The Reform world. (Winder, Ga.) 189?-????, September 30, 1896, Image 1

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VOL. 1. SAfl JONES AGAIN. He Writes a Strong Letter to the Jour nal and Constitution. His Tell ing Licks. Cartersvii!e, Ga , Sept. 25th, 1806. To the Editors of the Atlanta Journal and Constitution: —NT t that you two gentlemen are any kin or that your views are together on any question specially, ‘except, I believe, you are both in favor of local option at this time, and you both are agreed that there is no corruption in the politics of this state, or words to that effect. First, I have to do with you two gen tlemen; for you were occupying exactly the same positions two year3 ago as E li tors of the Atlanta Journal and the Constitution when you wrote the fol lowing which I clip from your editorial colums of 1894 Just after the state election two years ago in Georgia the editor of the Atlanta Journal vaporized thus in his editorial columns: “We do not hesitate to say that the throwing out of votes in several caun ties iu the recent state election because of piu'elv technical imperfections in the returns is utterly indefensible. If elec tion managers anywhere violate the law they should be iudicted and punish ed. We believe that the people of Geor gia have made up their minds that no tampering or trickery at elections shall be tolerated, afid the man or gang which attempts to do so is iu danger of heavy but just retribution. Closing the editorial with the still unanswered prayer: “Give us an hon est incorruptible ballot !” The editor of the Constitution just after the same election on November the 9th, ytOi. iu a 'j -.ding editc/rial headed “An honest Ballot a Necessity*,” says: “All over the country there is a grow ing and imperatve demand for fair elec tious. The voters of all parties are sickand tired of bulldozing and corrupt methods In the old days when the South was under bayonet rule and so long as the South had reason to fear Federal interference at the polls, many of her people were disposed to •look with itidiffereuce upon the qut-s tionable methods by which ome states saved themselves from the blight o” ne gro denomination. Self preservation then forced our people to maintain white supremacy at any cost . . . . We must have a law thaewiil stamp out corruption in every voting precinct in this state. The safety of society and the maintenance of good government depend upon the purity of the bailor. . . . . The people of all parties arc 'united in demanding this great retorni and the democratic party has taken the lead in pushing it through” The Oousticutipn of November the Bth, in another editorial headed “Cor ruptiou Run Riot," said: “The less said about the Congressional election in the 10th District the better for tho good name of the state. The methods which characterized that elec tion reproached the civilization of the day and stigmatized the fair fame of Georgia as the most advanced in senti ment ot all the Southern ‘States Such an election calls for plain talk, and if tile Cous.itntion offend in condemning aud denouncing it, let the man who be lieves aud who is ready and willing to defend this carousal of corruption make the most of it. . . . We protest the name of the honesty of our people and the civilization of our state. And if the Legislature of Georgia doss not pass an election law which will guarantee honest elections in every county in Georgia, those who are re sponsible for such failure will have upon their hands the blood of those who might hereafter bo sacrificed at the ballot box as in Augusta, as victims of an incompetent inadequate election system. . . . Both sides are respou sible for tho Tenth District affair by courtesy called an election. The demo crats not more so than the pops unless it be that they were better at counting. . . . Richmond county polled nearly 16,000 votes. The census staatistics o' voting population counting every man The inform World. more than twenty-one years of age, without reference to registration or qualifications, is one to five of a full population, The census of 1890 gives Richmond county a full population of 45,194. . . . Hence the question is uot one of politics but purely of honesty aud it should not be looked upon with partisan bias. Public sentiment will not tolerate any more elections like that in the Tenth District. On Juno 6th, 1894, the Constitution had another editorial headed “Not FiF to be Governor,” which reads as fol lows: “Mr. Atkiusou is daily emphasizing h s unfitness for the officer of Governor. Asa member of the Legislature his offi cial functions were such that he could do but little harm to the state, but during his services ho demonstrated conclu sively that he is not the man to merit gubernatorial honors. He was active in his fight against the Twitty bill because perhaps it might effect his fees . . . In a public speech at Columbus, Judge J. H. Martin, an honest and as upright a judge as ever sat on the bench in Geor gia, declared on his word as a man that Mr. Atkinson sought