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PAGE TWO
Public Opinion Throughout the Union
WATSON’S TRIUMPH IN GEORGIA.
“Time at last sets all things even.”
When Hoke Smith was elected governor of
Georgia, two years ago, “Tom Watson” sus
tained him vigorously. The “Railroad ques
tion” and the “Negro question” were the two
vital issues before the people of Georgia two
years ago, and these two questions are still in
a very unsatisfactory condition in Georgia,
due principally to the non-feasance in office of
Hoke Smith, the governor of Georgia. Tom
Watson has been assailing this deliquency of
the governor for some time, through the
columns of The Jeffersonian. Here are a. few
selections from The Jeffersonian of May 21,
1908, published 15 days before the primaries
held in Georgia.
The following is from Tom Watson’s Jeffer
sonian, May 21, 1908:
Yes, Governor Smith told his friends at
Bainbridge, laughingly, that he didn’t care
what Watson thought or said, and that it made
no difference to him whether Watson supported
him or not —it being a well known fact that
Watson had lost all his following.
As soon as the governor has had his laugh
out, let ns unite in prayer.
By the way, what does the Hoke Smith or
gan, the Atlanta Journal, mean by asking this
question:
“What has become of the good old sockless
element of the Populist party?”
Which was the “sockless element,” anyway?
Were not the men of the People’s Party
leaders as well as men of the rank and file,
composed of as good material as the country
could furnish?
Didn’t Bryan get and keep his hold on Ne
braska by claiming to be as good a Populist
as any of us, and did he not vote the Populist
national ticket?
Os such were our leaders. What was the
make-up of our army itself?
Union soldiers who had marched and fought
with Grant and Sherman and Sheridan and
Thomas; Confederate soldiers who had strug
gled and suffered, half-starved and half-naked,
with Lee and Jackson and Forrest and John
ston; farmers of the North and South who had
never asked anything of the Government but
equal and exact justice; young lawyers who
had all to lose and nothing to gain by joining
the People’s Party; laboring men who asked
nothing but a fair day’s wage for a fair day’s
work; the unprivileged seeking to set bounds
to the monstrous greed of privilege.
Who were the “sockless” Pops? What is
meant by the sneer?
Let the Hoke Smith organ speak plainly, and
let us understand one another.
If Hoke’s organ has started out to insult
the old Populists, as Bryan’s manager did in
1896, he will discover, as Bryan did, that the
insult will be resented. * * * *
Our Populist friends should be careful not
to make any pledge or cast any ballot which
will fetter their freedom of action in the
THE JEFFERSONIAN.
national campaign. There will be a full elect
oral ticket put out for Watson and Williams.
*******
Narrow minded fools, whose “wish is
fathei- to the thought,” and whose confidence
is stronger in the trickery of politicians than
it is in the virtue of the people, have sought
to silence down Tom Watson.
And they failed.
Then they tried to cheat him.
And they succeeded.
Then they tried to write him down.
And they failed.
The simple truth, allied with justice, sup
ported (continually) by a virtuous masculine
like Tom Watson; and published every week,
must win.
It is true that this valorous Georgian is per
sonally opposed to the liquor dealers; but the
People’s Party is not with him in this, and he
knows it, and he is liberal enough to not try to
force his personal desires upon them in this
“private” matter. Tom Watson is not a
“Parkerite,” ’nor is he a “Bryanite.” But
he is a “Roosevelitian” I “The oppressor’s
wrong, the proud man’s contumely” has been
borne with a spirit of fortitude and patience
by Tom Watson which is extremely rare in
these “fat and pursey times.’
To stand up for the people against such
powerful enemies; to be subjected to such
personal indignities; to be betrayed by those
who had his confidence, when he might have
taken the world easy and enjoyed both honors
and emoluments, by being a negative, a non
committal; represents a standard of masculine
virtue which will compare with the most dis
tinguished Civil Heroes of America. The
triumph of Tom Watson over such a powerful
foe as Hoke Smith in Georgia, is the beginning
of Tom Watson’s career. —The Patriarch.
FAVORING THE BANKS.
Why is it that the government takes such
tender care of the banks and will do nothing
for the people?
The government has issued currency to the
banks charging them at first one per cent and
later half that rate. It has collected from
the people as taxes a large surplus of money
and deposited it with the banks; and while
this large surplus of government funds was
in the banks, the government borrowed money
by issuing 30 year bonds. This was for the
purpose of leaving the money in the banks.
Now, to help the banks out in case they get
in distress a new law has been passed direct
ing that the government issue to them when
they apply for it, 500 million dollars of em
ergency currency.
Why should not the government help the
people when they get in a pinch, if they can
furnish as good security as the banks furnish?
The government will help the banks and the
banks will help the people Congressmen may
answer.
But it is well known that in times of panic
the banks can’t help the borrowers—it is all
they can do —more than they can do —to meet
the demands of the depositors.
Why not help the merchant in distress,
any one in distress, if he can furnish the
security?
During times of financial depression people ,
may lose their mortgaged property —lose their
all —be deprived of the savings of a life-time
—why not come to their aid as well as to the
aid of Rockefeller and Morgan and lesser
lights in the banking world?
The new law is especially helpful to the
railroad banks as railroad bonds are accept
ed as security for the emergency currency,
and the men who own both railroads and banks
can issue bonds and gen the currency.
Why come to the rescue of these million
aires, but let the panic mow down the people?
The question is easy to answer. The money
power controls both the old parties and the
people have not yet caught on to the fact.
Do you favor government money and govern
ment railroads? If so why don’t you vote
your sentiments ? They are the greatest
qusetions—greater than all other questions
combined. The People’s party was formed as
common ground on which all who believe in
government money and government railroads
could unite. It was formed by Republicans,
Democrats and Greenbackers. It is the only
party that favors these two great steps of
reform and progress. Vote the People’s party
ticket. —Mo.
NATURAL RESOURCES.
The possibilities of benefit contained in the
Conference for the Conservation of Natural
Resources, whieh will open in Washington to
morrow, are illimitable. Whether or not the
results attained will bear a reasonable com
parison to these possibilities depends very
much upon the mental attitude of the con
ferrees as they approach the problems. The
purpose of the conference is vital in its rela
tion to the prosperity of the individual states
and of the nation. The effort to conserve the
natural resources of the country is intensely
practical, not merely sentimental, as some
think. To divert attention from the practical
phases, and to devote the occasion to con
tentious discussion of the issue of state and
federal rights, would be an unfortunate out
come and a sacrifice of all the possibilities of
benefit which might accrue from the simple
purpose of accomplishing results.
The tendency to inject into the discussions
of the conference a disturbing claim of state
rights suggests a possibility of danger. But
the issue cannot be avoided. In fact, if the
issue could be met in the proper spirit, the
conference could perform no greater service
than to discuss intelligently the question of
state rights as defined by the present interpre
tation of the constitution. If, as a result of
such discussion, it is demonstrated that there
exists a necessity for authority greater than
that of any single state, which is not recogniz
(Continued on Page Eleven.)