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THE BANNER, FRIDAY MORNING, AUGUST 11, 1916. MAINS BANNER Established 1831 H. J. ROWE, Editor. DAILY-WEEKLY SUNDAY THE ATHENS WEEKLY BANNER I* the official organ of Clarka County and la ntailad to any address for tha fallowing rataa: Yearly, 61.00; alx •nanthi, BO eanta; three months, 2$ •ante. All eubacrlptlona are paid In ad vance and ramlttancee may be made by express, poetofllce money erder er regletered letter. The Rio Grande Is now bordering on quietude. • 1 4- The International commission, 11m I ted, is what Mexico wants. 1 An osteopathic cure for malaria has ben discovered—without medicine, it Is reported. A good preventive is to —not go where malaria is. 4 The trouble about the war In Eu rope Is that it has entirely too many •■fronts.” If there were not so many fronts there would necessarily be few er repulses. pre- up Hereafter the attorney general of the state will be also supervisor of county records for 14$ counties In the state. He will have an assistant at torney geneiral. The bill making this , provision awaits only the signature of the governor to become law. « It will not now be long before Ath ens will have a water supply equal to the needs of a city of several times the population, of purity unquestioned, and will be in shape to meet any emer. gency of weather or fire. v ♦ Here Is another Rem. for Miss Rutherford's ‘‘first things of Geor gia.” The first “moonlight school,“ of which, we hear so much about these modern days, was taught In Georgia. Judge Prank Park, a broth er of Prof. R. E. Park, of the Untver elty of Georgia, was the teacher. 1 Bigger than the presidential race, the European war, the governor's contest, the legislature, or any of those little things is the big game- two games. Indeed—here between Winder and Monroe on Wednesday and Thursday of this week. It’s local ‘and the “eplrK” Is In that contest. ■ 4 - The senate will certainly see to tt that the highway commission bill Is so amen led to give the state a real commission with the requirements necessary to permit Georgia to par ticipate In the millions offered by the federal government for the making and maintaining of a system of per rnanent highways In this state. 4 While taking no active part In state politics this year the friends of the present members of the railroad com mission point out that Just at this time a 'change In the personnel would not be wise. The freight rate matter one of the most far-reaching and vitally important before the commis sion In years. Is pending and the ex perience of the present board, It suggested, would be an asset to the state. Chairman Murphey Candler, Is understood, put aside his personal ambition to enter the governor's rsce In order to devote himself to the great work of the commission at this time. «V -4 ■ ■ CONCERNING HIGH PRICES FOR PAPER The federal trado commission Is investigating the high prices now vailing for newspaper. The publishers all over the country are complaining and chargee of a combination on the part of the manufacturers to force the price of print paper are being made. It is quite true that all newspapers and publishers have been hit heavy blows by the upward soaring of paper prices and the loss will become even greater unless some stop is put to the constant advance by the manufac turers. The federal trade commission will continue Its Investigations until some decision can be reached. If there Is proof of a combination to put up prices the offending manufacturers will be dealt with under the federal law. .RELIEF FOR FLOOD SUFFERERS The senate has passed the bill for the relief of the flood sufferers in Georgia, Florida and Alabama. Tho house will no doubt ratify the action of the senate and the bill will become a law. Objection was made In the senate by Senator Smoot, of Utah, and Sen ator Penrose, of Pennsylvania. They charged the democrats with extrava gance and stated that the government had no rlgbt to spend the money of the people for the relief of men who bad suffered from these floods. Tbe appropriation was distinctly In line with precedents. On numerous occasions the federal government has extended aid to people who had suffer ed by such calamities as flood, earthquake and fire. This Is about the first time in recent years when the South has cost the government any consider able sum of money for relief of its people. The objection of the republicans was to be expected. They are playing for every piece of political capital they can get. But tho democrats will pay no attention to this kind of ob jection. The flood sufferers will be given tbe relief they deserve. TO INCREASE APPELLATE COURT A bill has been Introduced In the legislature to Increase the number of judges on the court of appeals in this state. The present number Is three and the new number would be six. This proposition Is made because the present court of appeals Is so bur dened with work that It cannot do Justice to the cases that come before It for review. The Judges are doing