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PAGE FOUR Summary of Ebents as They Happen Governor Comer at Washington. Gov. B. B. Comer, of Alabama went to Washington December 5. Had a very busy day meeting public men from all parts of the United States. While there he addressed the Nation al Rivers and Harbors Convention, onthe waterways improvement. Took luncheon with the president and eight other guests. Watson Goes to White House. Washington, December 8. — (Spec ial.) —Hon. Thomas E. Watson, of Georgia, arrives in Washington to morrow, and will bo the guest of President Roosevelt at the white house tomorrow at luncheon. The talk will be directed toward the subject of currency legislation, and Mr. Watson will urge the president to recommend the issue of green backs under the old civil war act, which is still in force. The presi dent made no specific recommenda tion on the subject of currency re form in his annual message, simply contenting himself with the decla ration that the present system is seriously defective, and declaring the need of amendment to our financial laws. —Atlanta Constitution. Railroad. War on in Europe. New York, December 6. —Echoes of the war which is being waged in Europe over the control of the Illinois Central railroad between Stuyvesant Fish and the Harriman interests are beginning to reach America, and they show that the campaign is being waged with even more fierceness in England than it was here. Mr. Fish’s representitives are laying great stress on the point that the .alliance between the Illinois Central and the Union Pacific is of more value to the latter than to the former. In reply to this, Cornelius Vanderbilt, a direc tor of the Illinois Central, but not connected with the Union Pacific, has issued a statement which is being used by the Harriman interest as an argument with the English stock holders whose proxies Mr. Fish is seeking. Mr. Vanderbilt states that the alliances with the Union Pacific and the Southern Pacific are of the utmost value to the Illinois Central and that if Mr. Fish is successful in obtaining control of the roac\ hrs attitude will make it impossible for those roads to continue their rela tions with the Illinois Central. —Con- stitution. Free Transportation for School on Wheels. In February and March next an agricultural educational campaign of great importance will begin in Georgia under the direction ;.Oif Andrew M. Soule, dean of the state agricultural college. Dr. Soule Las received assurances from the Georgia railroad commission that it would not be an infraction of the anti-pass order of the com mission, effective January 1, 1908, to accept from railroads of the state the use of a special train to be used in this campaign. The plan is to secure a special train, consisting of two day coaches and one baggage car, and travel all over the state, speaking, lecturing and demonstrating to farmers the best methods of farming. It as understood that the rail roads stand ready to furnish this train and transport it from point to point without cost, provided it does not conflict with the rules and orders of the commission. To determine this' point before going into it too deep, Dr. Soule addressed a letter to the commision, explaining the matter fully. Chairman McLendon assured him that it would not con flict with the orders of the commision. The larger purpose of the cam paign is to interest the farmers of the state in the agricultural college at Athens, and incidentally the dis trict schools. It is believed that this trip over the state will result in great good. The complete itinerary will be announced later. —Atlanta Constitution. Educators Hold Last Session Friday. Atlanta, Ga., Dec. 6, —The con ference of the southern educators which for the past two days has been in session at the Piedmont hotel will come to an end Friday afternoon or evening. The definite and future plans of the conference will not be announced at present for the reason that the meetings have all been executive. It is known, however, that the general work of the south ern educational conference to be held next spring was mapped out and the policies heretofore pursued by the various state campaign committees approved. Delegates declare that as an out come of the conference a great im petus may be expected in educational work in this section. One of the happiest results of the convention is said to be the fraternal spirit in which the representatives of colleges all over the south have met and counselled. It is believed that in the future all the colleges will work together both for their material and their educational prosperity. Robert C. Ogden, who called the conference together, will leave with his daughter for Hampton, Va., Friday night.