The Atlanta Georgian. (Atlanta, GA.) 1906-1907, June 09, 1906, Image 2

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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.