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The Golden Age
(SUCCESSOR TO RELIGIOUS FORUM)
Published Ebery Thursday by the Golden Hge Publishing
Company (Inc.)
OFFICES: LOWNDES "BUILDING. ATLANTA, GA.
Price: $2.00 a Year
WILLIHMD. UPSHSJW, - - - - Editor
A. E. RAMSAUR, - - - Associate Editor
W. F. UPSHA W, - - - - "Business Manager
H. R. BERNARD, - - - Sec’y and Treas
Entered at the Post Office in Ga.,
as second-class matter.
To the Public: The advertising columns of The
Golden Age will have an editorial conscience. No
advertisement will be accepted which we believe
would be hurtful to either the person or the purse of
our readers.
Methodical Frenzy.
Mr. Thomas Lawson is continuing his articles
on “Frenzied Finance” in Everybodys Magazine.
His work has aroused a great deal of interest and
some say it has accomplished good. It has at least
given the public a liberal educational course in the
methods of Standard Oil, the New lork Life and
other corporations. But we are now beginning to
weary of these articles. Mr. Lawson’s style is good,
he has personal magnetism, and after reading a few
pages you feel like you have met him and if you
were to meet him on the street would probably hail
him cordially; and it is probable that what he tells
is nothing more nor less than the truth. And yet,
in view of the efforts he appears to be making for
the public weal, he doesn’t seem to be accomplish
ing as much as he should. The great body of the
people are not standing with him as they might be
expected to do. Why? Perhaps for the reason
that while Mr. Lawson’s readers are interested in
his revelations and believe that he is telling the
truth, they cannot avoid the obvious fact that he
is but turning State’s evidence, and that his busi
ness at present is receiving gorgeous advertisement
through these same articles. There is method in
liis frenzy.
Mr. Lawson is conducting a brokerage business.
He admits to the public that he is entirely honest
and asks to be employed as broker by all and sun
dry. His brokerage business is steadily growing.
His articles have advanced the subscription price
of Everybodys’ Magazine from one dollar to one
and a half; single copies from ten cents to fifteen
cents. There are about six hundred thousand copies
of the magazine sold. The net profit is about four
hundred thousand dollars. Mr. Lawson owns half
the stock, consequently his income from this source
is two hundred thousand dollars.
He says that he has a remedy for the evils of
Wall Street and stock dealing as now conducted.
It is a secret preparation—a kind of mystic oil of
joy—and he promises it to us when she proper time
arrives. He has it locked up in his trunk just now,
but it will be forthcoming. The first requisite to
getting on the waiting list for this invaluable pres
cription is being a subscriber to Everybodys’. The
next step toward getting your system in perfect
readiness for treatment is to buy certain stocks
controlled by Lawson.
Men demand as their leaders those who live pro
per lives and whose lives are and have been in har
mony with their words and teachings. Mr. Law
sop has but recently swum ashore from the pirate
ship. It seems but yesterday when he was playing
at comrades with Rogers, Rockefeller, and other
pirates whom he is now trying to drive from the
financial seas. This makes us hesitate to trust him
with our all. He hates Rogers, Rockefeller
et al and he wants revenge. There is no
doubt of that—but in that very fact lies our dan
ger. If we send him our proxies, if we appoint him
our broker; if we buy his stocks, bow do we know
but that if necessity demanded, he would sacrifice
our interests to even up with his enemies?
Mr. Lawson poses as a reformer, saint and sa
vior. He proclaims it from the housetop and dins
it into every ear. The badge of reformation and
conversion has ever been humility. When a man
makes capital of his turning to better things, the
turning in ninety-nine cases out of ninety-nine is
purely for the sake of said capital.
Take Mr. Lawson’s case. He was with Rogers, et
al., doing just as they did, just as bad as they were,
until they froze him out. The only course open to
him was the one he has adopted. Query:—lf he
hadn’t been frozen out, would he not still be with
them ? Another query:—What could possibly pay
better than the plan he is following? Final query:
—Do you suppose Lawson would do as he now does
if it involved financial loss? In other words, which
would he hold to longest, his principle or his money?
Humanity has adopteed a standard whereby
men’s motives are judged. Sometimes it is unjust
and does great wrong to the true and honorable;
most times it is the correct rule and arbiter. This
rule holds that when a man puts principle above
self and sticks to his principle at the cost of finan
cial loss, he is to be trusted. But when the finger of
his philanthropy points squarely down the road of
financial betterment, we are all from Missouri and
have to be shown several little things before we
are convinced.
Lawson made a lot of money before he disem
barked from the Rogers pirate ship, and got away
with some of it. When he assumed his saintship
he held on to this money. Its taint was perhaps
removed by his resolution not to do so again. We
appreciate all that Mr. Lawson has accomplished—•
but one thing does seem to puzzle as, and that is
that everything he advises seems when worked out
to have the same answer, viz:—buy my stocks; em
ploy me as your broker; send me your proxy.
