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Additional Letters From the People
A SPLENDID LETTER FROM THE
NORTH-WEST.
Dear Sir: Please find enclosed
cheek for $2.00 for the two Jeffs, in
renewal for tiie ensuing year.
Sorry you did net get fall acquittal
but you are fully vindicated anyway.
To a layman’s eyes, it seems that
although Judge Lambdin appeared to
be fair his leanings were not your
way. One thought came to me as I
was reading the report of your trial
in your magazine, on the ruling of
Judge I ami din, “that you certainly
intended to convey some thought by
affixing the Latin text” of Liguori to
your article, and it is this: That
while you intended something, what
was the intention of Congress when
passing that law? La.rd & Lee,
Publishers, Chicago, have sent out
books, pamphlets, charts, etc., writ
ten by Shang Andrews and others
chuck full of obscenity from cover
to cover without using any obscene
terms. We will have to consider the
motives of a writer, and I believe
Congress so intended, but the intent
of the law seems to have a tread to
he diverted into wrong channels at
the present time. Congress certainly
did not intend to close the mails to
legitimate authorship but did aim
their shaft at such as above men
tioned writings of equivocal, erotic
wording—poisoners of the youthful
mind.
Now a word about the juries. 1
think the Federal Government ought
to give Georgia credit for doing
comparatively well in the sisterhood
of States, furnishing ten out of
twelve upright, common sense men
on the panel.
Muzzling of the press seems to be
a pastime indulged in by the bosses,
small or little all over this country,
and T am sorry to say the courts
(the district judges) always lean,
and sometimes heavily, against the
editors who “speak out in meeting,”
as it were. Os course, it generally
results in a mistrial up in this coun
try, although in a neighboring
county a verdict was found for plain
tiff, but —thank God!—the Supreme
Court of Minnesota has some old
time honesty left among its mem
bers, and that body somewhat face
tiously prefaced its decision thus:
The press has a right to publish
something, yet—and then proceeded
with a vigorous denunciation of the
attempt to divert the intent of the
law governing a free press.
This perhaps does not interest you,
but “misery loves company,” and
Minnesota has her troubles as well
as Georgia.
Your position, in your case, stands
on rock and your arguments are ir
refutable and commend themselves
to all fair-minded men.
With greetings, I remain, yours
affectionately and truly,
Minn. O. H. ARNTZEN.
TO PROSECUTE THE SLAYERS OF
WILLIAM BLACK
A partisian judge has recently
transferred the cases of John Cope
land, George Ryan and others from
Harrison County, Texas, to Galves
ton County Texas, where they now
stand for trial.
All patriots and lovers of law and
order are interested in seeing these
cases properly prosecuted: and the
Knights of Luther at Marshall, Texas,
have as a body made an appeal to
the patriots of the nation for assist
ance in this prosecution.
Since the transfer of the cases to
Galveston, new and additional ex
penses will necessarily be incurred
and lawyers must be employed at
that point.
This is an urgent call, and you are
requested to communicate with the
Secretary of the relief committee,
Knights of Luther, at Marshall, Tex.,
Post Office Box 177, and make your
remittances direct to him in care
of the Guaranty State & Savings
Bank, Marshall, Texas.
THE JEFFERSONIAN
THE THREATS TO “HANG WAT-
SON.”
Dear Sir: lam enclosing herewith
three clippings from Georgia Daily
papers. The first an editorial from
the Macon Telegraph, dated February
5, 1916, “Something Else Again,”
the other two clippings from the
Savannah Morning News, editorial,
“Not Yet Right” and the News item
from which the editorial was written,
which is from Washington relative to
your latest indictment by the At
torney General.
Time and space prevent my saying
what I would like to. Can anybody
read those two articles by different
editors, without telling which of the
two were written* with the deeper
motives? Difference is the Editor of
the Telegraph is trying to play poli
tics and the Morning News is speak
ing its convictions. Nothing but a
dreamer of dreams can take the stand
that this latest move of the Govern
ment against you is not an infringe
ment on State Rights. Are you suf
fering “under an hallucination that
all sorts of people and interests are
trying to kill you?” Didn’t Strauss
say so in so many words in his maga
zine. Puck. “Will the people of Geor
gia be content with this murderer in
their midst” kill him “Hang him”.
