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(11) We demand of the Legislature the en
actment of the Recall—a law by which we can
put out of office any official who betrays his trust.
National Legislation.
(1.) We condemn the proposed Parcels Post
of Mr. Hitchcock, the Postmaster General. To
confine the delivery of packages sent through the
mails to the rural free delivery routes would
simply result in the enormous expansion of the
business and revenues of the express companies.,
and would furnish them, free of cost to them
selves, the services of 40,000 rural free delivery
riders, who are paid by the Government.
We demand that our postal system be brought
up to date, abreast of those of European coun
tries and of heathen Japan.
(2.) We demand that the Free Lumber plank
of the Democratic Platform be respected by the
Democrats who got office on the strength of it.
_We further demand that our Representatives
in Congress make some effort to discover by what
authority the Tariff duties on Canadian lumber
were waived on behalf of the Minnesota fire suf
ferers.
(3.) We suggest that the best proof of the
sincerity of those who pretend that they wish
to break up the trusts would be the reduction of
tariff duties on those goods which are sold
cheaper abroad than at home.
(4.) We call attention to the fact that it is a
gross injustice to the farmers who have to de
pend upon the clouds for their supply of rain to
tax them to furnish water whenever needed to
the irrigated farm.
(5) We demand the abolition of the franking
priviledge. It is our opinion that a President who
enjoys a salary of $75,000 a year, with $25,000
extra for traveling expenses, could very well
afford to pay his own postage. We think that
Senators and Representatives who surreptiously
increased their salaries $2,500 a year could do
the same thing.
(6.) We urge our Representatives in Congress
to support the proposed amendment to the Con
stitution, providing for the direct election of
United States senators by the people.
(7.) We hope that the day is not far distant
when the Government will return to the Consti
tutional money system of the fathers.
One of the most distinguished speakers and
one whose name was greeted with the wildest
enthusiasm, was Hon. Sam J. Tribble, the
successful Congressional candidate of the
Eighth Georgia Congressional District. After
his introduction, when his voice could be
heard, Mr. Tribble, in a most earnest man
ner, paid to Thos. E. Watson one of the sin
cerest compliments he has had. Mr. Tribble
referred to the hard-fought battle in the
Eighth, when his political enemies had used
every influence money could induce to defeat
him, of how Mr. Watson, unasked and
at his own personal expense, without receiv
ing or seeking a dollar of money from any
of Mr. I ribble’s friends or from Mr. Tribble
directly or indirectly, had sent The Weekly
Jeff into every home in the Eighth, to show
to the people the clear, unvarnished record
of Mr. Tribble’s opponent, “Pussy-foot Bill.”
And to this action on the part of Mr.
Watson, Mr. Tribble said he owed his elec
tion.
One of the most enjoyable speeches was that
of Hon. T. E. Massengale; his references to
the “freckle-faced, red-headed boy, almost
too small to hold his seat on the bob-tailed,
old white horse, Charley, as he came for the
mail every day,” caused a ripple of laughter.
Then, when this same red-headed one had
risen to the dignity of clerk in a grocery
store, with few added inches to his height,
how he had sprung to the rescue of a feeble,
crippled Confederate soldier who was on
crutches. And the speaker said “Tom” was
as quick to defend the weak now as he was
then.
A dinner of oyster stew, sandwiches, coffee
and fruit was served, and the affair was so
successful, a resolution was offered and
adopted, making the gathering an annual one,
July Fourth being chosen as the day.
Telegrams of regret and letters of felicita
tion from many sources were received by Mr.
Watson throughout the day.
The formation of the stock company is well
under way, applications for stock are being
received daily, and the plan 'to elect a board
THE JEFFERSONIAN
of directors has met with the approval of
those interested.
That the People’s Movement will mean all
that it is intended to mean, may be seen by
each plank of the platform adopted.
Ihe harmony of the meeting last Thurs
day, the utter absence in the speeches of any
personalities, shows The Jeffs to be along
the right line, working as they will work,
through the Democratic party, for the better
ing of the conditions of the great army of
the Common People.
Alice Louise Lytle,
Managing Editor The Jeffs.
Another Short Talk on the Tariff
(concluded from page one.).
stand why there should be so many cases re
ported to the Custom-house authorities. There
have recently been a multitude of instances
in which house-servants reported their mas
ters and mistresses for smuggling jewelry,
paintings and other art treasures, as well as
clothing of the costlier kinds. We have no
knowledge of any governmental fund avail
able for the purpose of bribing the domestic
employees of rich people, and we cannot be
lieve that the servants would risk the loss of
their positions and the certainty of never
being again employed in that' world of
the wealthy, unless they were moved, by the
fascination of a very considerable bribe.
