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THE TIMES-RECORDER
DAILY AND WEEKLY
The Americus Recorder, Established
1879.
The Americus Times, Established 1890
Consolidated AprU. 1891.
THOMAS GAMBLE, JR., '■
Editor and Manager.
C. W. CORNFORTH,
Associate Editor and Assistant
Manager.
J. W. FURLOW. City Editor.
W. L.
DUPREE, „ „
1 Assistant Business Dept.
Editorial Room Telephone 99.
The Tlmes-ltecorder Is the
Official Organ of the City of Americus
Official Organ of Sumter County.
Official Organ of Webster County.
Official Organ of Railroad Commis
sion of Georgia for the 3rd Congres
sional District.
SUBSCRIPTION RATES:
Daily,, one. year $6.00
Daily, one month 50c
Weekly, one year $1-00
Weekly, six months 50c
Address all letters and make remit
tance payable to
THE TIMES-RECORDER,
Americus, Ga
Americas, Gs M February 21, 1908.
In a headline describing a Chinese
funeral, the Atlanta Journal charac
terizes the event as a "geyser of
glory." It must have been a hot af
fair.
Ambassador Takahira has arrived
in Washington. As he refuses to dis
cuss public affairs with newspaper
men, it is evident that he desires to
take-a-rest.
TO COV. SMITH’S ETERNAL CREDIT
The President is going to study the
new universal language—Esperanto.
When he masters It, he will probably
order all.state documents published
In Esperanto.
And now Columbus has projected
a great inland waterway .from the
lakes to the Gulf, via Columbus, of
course. The sad part is that Atlanta
Is not Included in the cities touched.
/This naturally condemns the plan.
—In God We Trust" is to be placed
on the gold coins, having been re
moved by order of President Roose
velt. While the common people may
> not handle very many of these coins,
■.they can at least insist that some
■of the heathen who do shall have a
good text before them.
We have not had many things to Bay to the credit of Governor Hoke
Smith. We have exercised the privilege of vigorously dissenting from his
methods and policies'and of expressing our views freely as to his projects
i
and ambitions.
At the same time it is a genuine pleasure to commehd his recent de
termined stand for the right in the Glover case, a stand that he must have
known would provoke the bitter and undying antagonism of a man by no
means to be despised by an aspiring politician in Georgia, Tom Watson, the
;x>pulist leader.
In refusing to commute the sentence of death In the Glover case, In
:efusing to accede to Watson's request and save a low and brutally wanton
murderer from a well earned end on the gallows, Gov. Smith performed a
public duty that deserves public endorsement. He demonstrated true cour
age that entitles him to hearty commendation from all lovers of law and
iustlce in Georgia, from all who desire to see a higher value put upon human
lue In this state and section.
Glover deliberately and maliciously shot to death a woman who had
ipurned hint, shot her down in cold blood in the place where she was em
ployed because of her intention to sever their relations and marry another. No
one had apparently ever known before the shooting that Glover was weak
minded, a degenerate or Insane, or otherwise a man in other than normal
condition. As with so many others such discoveries were merely the ex
pedients to save him from the results of his awful crime.
The murderer was tried, found guilty, as he undoubtedly should have
leen, and sentenced to the death that the law prescribes for the taking of
human life in such a way as he had done. It was not until the day for his
execution drew near that Watson, in a letter dictatorial in tone and abusive
cf those in charge of the trial, demanded executive clemency for Glover,
mainly on the ground that the murderer had at one time been instrumental
in saving his, Watson’s, life. “I have never before asked you for a personal
favor," said Watson In effect to the governor, “and now I ask this man’s
life as a personal concession to me for what I have done for you in a
political way."
The laws of God and of Georgia do not countenance the idea that mur
derers are to be protected from the gallows because of some past service
they may have rendered a politician. That was largely, after all, the reason
advanced by Watson for the commutation of the sentence of Glover from
death to life imprisonment, with a prospective pardon later on.
If Gov. Smith had bowed subservient to Watson's appeal or dictation,
If he had relieved Glover from the penalty of death for his terrible crime,
he would have stood condemned before the people of Georgia as a man unfit
for the high office he now holds, stood condemned as a man willing to
bargain Justice for political support, as a spineless apology for manhood,
as the official shield for crime, as the conscienceless prostitutor of public
office for personal, ends.