anywhere from four to twenty-four times as much work aa Judges on similar tribunals In other parte of the country. It Is absolutely foolish for a state to allow cases to be carried on appeal to a court that cannot give them proper attention. The court of appeals does the best It can under the circumstances, it Is manifestly Impossible for the court to give the proper amount of attention to the cases that come before It The cost of adding three judges to this court would be small In com parlson with the good that would result therefrom. KEEPING THE PARTY ALIVE The more radical progressives are not going to allow the party to die without making a big fight for Its life, They are not satisfied with the ac tion of the national committee In endorsing Hughes for the presidency, and delegates to a convention In Indianapolis have met for the purpose of con sidering the situation and determining just what Is beat to be dona It is not believed that there will be any third ticket put in the field, al- though that is being talked of by some of the more radical members. It may be that Wilson will be endorsed by this wing of the progressive party and In that event it will simply be the splitting of the party vote oetween the two parties, the republicans getting tbe larger number of the votes. The democrats will gain from this meeting of the progressives whatever may be done If the party puts out a ticket It will help or tf It endorses Wilson it will help. So tar as the party itself Is concerned, It will never muster enough votes to elect a president, though It may reach a point where It will be a balance of power. tern they will have helped to strengthen it. Georgia has suffered for years from having the .system of “passing the hat around” for taxes. Georgia Is a state of too much Importance for Its law makers to be misled and deceived into passing any measure which will re peal or emasculate the features which are now bringing into the treasury funds which are absolute needs, and for tbe proper care of Its Institutions. Taxation is the only source of revenue from which the state can hope to meet its obligations and If this measure is repealed—then there can be little for this state to hope for. Financial embarrassment Is bound to come and educational Institutions along with other departments of the state will suffer accordingly. Gentlemen of the legislature, strengthen the tax equalization law, but never allow it to bo emasculated or weakened. BELGIUM HAS HER BACK UP The Belgian government, though without a home and under the domina tion of the Germans, still has the nerve to tell the Germans that it will not stand for some of the things that Germany demands. The Belgians In Brussells a few days since had a demonstration on the national fete day and for tbat thev Germans have fined the city five million marks. The Belgians have flatly refused to pay it and have told the German military governor so. It may be that for the time being the Germans will get some way in which to collect this money, for If It is collected It will be by force, but the time will come some of these days when the Germans will have to pay it all back. One of the first things to be settled when peace comes will be the pay ment back to Belgium of enough money to repair In some way the damage that has been done. It will not be enough to put Belgium back where she was, but it will be a neat sum, Belgium can afford to wait, for the victory of tho Allies will come In due time and Belgium wiU again come into her THE MENACE OF THE STRIKE Just now New York is In tbe grip of a big trolley strike and traffic that city Is completely tied up. What this means to a city of the size of New York is hard to comprehend unless you wero on the ground and saw what the effect of the strike was. Then again the railway firemen, conductors and engineers all over the country are debating the advIsabiUty of going on a strike, and should this step be determined on the business of the entire country would be demoral ized. Tbe scope of the threatened strike Is so wide that It is hard to estimate what would be the damages should It be Inaugurated. Even the war with Mexican bandits Is a small affair, or a war with Mex ico, so far as that Is concerned, compared to the trouble that would follow such a strike. Every effort possible is being made to settle the differences and prevent this Impending strike. A few more days or weeks at most will determine what the result of these efforts will be. Arbitration Is the sensible thing do In all such matters, but sometimes tho contending parties cannot see what there Is to arbitrate and thus get farther apart until the actual break comes. The successful settlement of these difficulties would mean the saving millions upon millions of dollars to the business of.the country and no tell ing how many lives. No effort should be spared to bring about this settle ment JHE BRITISH BLACKLIST President Wilson, through the state department has sent to the British government a strong protest against the