—Journal. Congress and Finance. Congress is said to be considerably befuddled over the financial question. This was to be expected. Congress is a body of many men of many minds, and the average Congressman is very far from being an adept in financial matters. Numerous theories and plans will be advanced for regu lating the currency, but the hope of any wise and satisfactory legislation will depend upon such leadership as may be competent to grapple with so comprehensive and far-reaching a problem, with the aid of expert con sultation. In view of the present situation the agitation of various financial schemes in Congress would be more likely to do harm than good. The country will be more readily assured and disposed to confidence WATSON’S WEEKLY JEFFERSONIAN. if it finds that Congress is not dis posed to precipitate changes, but will address itself to the subject with a grave deliberation that will insure the most thorough investigation of the real needs of the country. —Nash- ville Banner. Summary of President’s Message Succinctly Told in Paragraphs. •' The annual message of President Theodore Roosevelt, read before the joint session of both houses of the Sixtieth United States Congress, contains thirty thousand words. The president recommends federal licenses or national charters for corporations. He recommends that any revision of the tariff be postponed at least until after the election. He proposes that the congress appropriate money necessary to de fray the expenses of the leading national parties in presidential elections. Os most vital importance from the viewpoint of the President is the recent financial depression or string ency, pointing to the moral lesson of purgation of dishonest business methods. The author of the message urges prompt action as to a definite cur rency plan, though the minutia of the proposition receives no tangible suggestion from the president. Relative to the currency how ever, the president suggest that it must be of sufficient elasticity to enable its speedy retirement after the financial strigency be passed. The president follows his previous declarations as to railroads and cor porations, advocating all the publicity possible in regard to the inside work ings of giant corporations through out the country. He emphatically urged federal in corporation or conditional licenses, which, together with a wholesome governmental supervision, he believes would prevent a great deal of dis honesty which has been prevalent in the past in the various channels of business and trade. The present tariff system, the president says, is responsible for the excellent balance which prevails between our expenditures and income, pointing with pride to the yearly average of $31,000,000. He is of the opinion that the tariff system should be given careful scrutiny to prevent any tendency to growing abuses in the administration of this important feature of the government. The president is heartily in favor of an income tax, though he says he speaks with reverence due to the con trary decision of the United States supreme court on the subject. It is the opinion of the president that recent prosecutions have success fully denied the old reasons given that it had been impossible to punish dishonesty where the guilty were men of great wealth. In discussing railroad accidents the president declares that more people are being killed on the great steam highways of this country than are claimed in the wars of the world. He urges that the federal government investigate railroad accidents. The lessons learned fro mhis recent journey down the Mississippi river are pointed to as being reason enough for the country to pay particular attention to the development of its interior waterways. Employers’ liability, western land frauds, saving bank system and many other matters of especial interest to the public welfare are dealt with at considerable length in the message. Os more than passing interest is his recommendation that fourth class postmasters be placed under civil service. Citizenship to the people of Porto Rico is suggested; an ocean mail subsidy to the far east is discussed at length; The Hague conference is reviewed along with the announce ment that the exposition in Japan in 1912 will afford the United States a magnificent opportunity which he hopes to see improved; the tariff agreement, recently extended by Germany, is made the subject of serious remarks. —Atlanta Journal. People’s Victory—No Credit Due The Party. Amongst all that has been written as to how and why state prohibition has had such a signal triumph in Georgia, nothing more significant has appeared than an editorial in the Atlanta Constitution, entitled, “The Late Georgia Democracy!” In that and most other Southern States the negro peril has kept the whites prac tically solid in the Democratic party. There have been few prominent men courgaeous enough to lead in move ments for reform outside of that party. Conspicuous exceptions in Georgia have been the late Hon. Walter B. Hill for the Prohibitionists and Hon. Thos. E. Watson for the Populists. The latter gentleman has also been an advocate of prohibition, and in 1896 the Populists of that state, largely through his influence, declared squarely for prohibition. So in this editorial in the Consti tution acknowledgment is made that prohibition has not come through the ‘Democratic party organization but in spite of it, and credit is given for the result to these early independent workers outside of that party, and especially to Mr. Watson. Listen to what it says: “The truth of the matter is that Mr. Watson has whipped his fight against the organized Democracy, and that is all there is about it. The political leaven that he planted years ago has done its work, and today the victory is his. The breaking of the party lines for which fought, and is still fighting, has come to pass.” The last Democratic platform of Georgia specifically turned down a state prohibition plank,—endorsing local option, better protection of the dry districts against the jug trade, and high license as the wiser meth ods for controlling the evil. Their candidate for governor spoke in favor