It is to the eternal credit of Gov. Smith that he refused the bait of
Watson’s continued support, that he preferred the enmity of a powerful,
influential leader to the debasement of his official honor. And we do not
believe that public sentiment in Georgia has sunk so low but that Governor
Smith has strengthened himself in the esteem of the people In equally as
great a degree as Watson has lowered himself by their respective actions
In this ease. , .r
Mining disasters have become so
frequent in the last few months that
they are not given much thought by
the reader, unless the number of
.lives lost or endangered Is very large.
‘.The proposed employers' liability law
-will if passed, lead the owners to
take better measures to prevent dis
asters.
BREAKING INjON THE SOUTH
Secretary Taft expresses the belief that the time has come when
determined effort should be made by the Republican party to break in
ou the South, to enlist the support of the intelligence and honesty of the
dominant white element In this section, a large portion of which, he holds,
is in sympathy with republican policies and aims.
There ’is no doubt that there is a considerable number of the white
Congressman Lewis has apparently
cinched" his re-election as a member
of the sixty-first congress by making
the announcement that he will not
seek re-election when his next term
expires. Any talk of vigorous oppo
sition was on. the theory that Congres-
man Lewis had had the Job long
enough. Two years from now there
will surely be a warm contest among
a number of aspirants, but if any
body runs against Congressman Lewis
this fall It will be only for the pur
pose of grooming for the real race.
Twelve years Congressman Lewis
has spent in the halls of Congress,
having reached the position of rank
ing Democratic member of the-bank
ing and currency committee. In view
of the fact that the currency question
is qow the most absorbing one before
Congress, hiB position# is one of the
most important open to the minority.
If the Democrats win in the coming
election, he will no doubt become the
head of this committee.
It is fortunate for the South that this
position is held by Congressman Lewis
the leadership of the minority on the
committee named giving opportunity
to protect thb Southern planters in
the matter of legislation. One of the
vital bills which he pushed through
the last house was the bill providing
that real estate should be legal col
lateral for loans by national banks.
In the next two years the currency
system of the country will most
likely be revised in many Important
respects, and - should the Democrats
win the control of Congress, Con
gressman Lewis would be the head of
the committee having such legislation
in charge. His long experience would
thoroughly fit him for the position,
while the cotton growing states would
be assured of a full consideration In
any changes. Even as ranking mem
ber of the minority of the committee,
in case the Republicans continue in
control, his position is a most starte-
gic one.
Though not a resident of Ameri
cus, this city has had the earnest
support of Congressman Lewis in ev
ery proposition. The securing of a
new postoffice building for this city
was duo to Mr. Lewis' untiring ef
forts, and he is devoting himself
assiduously to the task of securing
an increase in the appropriation in
order that a building may be erected
which will do full Justice to the com
mercial Importance of the city.
The Third f District should with un
animity return Congressman Lewis
for the next term. With many it will
be a disappointment that he will not
again stand for re-election. His
reasons for again offering for the
place are convincing from a patriotic
standpoint alone. He is needed in
his present position during the next
two years more than ever before. No
one else should be thought, of for
the place this time.
Taft carried Ohio unanimously.
There seems to have been practical
ly no opposition in the state primary
and he will go into the national con
vention with the solid Ohio delegation
behind him. HiB victory In his home
state will Immeasurably strengthen
him throughout the county, and it
1b not impossible that a number of
states will have declared for • him
before another month has passed by.
Foraker’s flgbt seems to have been
chiefly of a rhetorical nature. In
Congress he U attacking the presi
dential policies and conduct druing
the campaign, but If the result in his
own state 1b any criterion he is ac
complishing nothing effective by his
continued assaulU.
Foraker some time ago announced
that he was a candidate for the pres!
dentlal nomination and not for ano
ther term in the Senate. The election
"of a solid Taft delegation from Ohio
would seem to entirely eliminate Fora
ker from consideration in the presi
dential arena and it now remains to
be seen whether there was not
string to his avowal that he would
not be found seeking another term
as Senator. It is quite probable that
the astute Joseph B. is really kicking
up such a rumpus, in the Senate and
out, for the purpose of forcing a
compromise with his opponents in
Ohio and securing to himself another
lease of life at Washington. He is
shrewd, and somewhat unscrupu
lous. politician, and so well versed
in the game that the tricks are likely
to turn up in his hand when the end
comes.
