Newspaper Page Text
3
THE ATLANTIAN
Etyt Atlantian
Published Monthly by E. WALTER TRIPP
Box 118, Atlanta, Georgia
THB 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. «
VOL. 3 NOVEMBER
No. 34
Our Motto: “Pull for Atlanta, or Pull
Out”
H
Editorial Etchings
it
Thanksgiving Day
For what? Let us take stock for a moment and see. Four hun
dred years ago religious liberty was unknown—civil liberty was a
mockery—the law of the strong hand was the rule—the poor and
humble had no rights which the rich and powerful were bound to
respect.
We have traveled quite away from those conditions. True, much
is yet lacking, but also we have gained much. This is distinct cause
for thankfulness.
In material things—again much is lacking, but on the other hand
the average man who reads these lines has in his home more com
forts than did the belted earl of four centuries agone. Here again
is distinct gain.
Few men could then read, still fewer could write; there,was
little learning and that mqgtly confined to convent or cloister. Now
education is free to all who will partake and the sum of human
knowledge surpasses all the bygone generations combined. Is not
that cause for thankfulness ?
And why these gains? Because in the distant hills of Galilee
some nineteen centuries past appeared that Jesus, the Son of God,
who gave mankind a new code, which propagated by zealous disci
ples, overspread the then civilized world only to fall under priestly
domination until men made merchandise of the word of God.
But the seed had been sown, and God does not allow the labors
of his true servants to be in vain. So in the fullness of time the good
seed, which had been buried apparently out of sight by man’s
selfishness and greed for power, began to show signs of life; and
though it was fertilized in blood, the tree of religious and civil
liberty grew until now its branches overspread all the earth. Cer
tainly thjs is something to be thankful for. For men today have a
juster appreciation of what the spirit of Christianity stands for than
ever at any previous time in history.
The Episcopal Prayer Book in one of its passages says: “Let us
give thanks unto the Lord,” and the response of the congregation:
“It is meet and right so to do.” So say we; for despite the selfish
ness of man, the Word of the Lord is prevailing, and year by year,
however little the gain may seem to us, there is a gain, and the
onward march of righteousness will never be stopped until the earth
has been conquered and justice shall prevail.
Let us then give thanks—and take courage.
Why Workingmen Should Support
Pope Brown for Governor
The working man has nothing to hope for from the mere politician,
for the shifty politician will promise anything on earth before the
election, and trust to the God of Luck to get out of it afterwards.
On the other hand, the man who is not merely a politician, who
has convictions and does not fear to stand by his convictions, may
not promise forty acres and a mule; he may indeed sometimes
radically differ with his constituents, but what he does promise lie
will perform.
The politician promises much; the statesman promises little, but
the progress of the world is measured by the fulfillment of the
statesman’s promises, and the road of progress is lined with the
wrecks of politicians’promises.
In the present campaign, Pope Brown has shown himself a broad,
consistent man who fears only wrong. Joe Brown has paltered with
the great issue and is trying to catch the whiskey vote by promising
to defeat any strengthening of our present law, and to catch the
Prohibition vote by proclaiming himself a good Prohibitionist.
This is very small politics.
Dick Bussell has gone even farther, for proclaiming himself a
Prohibitionist, he has declared against the law and is yelling for
local option, for in that direction is found a campaign treasury.
The unbiased good citizen who would trust either Joe Brown or
Dick Russell after the showing of their real natures, made in this
campaign, is dull indeed.
Working men, those who labor with their hands, are neither better
nor worse than other men. Humanity is just an average. The
average man honestly desires the best men and the best govern
ment. He may vote wrong sometimes for lack of accurate informa
tion, but he wants to do right and vote right. Whether we like it
or not, prohibition is the central question of this campaign. Liquor
is the deadliest enemy of the average man. The select few can go
tc their clubs and tipple in genteel fashion, if there be such a thing
as genteel tippling, but the average man must do his in the saloon
joint, whether near-beer or whiskey, makes no difference. The
average man knows that liquor has been outlawed by the railroads,
by many manufacturers, by his fraternal societies, by the labor
organizations, by the churches, by all those forces which work for
the good of humanity.
The average man, who is the working man, should be wise enough
to grasp at any opportunity to put temptation out of his own reach.
In this case Joe Brown and Dick Russell stand for liquor, for
“by their fruits shall ye know them.”
Pope Brown is for an altogether higher standard; he would
destroy the infernal traffic root and branch.
The working man who wants to protect himself, his wife, his
children, will vote for that man who stands for the high moral
standard.
The working man who cares only to cater to a debased appetite,
and who wants to spend his hard-earned dollars to give an easy
living to “bum” liquor dealers, will vote for Joe Brown or Dick
Russell.
Which side are you on?
Home and family, manhood, self-respect and honor, or:
The saloon, empty pockets, degradation, a needy family, and in
your own hearts a thorough contempt for yourselves ?
Which side, men ? Which side ?
Prohibition and the Negro
In all the discussion of the prohibition question now going forward
so actively in Georgia, not sufficient stress is given to one very
important phase of it. We owe to the negro not only protection
and justice, but a good example—for anything less than a good
example would not be justice.
We know the ill effect of alcohol on the negro. It operates with
him just as it does with the Indian, and makes of him an insane
beast more dangerous than the African lion. We have ONE MIL
LION of these people in Georgia, a comparatively small percentage
of them being abstainers from liquor. The vast majority will go
their length to get it.
Bad as the effects of intoxicating drinks are on white men, they
are infinitely worse on negroes. It does seem that the white men
of Georgia with this condition confronting them would take no
chances whatever on the negro being placed in easy reach of liquor,
and thus injured in his quality as a laborer, debased in his morals,
and retarded for long years in his struggle for improvement. The
natural instinct of self-preservation ought to tell us that we cannot
afford to dally with the liquor question in view of this standing men
ace.
Gubernatorial Contest
Three candidates are in the field, one of whom will be nominated
to fill out the unexpired term of the present incumbent as Governor
of Georgia. In Georgia, as elsewhere, it is a matter of first im
portance to the people as to the quality of the men who shall fill
the public offices. It is timely, therefore, to take a look at these
three men who aspire to the honorable office of Governor.
Richard B. Russell, Judge of the Court of Appeals, is one of
these aspirants. All of use have heard of men who have an “itching
palm for money.” Judge Russell has an “itching palm” for office.