a trade by which to exchange his vote as a member of the Legislature and that he (Judge Martin) nothing willing to meet Mr. Atkiuson’s terms, the latter voted against him. This is the so'emu assertion of an hon est aud upright man, and if Mr. Atkin son has denied it we have not heard of it. . . . Mr. Atkinson uot only traded votes for the election of Judges and solicitor generals, but virtually uouita oTTf. ; x, He Kt >, a fen—wo might say fees—while a member of the Legislature notwuhstaudingjthe crude constitutional inhibition against one of the man receiving doable pay from the state. Iu the special matter re ferred to there was so much doubt about tke propriety of excepting the fee refer red to that two lawyers had to be con sulted before he was satisfied of its legal ity. The question as to whether it was right or wrong lor him to deprive the Governor of Georgia ot his information and assistance to the state in the matter of vital importance which as member of ihe Legislature came under his official observation never entered his head What he wanted was the SI,OOO fee and the Constitution of the State wes no consideration so long as lie got it. Kor lie knew lie-would not have to pay it, bulk on demand, and the moral aspect; of the question has never to this day dawned upon him. It was no doubt tile biggest fee he ever got—probaiy more in cash than he had ever made in one year practicing law. We make no vague statement on the subject, for what wo say is bused upon information of his former law partner. Mr P. S. Whatley of Newnan says so, and he ought to know. ” Now, gentlemen,if I were the author of the editorials as given above then sure ly I would not be the author of your editorials of last Saturday evening aud last Sunday morning in the Journal aud Constitution. I quote from other good authority— W. H Fleming, speaker of the House of Representatives of Georgia two yours ago. from right out of the midst of the infamies of the Tenth District left the speaker’s chair ami walk down on the floor of the house and uttered these words as reported by tho daily press previous to putting the election bill upon its passage for the new registra tion law. Mr. Fleming, of Richmond, spoke tan minutes in favor of the bill, saying: It, may not be perfect but is the best bill yet drawn upon the subject. The bill is non-partisan. It will be fair for both sides and will insure an honest election. Fair elections and honest counts are more desirable than democrat ic success. The bill will be.fairly tes ted in the Tenth District before the session and amendments desirable can then be ascertained. The people of Georgia want to make anew law, aud WINDER, GEORGIA, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER CO, ISJG. God knows- they need it in the lace oi the frauds in the last election. 1 chal- I ieuge any m-mber to name a newspaper iu Georgia, tie the politics what it may that has not editorially demanded fair election and a stoppage to the frauds which have been perpetrated. The pas sage of the law which will insure hon est elections to thestate in all future contests, will do more good than the ex position to invite immigrants to come to Georgia to settle. The fraudu- ; lent elections in Georgia is a scandal from one end of the continent to the other, audit must be purged of the stig ma iu order to resume its rightful place among the states of tlyi South.” Again I quote from Governor Atkin son himself. Iu his message to the same L gis'ature he said on this ques tir : “I therefore urge upon yon the necess- j ity of changing our election laws and providing a system wherein any unfair j or fraudulent practices may be easily detected aud effectually prevented.” These are the delivers aces of the St. I Bernard’s and the Newfoundlands. I have not had time to look upon the va porings of the bench-legged flee, water spauieis aud rat terriers o the editorials and politicals tribes on mis subject. 1 suppose that two years ago they were all iu the procession after the elections were over. The public can now readily see that I have simply been saying be l ore the elections what you good fellows have said after the elections, aud I be lieve vou will all join my procession af ter the present election is over when it is too late to prevent the rascality, that j you will be sure to denounce after it | has been perpetrated. Yet you two editors iu your leading editorials of Sat- j urday and Sundav last were replying to my letter to the “Honest Men of Georgia,” saying that I was dealing in nebulous generalities and that the elec tions iu Georgia were as fair as any ; elections iii the Union, all calling cn me for specific evidence on the charges | I had made. You say lam howiiug and growing more virulent as I progress, •and von demand of me t> bring foward my proof of the assertion that -here had ; been unfair elections iu Georgia. If I h ive lied on [the people aud politicians of this state I have but followed, in yonr ! foot steps, for you both !old a lie before I did, and so far as X have known noither