men of the South, ’especially among the business men, who have been
rendered lukewarm in theit support of the democratic party, if not actually
made antagonistic to it, by the course it has pursued in recent years. The
Hearst is still pushing his claim
to election as Mayor of New York.' fu , e s n vor heresv was the beginning of this. Business men realized the
•■Gov. Hughes has Just denied an extra {aUacy o{ the 16 t0 x proposition and great numbers of them either voted
'reason 1 that"th^regular 6 term °l ,cn ly for Palmer and Buckuer, or refrained from going to the polls. Prior
would be available. By the time the' to that there was a Bmali protectionist element in the South, but It had
question comes to a declsiop, McClel-. i f>ver succeeded In making itself felt to any appreciable degree in a political
lan will have served his term anyway,' nay Tbe revo]t against free Bilver was the first actual break of any magni-
.10 that there will be little to contest |
for except the honor.
tude in democratic ranks In this section. It has not only made many thousands
„f men In every state Independent of part/ affiliations but It sensibly weak-
More pay will be allowed Uncle < ned tho ties that bound many thousands of others to the old party.
Sam’s soldiers, it the recommendation ' While this is true, it is Just as true that the vast mass of the white
of the Committee on Military Affairs yo , g |. g 8 |-p ytill lined up solidly behind the banner of democracy. As long
is granted. The proposed bill would lg treat8d t0 gueh exhibitions as was given in the recent
raise the pay of the enlisted men from
$17 to $21. The general rise in wages Republican state convention in Florida, where the police had to be called
in the last few years has rendered u to prevent the negro delegates from carving each other with razors, Just
military service even less attractive. ,(j at | ong w m n p e impossible for the republican party to cut a wide swath
But the soldiers cannot complain that t . mong tlle w i)i te voters no matter how much some of Its principles may
. the cost of living has Increased. | , , „ , , , „ ., . . .. ,,
j appeal to them. Racial prejudice is a decidedly stronger factor than poli-
“en-'tical policies and Is likely to continue so indefinitely.
And, in addition, Roosevelt and Bryan are getting so close together in
Since Andrew Carnegie haB
-.Sowed” the librarian’of the Atlanta
branch with the income from a hun* l ( j, e | r v t ewg on many questions that the average white man is apt' to feel
dred thousand as her wedding gift, a will soon lie a *oss up between the parties on the existing main
scramble for the position of Carnegie .......
^librarian can be expected regardless Issues anil that the support of a pure white man s party is more to his
of the pay attached. As long as An- interest under such circumstances than any benefits that might accrue from
sweeping change in party affiliations.
drew lives there is a chance that he
•will do something handBome by the
librarians.
INDEPENDENCE LOOSES CHARM.
When an Indiana congressman pro
posed to reduce the mileage of mem-
Something of a change has come
bers of congress from 20 cents to 10 over the spirit of a goodly party in
cents, a California member bounced Cuba on the annexation question. A
up like a rubber ball to protest, ft year or two ago the native sentiment
would certainly cut Into the perqulsl- ^as strong for independence only,
tes of the California member. But Now some of the Cuban papers are
in spite of this, there Js no good rea- expressing the conviction that Wnsh-
son for allowing Congressmen this j ington will devise new measures to
graft, when tickets need not cost over j guarantee stability on the island. As
2 1-2 cents a mile.
! only a year remains until the island
! is to be cut loose to paddle for itself.
The Philadelphia Ledger agrees with such talk shows that little interest is
•a recent author that unless a deter- being taken in the proposed indepen-
xnined body of citizens arise and op-, donee.
pose usurpations the doom of our Real Cuban statesmen are becom-
state governments is already sound-1 log more fearful of the experiment as
- ed. This sounds strange coming from. the day of independence draws nigh.
.a conservative Republican paper, but i It was easy to talk big when no lm-
it shows that in the North there is a mediate danger of being left to walk
gradual increase of the fear that the alone, but when the .date has been
tendency toward centralization of,set for the near future, it is enough
power at Washington is becoming en- to sober the agitators,
tectorate or an early annexation will
be forced on the country. The Cu
bans as a whole have not yet become
sufficiently accustomed to the benefit
of a stable government to desist from
their old freebooting tactics. An
other generation will have to grow
up before the island is able to under
take self-government with any degrfee
of success.