Now, who has the greater motive to offer this
inducement to the domestic spy? Evidently,
the manufacturer.
lou would naturally suppose that every
Custom - house is situated on the sea
coast. 1 hat is the proper place for them,
and that is where they are in all other coun
tries but ours. Tn this Republic, however,
such rank favoritism prevails, that Custom
houses have been built throughout the land,
thousands of miles from the sea shore. These
inland Custom-houses have their full com
plement of salaried officials, including a sur
veyor of the port. In Atlanta, Indianapolis
and scores of other places where there is no
port to survey, there is a high-priced surveyor
whose sworn duty it is to survey and keep
surveying the port. This is one of the most
striking evidences of the extreme injustice to
which special privilege has been carried.
Os course the excuse which is given for
this monstrous item of governmental favor
itism and prodigality is, that these inland
ports of entry are a great convenience to the
inland merchants.
Does the government tax anybody for your
convenience ?
In a large number of the Custom-houses on
land and sea the amount of revenue amounts
to such a ridiculously small sum that it will
not pay a tithe of the expense of maintain
ing the Custom-house. There are extreme cases
where the annual amount of taxes collected
on foreign goods amounts to less than S2O,
whereas the salaries paid to those idle offi
cials aggregate a couple of thousand. There
are Custom-houses in New England that col
lect less than five dollars a year at a cost to
the government of more than a thousand.
There are some where not a dollar is collected.
The last time I examined the official report on
the Custom-house in Atlanta, the revenue was
less than seven thousand dollars, and the ag
gregate of salaries about two thousand. You
will remember that a negro, Henry Rucker,
had long been the Collector at this inland
port of entry, when I made an exposure of
how he had been kept in office, and succeeded
in ousting him last summer. The salaried
person who would doubtless survey the port,
if there were one in Atlanta for him to sur
vey, is also a negro, according to my informa
tion.
In Alexandria, Va., they collect almost
nothing, at a cost of $1,200 a year.
At Cherrystone, Va., not one cent was col-
lected; and the cost of keeping the “port”
open was $1,950.
At St. Augustine, Fla., they collected fifteen
cents, at an expense to the taxpayers of SI,BOO.
At St. Marks they collected $24, and spent
$3,500 in doing it.
At St. Mary’s they collected SSO. and it cost
the Government SI,BOO.
In Chattanooga they collected nothin o’—at
an expense of SSOO.
In Beaufort, S. C.. they collected $1,900.
and drew salaries to the amount of $5,000.
In A icksburg customs duties rolled up an
aggregate of dollars; the cost to the tax
payers was $533.
At Sagg Harbor, New Jersey, the Collector
got $684, salary, while the Government <rot
nothing. At Great Egg harbor the Collector
got $B3l, and the Government, sl7.
I could give similar cases by the dozen.
M hy has this situation come upon you. en
tailing such cruel discrimination and crush
ing burdens?
Your representatives in Congress have neg
lected or betrayed your interests, and you
yourselves have been fatally neglectful con
cerning the conduct of your public affairs.
TALKS TO YOUNG MEN
(No. 2.)
Your happiness in this world will largely
depend upon your capacity to please. Weare
so involved in the complications of modern
life that no one can make a little world of
bis own and become a Robinson Crusoe,
rhrown into various relationships with our
fellow men, we either find pleasure or misery
m their company. Therefore, you should
study to please, where you can do so without
sacrifice of principle' or self-respect.
Now, then:
Don’t fall into the habit of asking your
companion to repeat udiat he said. That is a
very common annoyance, and it is nothing in
the world but carelessness. It is a mere habit,
and it is irritating.
Most of us have good ears; and if we will
pa\ attention to what is being’ said, we can
hear it, well enough. In fact, many of the
aeiy people yvho use the “Eh? ’ have heard
what you said, and will repeat it, if you fail
to ansyver the "Eh?"* Try if, some time.
There’s our talented and quick-witted Mrs.
Ly tle, for instance—our L. A. L.: when she
first landed in Thomson as a component and
indispensable piece of our machinery—ani
mate and inanimate—she had a way* of an
swering me with a whenever I made
a remark to her.
In two or three days this everlasting “Nzrf”
made my victuals disagree with me in the
daytime and disturbed my slumbers at night.
Ihe prospect of having to increase my
labors by the repetition of every blessed thing
that I would have to say to Mrs. Lytle, in
all the years to come, began to turn my sorrel
top gray, yvith a rapidity which was appalling
—for I regard her as a permanent fixture in
our establishment whose removal would be
unlawful.
So, one day when I said something to her
and she said—
W”
I flamed out in open rebellion. Suffering
humanity can’t stand everything.
“Now, look here!” I said to L. A. L.
“You quit saying ‘SSW” to me. Your ears
are as good as mine; and life is too brief for
me to lose so much good breath repeating
things to you.”
She laughed, and that was the last of her
* * *
Don’t, for Heaven’s sake, don't contract the
habit of biting your finger-nails. I have
known some otherwise elegant gentlemen to
be abdicted to that repulsive vulgarity and
(continued on page thirteen.)
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