Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

THE ATLANTIAN 3 Atlantian Published Monthly by E. WLTER TRIPP Box 118, tlanta, Georgia THE ATLANTIAN will give free space to all Secret Societies and Labor Or ganizations. On the other hand, we put everybody on notice when THE ATLANTIAN makes a statement which we believe to be true, and such statement goes uncontroverted, we shall insist that it is true. Published Monthly by The Atlantian Publishing Co. c VOL. 3 JUNE No. 30 Our Motto: “Pull for Atlanta, or Pull Out.” © Editorial Etchings © Hoke Smith for Senator- Then What? At this writing it is generally conceded that Governor-elect Hoke Smith will be elected to the United States Senate, and will take that position, leaving the Governorship to be filled for the moment by Hon. John Staton, president of the State Senate, to be succeed ed within sixty days by whomsoever the people may elect. Whatever one may think of Mr. Smith personally, it must be conceded that his re-entrance into public life has served a useful purpose. Under one party domination we had drifted into a gov ernment by a political machine which parcelled out the offices years in advance and gave the people the least measure of recogni tion that would keep down an outbreak. No ordinary man could have broken the power of the machine. It required ability and a long pocketbook. Mr. Smith had both and added to these physi cal strength which enabled him to make a phenomenal campaign He won a tremendous victory. Two years later, taking advantage of fortuitous circumstances, the old machine gathered itself to gether and by methods which would not bear the light of day, defeated him by a narrow margin. In the third contest, after a desperate struggle, they were again routed. Now, they charge that Hoke Smith has built up a machine. This we deny, but if it should at anytime in the future prove true, we will then be as ready to assist in breaking down the Smith ma chine as we were when we helped in breaking down the machine of which Senator Terrell was High Priest. Hoke Smith has made Democratic government a possibility in Georgia. To maintain it, though, will require constant vigilance, and the election for a new governor will present one of those occasions when it will not do for the people to go to sleep. There are good men in Georgia—not a few. There are men of the “middling” good type, also not a few. Then there are men positively danger ous, more because they train with the wrong crowd than because of personal failings. Many men are imbued with the heresy that the people are not fit to rule, and that the best government is by a select few, with special privilege as the trimming. Georgia has many such men, some of them in public place, and .others .anxious to get into public place. It will be our business to see to it that only a man who believes in real democracy is electee* Governor. If we fail to do it, we will sweat for it, and be entitled to no sympathy. •" Flies-Flies-Flies-Everywhere A late issue of the Ladies’ Home Journal has an article on flies entitled, “The Most Dangerous Animal in the World.” And the indictment is true. What may be called the “Science of Prevention,” is so modern that men not yet in middle age can recall its small beginnings. Like the gospel of peace it has made rapid headway during these latter years, and now we are begin ning to understand the truth of the old adage, which everybody knew and nobody acted on that “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” And so we have come to the point where we are seeing the necessity of an active campaign against the ubiquitous, restless and deadly house fly. No longer can we laugh at the fly tickling the bald man’s pate, for now we know that the same fly may be carrying dysentery to our babies, consumption to our friends, or bringing typhoid to ourselves. We have in the small pestiferous fly a foeman worthy of our steel, who cares nothing for our floating batteries, our Mauser rifles, our machine guns. Only unceasing vigilance will meet the need. Individual vigilance is not enough, though it is much, but it must be supplemented by governmental vigilance. Let us make a statement here which we want you to think about: The most important function of government is the Public Health. You may not believe it, nevertheless it is true. Next to that comes Puplic Education. We have not yet arrived at a comprehension of fundamentals in government. For example, in our own city we put Public Works (incidental) ahead of Public Health( funda mental). What able officials! In this county, of which Atlanta constitutes 90 per cent, we are planning a million dollar Court House, which we could do without, and the city of Atlanta has not a dollar to put into a crematory to protect the Public Health. Millions for show—not a dollar for need. Fine government, isn’t it? But back to our muttons. The article in the Home Journal goes into elaborate detail, giving the most startling facts. The average fly carries millions of deadly bacteria, and its travels, duly veri fied by careful scientists, take a much wider range than any of us have supposed. Think of such facts as these: North Yakima, Washington, had 20 deaths from typhoid in 1908. The Board of Health then waged a vigorous war on dirty alleys, foul water and open vaults, and in 1909 the deaths from typhoid dropped to eight. The breeding places of flies had been largely destroyed. In New York City it is stated that flies are responsible for twenty deaths for every day in the year. 7,300 people dead every year in one city from flies. Dr. George M. Koker, of Washington, D. C., makes the state ment that flies cost the people of the United States three hundred and fifty million dollars yearly. Our space will not permit enlargement, but we go back to our statement that the Public Health is the most important of all governmental functions. That being true, and it is true, then it becomes the duty of the Federal government, the State govern ment and the Municipal government to spend some of the millions so freely squandered each year in a campaign which shall have as its slogan—Exterminate the flies—perfect' cleanliness the only sure remedy. Commission Government The idea of Commission Government is taking hold of the people of Atlanta like a prairie fire takes hold on dry grass. The At- lantian takes no sides for or against this question at this time. We commend to your consideration the article appearing on another page, written by Mr. Suttler,. some weeks ago, who has given a great deal of study to governmental questions. It will pay you to read it, as, whatever your views, it will give you something to think about.