recent blacklisting of certain Amer- lean firms. The American note is quite positive In Its terms and la certain to make the British statesmen sit up and take notice. This government has been very gentle with the British. The British have not been very mindful of the rights of the Americans and have done many things not in keeping with good friendship, but this government has been patient and forbearing In all things. The government believes the time has come to talk with a little of the bark on and the American note has a decided ring to it It may not accom plish much, but It will make the British see that we are not going through the war without protesting when they do not act In the right way. The blacklist Is In contravention of the rights of neutral nations and against all principles of International law. The position taken by the United States cannot be contravened and no amount of diplomatic twaddle on the part of the British will prove to the contrary. Great Britain knows that the American people are her friends in this contest, that is the great majority of them are, but she may presume too far on friendship If she keeps up these kind bf tactics. Just what the result of the American note will be remains to be seen. It Is certain to make the British statesmen stop and think a little before put ting the recent blacklist orders strictly Into operation. of DON’T SIDETRACK THESE BILLS We believe the appropriation bills providing new buildings for the State Normal School, the South Georgia Normal School and the Girls Normal and Industrial College will be passed If they can be brought before the house and senate In time to secure a full discussion and vote on them. But <t the rate at which legislation Is now being moved there Is danger of these Important bills being sidetracked. That would be a great misfor tune to the state. Tift need for the four buildings provided for In these three appropria tion bills Is very apparent. Without them the three Institutions named are crippled and kept from doing their full and perfect work for the upbuilding of tbe educational Interests of the state. The state has far too few trained teachers' to handle the hundreds of thousands of children in the common schools. The money tbe state gives to the common schools does not bring the returns it would tf there were more teachers thoroughly trained in the normal schools. There Is but one way to get these teachers and that Is through an enlargement of the work of the normal schools. This work cannot be enlarged unless more money Is spent tor the buildings that are now being called for. It Is more essential than ever If the compulsory education law Is to drive Into the schools thousands of children not now attending. This feature ot the situation cannot be overlooked. The situation Is a grave one. By no means should these three important appropriation bills be sidetracked during the coming days of the session. They should be shoved forward on the calendar and given a fair chance at passage. The state will be the distinct loser unless this is done. Plea for Peace to F. and A. Masons According to eminent English edu cators veiling Is absolutely no guide to pronunciation. To prove this a* sertkm Professor Jones ot the Uni versity College, of London, gives as an Instance of the futility ot trying to pronounce according to spoiling puzzle which requires the word “fix ture” to be apelled without using any of the letters In tt. The answer Is “phykscha.” Potato could be spelled “ghoughphthelghtteau," “gh” repre seating “p" as in “hiccough,” ”ough‘ * —"o” as In “though,” * phth”—“t” ai In “phthisis," ‘elgh"—“a” as In "weigh,” “tte"—“t" as In “gazette, 1 and "eau"—“o" as in “beau." — * There may ha some place where a wife and children deserted by the husband and father can find a modi cum of sympathy, but they needn't look for it aroupnd the Georgia house of representatives, aa demonstrated by the action ot tbat body In tabling a bill to make tt a misdemeanor tor a man to abandon Ms wife and chil dren In destitute circumstances. It appeared from the line of talk hand ed out by the members of the boose who spoke against the bill, especially the lawyers who have practice In the divorce courts, that they regard the husbands of the stats aa the ones In need of sympathy, and not the wives. Tha bill had paaaad tha senate prsc- wtth no oppoeWon and was by the SHOULD KNOCK OUT TRADING STAMPS The legislature should pass the anti-trading stamp bill and send it up lo Govornor Harris tor his approval , The merchants of the state are vitally interested In this measure, and the people who do tbe trading are also Interested. The trading stamp device makes people think they are getting something for nothing, but they In no way realise what they expect The men who run the trading stamp business are not In It for nothing. The trading stamp Is a burden to legitimate business and a lure to tbe unsuspecting. It promises much and returns little. It diverts trade from its proper channel and does not yletd