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8 The Golden Age (SUCCESSOR TO RELIGIOUS FORUN) Published Ebery Thursday by the Golden Hge Publishing Company (Inc.) OFFICES: LOWNDES 'BUILDING, ATLANTA, GA. Price: $2.00 a Y ear WILLIfXMD. UPSHfXW, - - - - Editor A. E. RAMS A UR, - . . Associate Editor Entered at the Post Office tn 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. Faithful Legislators. The Georgia Legislature which has just adjourn ed won that thing for itself which is rather to be chosen than great riches—the flavor and halo of a good name. And that is better than many legisla tures have done. It is not the province of this paper to discuss de tails or review the general work of a law-making body, except as that work affects the moral or in tellectual life of our citizenship. Not every legislator did his full duty in this re spect, of course, but upon the whole an attitude of ■wholesome common sense and manly bravery char acterized the last law-making body of Georgia. Hon. William Stanley West, the golden-hearted Valdosta Senator, added new laurels to his long and distinguished legislative record, serving with con spicuous ability as president of the Georgia Senate, causing the prediction of higher honors yet and Hon. John Marshall Slaton, popularly known and loved as “Jack” Slaton, proved the wisdom of the House that made him Speaker. Young, brilliant and honest, Mr. Slaton’s record speaks the prophecy of yet larger things. More and more let the faithful citizen teach the lawmaker that only the faithful public servant shall receive the public’s glad “well done.” “The Georgia Issue.” We take pleasure in welcoming another contri bution to prohibition literature in the first appear . ance of “The Georgia Issue,” the official organ of the Anti-Saloon League in Georgia. This is a most interesting sheet, devoted to the cause of prohibition and is most ably edited by Rev. A. C. Ward, who is fortunate in having Dr. J. C. Solomon and Mr. J. B. Richards as his asso ciates. “The Georgia Issue,” if one may judge by its first number, promises to be a live paper full of most pertinent points, clever editorial comment, news items, anecdotes and stirring literature re garding the great “issue” which the thinking world must recognize as being now at stake The work of the Anti-Saloon League in Georgia is monumental and its able supporters have much cause to be proud of what has already been accom plished. It goes wnthout saying that the wisdom of issuing a publication devoted exclusively to Anti- Saloon League work, plans and possibilities can not be questioned, and the paper as well as the cause it represents has our most earnest support. Now, Cool Off. The election for Governor is over—glory be! and dog-days will soon end, so it won’t be so hot in this Grand Old State from now forward. There never w r as such a mess made in the G. 0. S. over an election before, anyway. There may be those who revel in the abuse, mud-slinging and vitupera tion which have filled a good two-thirds of the space in the papers for some time, but surely they are in the minority. In the campaign just closed two of the leading dailies have each had a candidate for Governor, and the seeker for the news had to The Golden Age for August 23, 1906. wade through page after page of charges, denials and abuse to get at a very little bit of what he sought. The term “newspaper,” therefore, is be come a misnomer. The Saturday Evening Post, in a recent editorial on the subject, “What’s the News?” says in part: “The alleged function of a newspaper is to print the news. What is the news? Why, whatever is in the papers, of course. It is made news by the simple fact that the papers print it. Every edi tor will tell you, with pride, that his paper daily throws away as much matter as it publishes. Our wonder why it doesn’t try throwing away what it prints and printing what it throws away is pro voked by no spirit of levity, but by an earnest consideration of the possibility of improving one of our greatest institutions.” In the realm of what purports to be news, the editor will tell you that the test of value of a news story is that it contain human interest. This appears to exist mainly in reports of crime. Mur ders, embezzlements, infidelity to marriage vows and suicides are sent forth glaringly and made distinct in every detail. This daily panorama of crime robs vice of the horrible mien which of right it should wear, and makes it from very familiarity something almost a matter of course. Perhaps those of us who do not like this kind of reading matter would be utterly unable to conduct a paper that would live long. Probably from the very love of the gods for it, its death would occur in infancy, but we do yearn for cleaner papers and ones less yellow and sensational. We believe, too, that public sentiment will bring this change to pass. May the day be hastened. Russell Sage—An Afterthought. A recent editorial in this paper, commenting on the death and the character of Russell Sage, the great New York financier, reflected the estimate which one naturally gathers from that type of edu cation which generally comes from the daily press. And we are glad to have reason for believing now, from some “newly discovered evidence” that that estimate should be modified. There was nothing harsh or unkind in the spirit of that editorial—it was simply a fair weighing of the value of a prominent human life which the gen eral verdict of the press of the country seemed to justify. But during his recent visit to Northfield the editor of this paper learned