“All eyes are on you, Georgia. Not
until you have exiled or hanged Wat
son. will Georgia ever be decent.”
Again I say are you suffering from
some mental or physical weakness.
Again I quote from the Telegraph,
“all virtue is not confined to Geor
gia, not all vice to other states.” The
stinging rebuke is, are all honest
jurymen confined to other states and
all the dishonest ones confined to
Georgia. Isn't this editorial an in
sult to all honest jurymen in our
good state. I like the Telegraph very
much and am very, very sorry to see
it so far wrong,’and wonder some
times who it is that is suffering from
mental and physical weaknesses. I
have never been a “Watson fanatic”
as they call ’em, but in this matter
T cannot help but feel for our swell
headed egotist of the Telegraph.
Sincerely yours,
ALLEN REID.
A LETTER FROM MACON TO
GEORGIA SENATORS.
Hon. J. Walter Wise, Hon. Thos. W.
Hardwick, Hon. Hoke Smith,
Washington, D. C.:
Two thousand five hundred men
in mass meeting assembled, city au
ditorium, Macon, Ga., unanimously
instruct me to send you the fol
lowing night letter:
We indignantly resent the pro
posed efforts of the .Judicial Depart
ment to secure trial of Hon. Thos.
E. Watson in some State other than
Georgia. We deem it not only a re
flection upon our jury system but an
insult to the people of Georgia. We
believe the movement is inspired by
the Roman Catholic Church in re
venge for Watson’s exposure of its
practices.
Certainly, if such reported inten
tions of the Government are carried
out, it will make Catholicism the
immediate issue in Georgia politics,
if not. the nation, and may ultimately
dethrone the party’s rule.
We call upon you to exert every
effort to block any such outrageous
blunder.
R. DOUGLAS FEAGIN,
Chairman.
Macon, Ga.
“Around that griet-bowec woman,
I threw the weeds of widowhood—
but I paid for the chance to do it;
and (hey who took my money knew
that I would do it.”
From “The Song o» the Bar-
Room,” in Watson’s Prose Miscella
nies, second edition. Price SI.OO.
THE JEFFS, T1 lomson, Ga.
FROM A COUNTRY PREACHER.
Dear Sir: In that awful conflict
which is devastating Europe the
friends of liberty have thus far had
the worst of it. One cause, probably
the main cause, of their misfortunes,
we all know. They were not as well
organized for war as their foes.
When it comes to military organiza
tion autocracy has some obvious ad'
vantages over democracy. But Brit
ain and her allies are learning their
lesson, and with improved organiza
tion and equipment, and with larger
armies, we trust that the final re
sult will be in their favor. With
such an unscrupulous foe as Ger
many little is gained by simply de
nouncing her methods. Much has
been written to expose the Prussian
war philosophy of “frightfulness,”
but one doubts whether it produces
very much effect either in arousing
other nations to the realization of
the true character of the Prussian
policy, or in creating a sense of
shame in the Prussians themselves.
Now there is another conflict ap
parently in which you are very much
interested —the conflict between the
Roman Church and the friends of
liberty in America who, let us sup
pose for this occasion, are the Prot
estants. You have done and are do
ing much to expose some of the ugly
features of Romanism —especially
its political ambitions and its sins
against liberty. But simply as a
matter of strategy, of generalship, I
submit that very much more than
this is needed. Whatever fault we
find with the Roman Church we all,
I suppose, respect the efficiency of
their organization. Compared with
the Roman -Church the various
branches of the Protestant Church
are, generally speaking, inefficient,
lake the Allies in- Europe, the Prot
estants have the advantage of num
bers. and the disadvantage of in
ferior organization and equipment.
Reasons for their inferiority in this
respect might very easily be men
tioned. Their democracy has con
tributed to their inferiority as a
fighting force. Then again, the rec
ognition of the fact that the church
is not essential to their salvation has
made many of them indifferent to
it, so that the support they give their
church is inadequate and out of all
proportion to the support given by
Romanists to their church. What
ever the causes may be, the fact of
inefficiency in many respects is only
too manifest.