HON. JOE. BROWN AS CANDIDATE
Rabbi Hir6ch of Philadelphia, says
that .because Roosevelt had dared to
say "Thou shalt not steal,” he has
been denounced as a malicious med
dler with vested rights and disturber
of public confidence."
The Baltimore Sun Is authority for
the statement that in Georgia we are
organizing "quart clubs.” Go long,
contemporary. What would a quart
tlrely too marked.
| It is believed by many that a pro- be. “Gallon clubs” you mean.
SIMPLY A BURSTED BOOM.
The Philadelphia Ledger takes the
view that the recent, and still some
what apparent, depression in general
business was simply the result of a
collapsed boom that was widespread
in extent and consequently wide
spread in its effects.
As the Ledger points out, there
is no difference between a “busted
boom” in one city and another, or
one state and another, or one country
and another. Germany suffered a
tew years back from a too quick ex
pansion of its industrial life, other
countries have gone through similar
experiences, and it is quite probable
that the same conditions will exist and
produce the same results through
all time.
In almost every town there has
been a “busted boom: ” of the place, of
a business or of an individual. The
recuperation may be quick; tho
operation of cause and effect never
varies. Market prices are superficial
ly cold, practical figures. In fact,
they are the beliefs of men. A bushel
of wheat is always worth something,
because there are enough people who
need bread to fix a minimum demand
in exchange, but whether the gold
price this morning Is 60 cents or a
dollar is a matter of confidence. It
is the same with securities; the same
with the orders of merchants upon
factories.
Our latest national experience, the
Ledger points out, will not be pro
longed or sharply distressing. The
country is In excellent condition as to
capital and commodities. The causes,
however, are the old causes which
were at work in 1857, 1873 and 1893.
We shall soon catch up, but catch
up we must. The inelastic currency
was a cause to the extent that it
made difficult a tiding over of the
crisis. It was not the deepest or
most potent cause. Beliefs in value
had gone beyond the supply of avail
able capital. They caught fright and
stopped working. The revival of
vigor of faith will not come from
greenbacks, or entirely from an emer
gency currency, but chiefly from the
solid good sense and increased labor
of men. Legislation is not the re
fuge. Optimism and rugged effort
are the life of recuperation. There
is no obscurity about a “busted boom”
and none about the recovery.
Political predictions are to the ef
fect that Hon. Joseph M. Brown, who
was "fired” from the Railroad Com
mission because he refused to do the
bidding of Gov. Smith, will be a can
didate for Governor at the coming
Democratic primary.
If Mr. Brown should enter the race,
the campaign will be a lively one.
He is the representative of the con
servative element in the Democratic
party, and would rally to his support
many voters who contributed to the
election of Gov. Smith. It is well
known that a large part of the fol
lowing of the Governor at the last
election has become alarmed at the
effects of the Smith policies and be
lieve that the best Interests of the
state would be served by retiring the
present incumbent.
Heretofore it has been the custom
to honor a Governor with two terms,
but precedent should not be allowed
to stand in the way of the state’s pros
perity, which has been greatly im
peded by the policies of the Smith
faction in driving away capital.
It, is to be hoped that Mr. Brown
can see his way clear to make the
race. Even If he should be defeated,
he will do a great work In educating
the people to the iniquities of the
Smith regime, and Insure the election
the next time of himself or some
other citizen who will openly repud
iate the dangerous doctrine of the
present administration.
But If the administration could be
overturned at the coming election the
state would have a weight taken off
its industrial progress which would
be felt In every line of activity, but
in none more so than In the sure
prosperity of the railroads and allied
industries. Such a thing is to be-t;
devoutly wished for.
The silver lining has come to the
clouds of business doubt and d e _
pression. Slow though they
have been, the evidences of revival ia
industrial life are accumulating and
have become sufficiently impressive
to convince even th’e doubter that tk«
turn has come in the tide, that the
vast power for progress and prosper
ity inherent in the nation has shakes
off the uncertainty that temporarily
benumbered it,,and is asserting its old
time force.
It is almost Impossible to hold back
a nation like this for any great length
of time. Within the bounds of the
United States there are nigh on to
one hundred millions of people, whose
demands for f the necessities and com-
forts and luxuries of life create what
is recognized as the greatest market
the world has ever known. With
enormous crops, with a diversity 0 f
industrial life that is not excelled i D
any country, if it is equalled else
where on the globe, and with a stand
ard of living that for the average man
and woman has never before been
reached In the history of the world,
it could not be any great time before
the wheels that had ceased to run
would be started and the hive would
once more teem with busy workers.