to the pnrohaser the returns that would Justify such a diversion. The merohants of the state are heartily In favor of tbe proposed law barring trading stamps and the legislature should find time to enact the bill In’a law. THE BOLL WEEVIL IN GEORGIA The farmers of South Georgia have had a good taste ot the boll weevil thie year. The peat baa been getting in some pretty steady work In that section and the cotton crop there has been severely damaged according to reports. Fortunately for the farmers In this state, there was advance notice of the coming of this pest and a great majority ot the farmers had been prepar ing a warm reception. The Increased Interest taken In all grain crops, tha advance of the live stock Industry, the Increased number of hogs raised and the general diversification ot the crops throughout the section affected have brought about results and good results too. It seems that science has found nothing to kill off the weevil and that the only thing that can be done to overcome his ravages Is to substitute oth er crops that he does not like to eat or plant cotton that will mature before he gets ready to sit down to the feast More com, more wheat, more hay, more cattle, more fruits, more hogs, more crops ot all kinds will settle In a large measure for the losses caused by the boll weevil, and yet tt la up to the edeotlata to keep on working to find out some way to put an end to tho work of tils pest TAX EQUALIZATION MEASURE It is, Indeed, unfortunate that there should arise opposition to the pres en. tax equalization law which has been operated zo luccesafully in this state. It Is true that the measure could be strengthened and thereby bring Increas ed revenue to the treasury, but to attempt to repeal the act and undo the good work which has been accomplished by this law,/is to thing short of a calamity and criminal on the part of those members who are urging and try ing to bring about a condition in the state that will practically bankrupt Georgia. A Joint committee from the house and senate has made e report making many recommendations, among them some being timely and wise and If the legislature wUl take this report and select the beet and strongest features, REMOVE ALL DOUBT FROM HIGHWAY BILL The highway measure which passed the house a few days since seems be faulty In construction. In so far as the Federal government in concerned, and unless tt Is so amended as to meet the requirements of tbe Federal act, Georgia will not participate in the $76,000,000 fund appropriated by congress for tbe bettering of the loads of the country. The question Is of vast Importance and politics should not enter into the acts of the members of the legislature. This Is tbe time of all times when every member should Join and work to one purpose and that purpose should be to so amend the act as passed that tt will fully meet the requirements the government and assure to the' state of Georgia Its full share of this ap propriation. The present session of the legislature will end on the twelfth of August and unless something is done and done at once, the state will not be able to participate In the appropriation which would mean so much for the im provement and ot the building of good roads in thla state. Let the members of the general assembly realize the Importance of this measure and let them know that the people at home are depending upon them to provide a measure which win meet all requirement* of the Federal government in order that the state may profit and he benefited from a source the citizenship has never enjoyed before. The Banner believes that the members of the legislature will not allow petty politic* and petty Jealousies to Interfere with their adta In such an Im portant matter, but that they will harmonize all differences and paes a meas ure which will meet every requirement of the Federal government In order that Georgia may participate in and enjoy the benefits of the appropriation. EASY ENOUGH TO CRITICISE Candidate Hughe* has accepted the nomination ot the republican party for the presidency and In his speech of acceptance he sounded the keynote of the republican campaign. Ot course that keynote is a broadside attack on Wilson and bis administration, more particularly that aide of it pertaining to the Mexican question. Now It la not a hard thing to criticise. It la a much harder thing to ac complish things. Candidate Hughes has an easy Job telling what he would have done had he been In Wilson’s place. Had be really been there, be drould have done about as Wilson has done or he would have run the old ship of itate on the rooks. More than Ukely It would have been the latter thing he would have done, for he has neither the ability nor the grit of Wilson. It la easy enough to talk about the democratic party not having taken the proper steps to prepare the army and navy for real fighting, bat It should be remembered that the republicans have been in power nearly all these yean and have done nothing. Tbe democrats have done about all that baa