Many Protestants, it is to be fear
ed, have a very crude idea as to why
they are Protestants. It may seem
incredible, but it is_ nevertheless true,
that among the regular readers of
your Jeffersonian there are many
who know little or nothing of what
one might call “the positive princi
ples of Protestantism.” It has al
ways seemed to me that the priv
ileges for which Protestantism
stands (privileges bought at the cost
of enormous sacrifice), if intelligent
ly understood, rightly valued and
honestly exercised, should be a
strong defense against Romanism.
The understanding, appreciation and
exercise of the privileges which the
Reformers secured would result,
would it not, in a stronger Protest
ism—a better organized and more
efficient Protestantism? - The Prot
estant Church has big problems and
tasks before it if it is to realize its
best. Especially is this true in the
country. One hears pathetic stories
of the decline of rural Christendom,
of the closing of the country churches
and so on. If we are to keep our
end up we will have to improve. It
will not do to go on in the same old
rut. You have a great influence.
You paper is widely read. Do you
not think you might render a larger
service to Protestantism, and so
serve the liberty for which Prot
estantism stands, by helping to re
move the inefficiency which in many
places is crippling our churches —•
especially in the country? It would
be a very considerate service if you
could do nothing more than convince
some of your many readers that they
are in reality helping th© Roman
Church insofar as they fail to sup
port and to build up their own Prot
estant Church. Some of them have
learnt to be very vehement on the
sins of Romanism. If some of the
energy they expend on that subject
were transmuted into sacrifice and
service for their own church, I would
feel that we had much less to fear
from Romanism.
Yours sincerely,
A COUNTRY PREACHER.
©
RECONSTRUCTION.
Are we to go back to the days of
Reconstruction?
An ent the threat of trying Tom
Watson in another State, and not
in his own, for a crime alleged that
he committed against the Govern
ment. Those that are old enough
to remember and those who have
read of the history of Reconstruc
tion will vividly remember just such
practices as these. State and county
courts were wholly disregarded, and
those against whom some real or
farcical offense against the Govern
ment had been committed were car
ried to any point and then (God
save the mark) scaliwag and carpet
bagger judges and representatives
from the North wanted to try them,
and these are they who sought to
reconstruct the South, in a manner
wholly at variance with all our laws,
customs and traditions.
Do you remember what the re
sults were?
Does such trials appeal to true
patriots?
Does not this effort smack of those
days when a citizen of Georgia is
threatened to - be carried to another
State for trial?
To what State shall he be sent —-
to Maine or Florida?
Does not the very threat imply
serious consequences to our State
courts and government?
It is not Mr. Watson on trial in
this case, but the principles of our
Government.
Eliminate Mr. Watson entirely,
and substitute Mr. Loyless, of the
Chronicle, who evidently is his most
bitter enemy, who seeks his utter
ruin and annihilation. Put Mr. Loy
less then on trial and see if some
of the papers of the State would
keep up the howl of “the right of
the Government” to take a man out
of his own State into another for
trial.
The Constitution, Macon News
and Atlanta Journal are taking the
true stand against the return of Re
construction. We believe the people
of Georgia are honest
as any. people of the Government,
while we confess her people, or a
certain class of them, have led in a
certain class of crime, but these are
not by any means Georgia’s repre
sentative citizens.
Tom Watson can get as fair a trial
in Georgia as in any other State,
and he should be tried here if tried
at all.
We have never been his follower,
yet we believe the Populist people,
if on the jury, are just as honest as
those who are not of that political
faith, and will give as honest ver
dicts in courts as others.
It is surprisingly strange that any
paper in the State should lend its
influence to such extreme measures.
One step of this kind will lead
to another, until our Democratic
usages, customs and trials will be
no more.
Don’t return to Reconstruction!
—Pike County Journal.
PRAISES “GRANDMOTHER
STORIES.
Dear Sir: My pupils are thanking
you for “Grandmother Stories,” the
most interesting story book in their
library and I appreciate it, because
it is giving- them a clearer insight of
the character of our heroes and of
the history of our State.
Yours truly,
ESTELLE HUGHES.
Buena Vista, Ga.