qjf you repented until yin saw what a lie it was after a preacher told it. You both knew I had the proof. You know me well enough to know that Idon’t gooff half-cccked. Don’t yom- editorial de liverances of two years ago road very much like my articles of last week and week before? You may charge m-- with pdagairism for aught I know There is ! quite a similarity of both thought cud : aud expression, and yet you gentlemen demand of me to bring toward my proof of the ass- rtion that there had b e:i un fa'r elections mG- orgia." (Here Mr. Joues gives a number of congested election cases in the last legislature, which were clinch ers.) First of all, I simply demand .a free ballot and a fair count iu Georgia this year, let the r. suits be what they may. Secondly, that one of the candidates iu the field champions the prineiplss-of pro hibition, which is as sacred to my heart as any principle bene.it the stars. The reason 1 have written as 1 have written is because I learn that two years ago Mr. Watsou appealed to the Chair man of tlieSta'e Democratic Committee Mr. Clay, just as the Chairman of the State Populist executive committee ap- I pealed to him a few weeks ago. Mr. 1 Clay disclaimed authority then as be does now, and because he had no nu ! tkority lit would uot sign an obligation | to do his best for a fair election aud get the County Democratic Executive Com mittee to do the same. 1 have always j heard it said that a bird that can sing , and won’t sing ought to bo made to sing. The Chairman of the State Ex- j ecutive Committee not only refused to i sign a written agreement to bring about a fair election, but he positively refuses to answer questions put to him by Ins fellow citizens. In the posteript of my ! letter last Saturday I called the chair man’s attention to his circular to the colored people and asked him did he have anything to do with its origin or circulation. I was writing from high moral ground and would have been greatly pleased and relieved in my mind if he had made a manly disclaimer for for the honor and credit of my state. Surely he would have relieved a great burden from my heart and the hearts of ail the intelligent, virtuous people oi th-state. No more incendiary iitera ture was ever circulated from the hot beds of abolitionism or the fury of re construction politics than that rape cir cular.; aud the fearful outrages upon Georgia women in the past three or four days must make the hearts of the Cam paign Executive Committee tremble with horror. I notice in yesterday’s Constiiutiou that Gov. Atkinson in a letter said that as he was attending to the duties of his office and making speeches over the state he could not possibly revise the literature sent out from the democratic headquarters, and that even Mr. Clay himself did u"t know of the contents of that circular until he, Gov. Atkinson,, called his attention to it. If you will notice the letters below from the Chair man of the Democratic state executive Committee of the State of Georgia,dated September 9tb, 1896, and September 11th, 1896, you will sap surely Governor Atkinson is as ignorant of the existence of these letters as Mr. Clay profesfesses obe of the colored brethren’s litera ture; and you cau rely on these letters as genuine. They are as follows: Atlanta, Ga., Sept. 9th, 18&6. . “State Democratic Headquarters, Kim ball House, Rooms 154-156. A. S. Ci.ay, Chasrman- Democratic Execuiive Com mittee. Mr. E. L. Rainey, Dawson, Ga. Dear Sir: —I mail you today some lit. erature for the colored people—“ What Governor Atkinson has done,” etc. Very truly, A. S Clay, Chairman State Executive Crmmittee. ” Atlanta, Ga., Sept. 14th, 1896. “State Democratic Headquarters, Kim- j ball House, Rooms 151-156. A. S. Clay, Chairman Democratic Executive Com- I mittee. Mr. J. A. McCrary, Geneva, Ga. Dear Sir:—Yours to hand. The cir cular you refer to, I have not =eem I uado'.staudthat sui-h a ciic ’ar £~s beexi issued by the colored people here in Ar- | lanta. The Governor is not responsible —neither are his friends. The pardon referred to was recommended by the ' Supremo Court and the Solicitor Gener al who pirosecuted the case, and the Governor satisfied himself that he ought to have beeu pardoned, aud lie pardoned him. I trust this explanation will be satisfactory to all. Yours very truly, A. S. Clay, Chairman State Commit tee.