something of Mr. Sage’s life through a lifelong friend of the family (and this testimony has been strengthened by other evidence) proving that he was a man of many noble traits of character. While his absolute indepen dence of conventionalities caused him to be criti cized often by papers that are too ready to fear or to fawn in the presence of patronizing millionaires, it is said by those who knew him best that Russell Sage was pure in his life, reverential in his spirit and devoted to the wife of his bosom with a con stancy that was beautiful. He confessed, we are told, that he only knew how to make money, but did not know how to spend it wisely, so he put the matter of dispensing of his money into the hands of his good wife who is declared to be a very devout Christian woman and for years in this way he was one of the most liberal contributors to Christian missions and other forms of benevolence in all America. This statement is refreshing, and we rejoice to give it publicity here and everywhere. Another good thing may be placed to the credit of Russell Sage—he did not “act the fool” (no other word will express it) as do many men, both of acquired and inherited wealth, in the matter of personal extravagance and constitutional idleness. Mr. Sage provided for himself and wife a com fortable, though not an extravagant home on Fifth Avenue in New York, but he did not believe in spending several hundred dollars a year unneces sarily for clothing. It is said that he abhorred the fop, the fool and the spendthrift so heartily that he just loved to set the example of simple, neat, but inexpensive dressing. Neither did he believe in spending his life lolling and yachting around New York or any other port; nor yet was he found betting on races at Saratoga, gambling at Monte Carlo, or disporting himself in extravagant exploi tation—automobiling far and wide before the won dering eyes of envious Europe. He didn’t have time for that. He didn’t believe in that. He was found either in his office at work or in the bosom of his family. While we believe Mr. Sage would have made the world happier and would have been happier himself if he had linked himself with thought, time and money to such forms of practical benevolence as would have linked hu manity more consciously and gratefully to him, yet we are glad to note the wholesome lessons already referred to, from which men of wealth and poverty alike may gather profit, and we rejoice especially to honor the memory of any man, the consort of whose long and industrious life, crowns with such loving testimony of fidelity and devotion. The New Agricultural Schools. Under recent legislative enactment provision is made that the state shall have an agricultural school in each of the congressional districts, each being a branch of the University, the curriculum arranged to prepare students for the Freshman class in the Ag-ricultural College in Athens. This will mean eleven new schools to teach farming and additional educational advantages will be giveen every section. This is a move in the right direc tion and will result in much good if the people gen erally and the farmers in particular will take hold of these branch agricultural schools and make them what they should be. The greater prosperity of this state depends upon its agricultural interests and educated and systematic farmers make the lands most productive. The large appropriation given to the agricultural branch of the University, if prop erly expended, will make it the leading institution of its class in the South. Phonograph Selections. The phonograph is a good institution and may, under proper conditions, be an unmixed blessing, even when applied to the playing of rag-time music and operatic selections, but like all good things there comes a time when there is too much of it. The stroller on a city street has all kinds of tunes dinned into his ears until his very soul, as well as his ears, is weary. He perforce wonders at some of the selections ahd is puzzled to know the where fore of their being used. Mr. Thomas A. Edison is quoted as having given expression to the following complaint: “A few years ago,” he said the other day, “when the talking machine business was still a dubions proposition, a list of the new records was often handed me for approval. After hearing them I would mark ‘Good,’ ‘Fair’ or ‘Rotten’ against the compositions so as to class them for the trade. ‘rotten’ records always made a hit with the public. Now all I have to do is to condemn a bit of music and the factory works overtime to supply the de mand.” Some Little Corrections. Editor lhe Golden Age:—Please allow me to say to your typos that I have a sympathetic feel ing for the guild, but if they do not “set me up” all right, my affections will be alienated. To begin with, they credit my article, “Higher Criticism” in the Golden Age of August 16th, to Mrs. “Leslie” Crossley, an individual of whom I nave no knowledge. In the first paragraph I wrote “true science is exact (not exactly,) like the mind of God,” etc.; and a little further on, the divine lips of the Son of God, instead of divine “life.” I, also, said that the embryo sceptic was sent away to reflect upon his philosophies in a practical, not “positive” manner; and for “shadowy,” please read scholarly ambition. The reader probably knew’ that it was Miss Frances, not “Florence” Willard who was mentioned. There were, also, two or three minor mistakes, but I will let the printers off with this; and with love to them, the proof-reader and the editors. Very truly yours, Mrs. Louise Crossley.