been done In this direction. It Is easy enough to say that the democrat* are now providing for naval expenditures aa a political movement in the presence of a presidential cam paign. Well, It la something to the credit ot the democratic party that It haa taken the lead In this matter. It la quite certain that be republicans never had the nerve or the statesmanship to do so. It Is easy enough to aay the democratic tariff revision was a failure, but the European war and tbe falling off of Imports tells the tale better than re publican criticism. Candidate Hughes can talk very freely It he so desires, bat his talk will hsva to be backed up with proof before tho American people will believe We have reached the “enlightened twentieth century.” We are the in heritors of the art, the literature, the music, and the science of the past nineteen centuries. This Is tho twentieth century of the Christian era. The Prince ot Peace was born l»vl> years ago. Yet we stand face to face with a cruel, savage, wicked war. The beet blood of Europe la being spilled In great streams. Christian England, cultured Germany, artistic France, autocratic Russia, Moslem Turkey, turbulent Austria-Hungary, are all alike guilty and all are at one an- othr’s throats. Socalled - neutral countries ore sharpening the swords, making the bullets and casting the cannons (for profit) to supply the meant for spill ing more blood, and Incidentally gain ing treasure for themselves. Starva tion, famine, pestilence, maimings, in sanity, widowhood, death are the glorious results. Thus have they done In other days also. The ^reat, toted. In this general melee Is there no power capable of causing these earth ly powers to cease their murderous conflict end to halt those who aid and abet the savagery? There ha* been and la today great force In the world. Its peaceful yet powerful Influence has survived the wreck of dynasties and the shock of time. It Is still abroad and alive. Its vitality Is yet potent, and tt is being exercised in the paths of mer cy. It still soothes the dying and brings help to the wounded. In thousand way* tt quiet and beneficent Influence beats on the proud warrior and comfort* the afflicted victim. The Church of the Living God still Uvea. There to another atlent yet potent force In the world, spreading Its in fluence tar and wide, regarding neith er Gentile nor Jew, Mohammedan nor Christian, as such, and yet embracing them all. It craves world power and universal sway: not at the sword’s point, bat through the spirit of one great principle—brotherhood. the brotherhood of Masonry take ad vanced ground? (Have we no peace-loving states men, whether In the world’s high places or In humble station, whose thoughts will cope with the great problem confronting a saddened world? Are lifesaving, war-prevention thoughts too deep in the well of the human mind to be reached? Cannot the divine spark Illumine the abyss of human bate and passion and show a ray of love and mercy, ot sweetness and of peace? Is one nation fir another utter!? to perish by the sword, and then shall the survivors again fight over the spoilt until all are annihilated? Are not these practical, pressing, all-important considerations In thla day and generation to engage onr In terest, our Intellect, our hearts? Let n* keep them before onr an cient brotherhood with open minds, merciful hearts, thoughtful brains, and kindly spirits, looking ever ter essentially neutral ocean* are vlo- a great leader, not of one nation or It. And the proof • Bow shall these two forces, neither supplanting the other, hot cooperat ing with each other, make their weight felt? Are there ideas to be discarded and practice* to be condemned because they lead to or prolong a war? Should we not in this century set other standard* ** nations and peoples which may develop peace as those of the past have brought on war? tribe, but of all tho people of every nation on the face of the earth, who ■hall show ns the way of righteous ness and guide us in the paths of peace. OBOflbOE FRHIFELD, Grand Master. The weather Is really Inclined to be a little on “the warm order,” not to say hot Bnt then, what could you expect in August? 4 "Trade condition* greatly Improv ed," saye the federal hank report on basinets—again. What must thoee conditions have been In the light ot the "great Improvement” reported every other day? 41 — LU’ or Brunei* ops and Tow* * h * won’t pay the fine of 6,000,000 mxrU Imposed upon her by Germany— fo f same little alleged offense, prohibit mostly because Germany need* tbe men. Brussells to spunky all f** 11 ” all right » - ——’ haadfal of votes In its favor. Dudley Glass of the Georgian mu*‘ . reserve the file* of the Banner I'M*' ty well—better than he notes the d»te of the peper he Is reading, for he has the following In his deiartment of tb« Georgian this week, an allusion to » note the Banner carried tost winteT ' “Athens Banner says: 'Alanta 1* row ing $70,000 fund for her grznd opera the coming spring.’ The Atlanta got In sis montn»