*’ Now, gentlemen, ta.k to rue al ut helping io turn this state over into ijie hands of the pops. Evi—- honest ui.m hi this state knows that whatever may be the criticisms upon .lie honest yeo manry of tin- stat’, i.i y ice as far above procedures like tint as the heav ens are above tne ear.fc. No, gentle men, I hav- found the mother of that circular whether its daddy shai.l i-ver be discovered or not. The whole thing reminds me of what a drummer told me sometime ago. Ho said ho got home from a louu trip and walked in the family room after breakfast and found his little girl sitting on the fir or •play ing with her kitten and fondling it. saying: “Kune, kitiie, you are the sweetest little kittie I ever sw. And kiltie 1 know wno year : uua is. Old Puss is your mania Oiu Puss is a sweet old cat, too. bnt. kittle, I never saw your papa I 'speet your papa is a traveling man ” The Democratic headquarters is tho mother of that circular. I ex peet its papa is u traveling man. No. gentlemen, nothing shall bear, prohibition in Georgia that does uot beat it fairly without a protest from me in volving all my ransomed powers. lam not an editor an! I have not died with consumption, but 1 am a Methodist preacher having but little to say about the sweet by-aud-by. but occupy most o' my time on the nasty now.and-now. • And while you editors are lecturing some of preachers (who are not ou your side) about going into politics, will yon let me lecture you a little ? You boast that you are running newspapers. Then speak your sentiments in your editorial columns only, and in yonr reporteriai columns show yourselves bigger than little partisan editors. Eight thousand people gathered iu the great tabernacle iu Atlanta. Ga . last Sunday night, aud each one of them will testify that that NO. 2 1. was the most eat: usiastic. sym ; Jfcetic approving audience they ev r saw ; yes your news columns beniggled, ter ig gied, b<-lictiid and belied the whole thing because : was not ou yonrside- I would have reported a negro crap game or a pr.ze ring or a dog fight or even a. democratic pow wow more fairly than the Constitution reported that occasion, Iu conciu-loti, oovs, if you were writ ing the truth two yc-ara ago in your edi torials as quoted above. hasn’t there been an immense reforma-ion in the politics of 'his state! or in othc-r words, the gang has either got religion since you wrat* those editorials or else you yourselrex have fallen from grace. Sam P. Jonhs. P. S.—Say, Steve, the Pips say that Democratic headquarters lied like a dog a-trottm’ about thtir having anything to say “r do concerning Governor At kinson par’oning DuncaD, the accused rapist, and the first thing they saw or heard of it was when the Democratic papers of the state began to criticise your circular, “What Governor Atkinson Bit* Done for the Colored People,” in their own columns. One more question, Steve. You sees* to intimate, in your letter of September 14th, 1896, to J. A McCrary, Geneva, Ga., that a colored brother got out th*.t literature r and now Joe Sid Turner comes out, over his own signature, and said he got it our You don’t mean t say to the public that Joe Sid is a “col ored brother. ” do you? we,' who art close to democratic headquarters, un derstand that he is a whste man, and principal keeper of the penitentiary <?! the state, appointed by Governor Arki*- son to that office. Sieve. I told you your name vu “Dennis,” if you didn’t sign up with the Populistic chairman. S. P. J. Why Not Be Fair. The apparent disposition of the Jour nai to color the condition in Georgia as it applies to fair representation ou thf board of election managers, is too ganrv to expose. ‘ Is IS tP ’ UIS-V-rv , .I - the arrsng-inents in th* _ntin published do not agree with the head j lines of the Journal, For instance, that paper says : -4.. -. ! Populists will not divide iu Lincoln/ wfceu it appears that the Democrais have not asked for a division. It wiH ’ be observed that the Populists are placed ! uudi-r the ban, without just cats.*, :a this county. Contra to this, the sau* ■ paper s iys of Lee, a Democratic county, where no amusement lias Ken made “No objections in Lee.” This is a ffc -ample oi the J a mil's iaekof faire.'s porto.i thus far have entered into :a agreement for a division of managers, and yet the Journ.ilheads : *s s:cr v ", “Ail One Way”—meaning, o: course, th r tin-re wi.l be no objection iu any os cue conn-vs to allow, ng the Populists ; ; r repr -s u a i-Mi. Tiie Commercial views with alarm, the answers of many of the chairmen, who evade the Journal’s inquiry with -.toilrvas ons as "I suppose there wit be no obj etion"; "It is customary so’*; “Nsi request has been made “We are a law-abiding people in tbis county,” etc. Now, i ill this a. esn’t indicate a dis position to duty representation at ri* last ;u nuts, then th- re is n 'tiling i:. 'rive artful methods oi a politician. The election in Georgia this year wiT not be fair. That may be depended cr- Tho marine .* has made up its mind T? elect Atkins >n, if possible, by fair or ion! means. The J urnal would be rbie • see this if it should remove the smoked glasses that has hitherto ob scured its vision. That there will be f : r re present a’ k 5 ;in a majority of the counties is proba : ble. But iu those counties where zh* ! machine wants to get in its work, never. ; This is the way the filthy work is to be I done. But even this w ill not wiu for Atku son. We know that he will get th* soild vote of a certain class of criminal*, 1 but Scab Wright will beat him whs the respectable vote of the state. We j verily believe that he will get from : to 40,000 majority among the white peo ple of Georgia.—Atlanta Commercial Be sure your ticket reads Seaborx (Wright for governor.