It 13 true that this spring and
sutumtT will probably be marked by
a more cautious policy in business
..in has characterized it for the past
two or three years. There will not
be the tendency to spread out, to
take on new risks, to assume that the
sun must shine forever. But the leg
itimate and pressing needs of the
nation, and of the world that draws
upon us for supplies, must be met,
and In the meeting of them there
will be adequate business to give
every man sufficient to do and to re-
tire the panic of 1907-08 into the
rea'- at things that have been.
GAMBLERS USE PEOPLE’S MONEY
NAVY REPLIES TO CRITICISM.
A reply to the criticism of the
United States navy has Just been
made public by Secretary Metcalf, the
answer having been prepared by Ad
miral Converse. The aspersions pn
the efficiency of the navy were the
work of Henry Reuterdahl, published
In a magazine. Reuterdahl Is
Swedish marine artlBt, who is now
with the Pacific fleet. His criticisms
were of the most drastic order, and
when he finished with the warships
they were about as valuable as none
at all.
But Admiral Converse takes a
much more roseate view, holding that
the differences between the American
ships and foreign are points favor
able to the former. The Admiral
says that the criticisms were "pre
pared by persons whose knowledge
of the subject discussed was limited
aud Inconsequent.” However, he ad
mits that the ships are not perfect,
and that 4f they were to be built
again material chapges would be
made. -
Each subject treated in the mag
azine article, was handled by Admiral
Converse, including armor, ammuni
tion hoists, turret designs, gun po
sitions and free board.
At the time of the publication of
the criticism, it was intimated that
they were "inspired,” and the general
opinion Is that this Is correct Its
publication will undoubtedly lead, to
good results by directing attention to
the real defects, promoting a general
overhauling of the whole department
In the course of the debate
Senator Aldrich's currency measure,
Wednesday, Senator Rayner,
Maryland, got a chance to indulge ii
some severe criticisms of the present
financial system.
After picturing the workings of the
present reserve scheme, Senator Ray-
nor declared that if the city banks
only had on hand one and one-half per
cent and the country banks 6 per cent
of deposits, he wanted to know who
hffd the rest of the 25 per cent res
erve. He could see no other explana
tion than that the stock mar
ket gamblers got it.
Following this conclusion, he said:
"So gentlemen of the South art
West, when you want to move your
crops, do not apply to the banks, be
cause they have no money, but apply
to the New York Stock Exchange for
permission to do so.”
No love Is wasted in the South and
west on Wall street. Recent develop
ments have shown that the people')
money was being used for gambliM
purposes there. This has still fur
ther tended to arouse the enmity ot
other sections against the New York
speculators. Certainly the stamplni
out of the gambling4-whlch constitu
tes four-fifths or more of the dealiip
on the New York Bourse—will
hailed with Joy by the great majority
of the common people.
Any financial system which panden
to this class is In need of violent «-
formation. Regardless of party,
any provision in the new currency
bill which will cripple the gamb
ling activities, carried on with the
people's money, will have public auk
port.
But if anything of this kind
passed, it must be forced on Sear
tor Aldrich, whose interests are said
to lie with the "captains of industry'
who are guilty of the offenses cos-
plained of.
President Gompers, of the Federa
tion of Labor, says the schedule
wages in this country roust sUf
where It is. Unless the cost of l«*
and other necessities of life can 9
brought down wages will have to sbf
up or the people get on starved*
rations. It would be interesting *
know how many married working
have really been enabled to save
thing out of their wages the past **
ojr three years.
An employers' liability bill, ft*®**
to meet the legal objections to the***
which has been declared unconsd*'
tionai, has been introduced bothl"®*
House and Senate. Every coi
, art*
carrier Is made liable to emplol*
Injured while engaged In inters*
or foreign commerce, when such
Juries are due to neglect or ml*®**
agement on the part of other emP ®
es or to defects In equipment R
doctrine of "comparltive neglige
is also recognized.
There have been twenty-one rob
ies of women In the streets of ",
ington during the past month,
not time that the states lots'"
In the interest of good govern®*
The federal government seems to
unable to perform Its police
properly.