build Up th# *y»«"
Take the Old StandttUGIV n F®
TASTELESS CHILL TONIC. V™
know what yoa are taking-
muia Is plainly printed oo tTin
• bowing tt to simply Qulnlne trod
a tasteless form. Th* Quinine
out the malaria and the Iron builds S
the system. Sold by all dealer# t >r Jt
year*. Price 5t cents.