We finally come to our point. Give Mr. Lawson
credit for telling the truth; for helping the public
in many ways; but let’s not confer the halo just
yet. He is making good from a financial standpoint
and is probably satisfied. His graft is paying. Let’s
just be careful and not turn all holds loose for
awhile. We might happen to get into his path of
revenge upon his former partners, and in that event
we would not endure appreciably longer than a
snow-flake in Sheol.
A Georgia Jury.
Recently a crime was committed in Berrien
County which horrified people of refinement. A
drunken man of middle age, in beastly fury beat his
aged father to death. There was no provocation.
Indeed to a son with human sensibilities there could
be no such thing as provocation from a decrepit
father crowned with the snows of five and four score
winters. Wolves will kill the old and defenseless
of their number in times of hunger, but this parricide
did not have the plea of starvation in his favor. He
was more wolfish than the wolf. Perhaps he felt
the care of his aged parents a burden.
Justice-loving people, reading of this act of sav
agery, felt glad that the penalty of capital punish
ment is a part of the Georgia code. But behold the
travesty! To be sure no lawyer in Nashville would
suffer himself to be engaged as counsel for the
defendant. But the names in the Berrien county
jury box do not all belong to men of this stamp. A
jury of twelve white citizens of Berrien County, af
ter hearing the testimony of the old mother mak
ing out an unmistakable case of wanton murder
against her own son, returned a verdict of invol
untary manslaughter. Indeed! This petit jury
matches a certain grand jury once heard of. The
Warwick of the county had slain an humble citi
zen. The court met in solemn form and in impres
sive way swore in a grand jury and laboriously
charged them with their grave responsibilities. The
august grand jury heard evidence in their guarded
chamber for a week, and then unanimously returned
a bill, indicting the noble offender with the crime
of—discharging firearms on the Sabbath.
The judge at Nashville, in sentencing the murder
er to a term of three years in the penitentiary,
Editor
the Golden Age for April 5, 1906.
very properly rebuked the jury by expressing his
regret that he could not, under the law, sentence
him to more adequate punishment.
The unexpected verdict of this jury brings up
the whole question of our jury system, and splen
didly illustrates the too frequent miscarriages of
justice. Trial by jury is more ancient than our
codes or constitutions, is coeval with our common
law, and as deeply revered, whatever its faults. We
may quite safely say that trial by jury will never
be abolished by Anglo-Saxon people. But it has its
defects. Where can these be remedied?
In the first place, our courts should more fre
quently and more firmly censure from the bench z
recalcitrant jurors.
In the seventeenth century in England it was no
uncommon thing for the judge to fine and imprison
jurors for contempt when, in cases like this, they
had the temerity to bring a verdict contrary to the
law and the evidence.
While such heroic treatment has not of late years
been resorted to, it is said that the greater fidelity
of English jurors to their oaths is due to a whole
some recollection.
One of the greatest perils to our jury system is
the impatient desire of many of our most capable
citizens to avoid jury duty. In our cities the
tendency has grown until it is quite the fashion to
see scores of busy business men disqualify them
selves on quibbles and flimsy pretexts. This leaves
the field more readily available to the eager grasp
of the “professional juror.” To him it is an easy
way to make money. He cares nothing for justice,
his ambition is to hold favor with the practitioners.
Suppose jury lists were revised by a committee of
judges? Suppose that when juries returned ver
dicts flagrantly at variance with law and evidence,
their names were removed from the jury lists? Sup
pose a man under suspense from jury duty for cause
were ineligible to register for or vote in any state,
county or national election?
Educators and Philanthropists.
The Conference for education in the South which
will meet at Lexington, Kentucky, on Wednesday,
May 2, will be the ninth annual gathering of these
distinguished educators and philanthropists. They
have come together in the beautiful fellowship of
an unselfish motive and a wise and far-reaching
purpose.
Under the leadership of Robert C. Ogden, of
New York, a great-hearted patriot and a wise or
ganizer of men and movements, these excursions
to the South have brought every year, many North
ern men and women, who recognize the problems
with which the South has wrestled since “the strife
of brothers,” and who have been sincerely anxious
to do a noble part in the solution of these prob
lems. For the most part, they have been met by the
people of the South in the spirit in which they have
come, vital—and in many communities, transform
ing has already been the result.
Co-operation and organization; these watch
words to progress and successful attainment, are
sounded by this notable gathering, and the cause
of Southern education is uplifted, regenerated and
materially assisted thereby.
The Last Step in Unionizing.
A large body of ground in a Northern city has
been purchased for use as a cemetery for members
of labor unions.
There are obvious reasons why such a provision
should be made for union members who die pau
pers, but why should the whole body of them draw
apart from us just on general principles?
If even death doesn’t disband them, where and
when will we be free? The scheme is extended now
from the cradle to the grave, and soon in our homes
even, we may be confronted with the badge of an
Infant’s Union on the bosoms of our young hope
fuls. Perchance we will yet be familiar with this:—
“Union for destroying the Santa Claus myth”—
or “Society for the suppression of Parents.” Eheu!
oh Temporal