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THE TlKIES-RECORDER
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THE AMERICUS WEEKLY TIMES-RECORDER. FRIDAY. MARCH 13.1908.
,
DAILY AND WEEKLY
The Amerlcug Recorder, Established
1879.
The Amerlcus Times, Established 1890
Consolidated April, 1891.
Entered at the postofflce at Amerl
cus as second-class mall matter.
THOMAS GAMBLE, JR..
Editor and Manager.
C. W. CORNFORTH,
Associate Editor and Assistant
Manager.
J. W. FURLOW, City Editor,
W. L. DUPREE,
Assistant Business Dept
Editorial Room Telephone 99.
The Tlmeg'Rccerder Is the
Official Organ ot the City of Amerlcus
Official Organ of Sumter County.
Official Organ of Webster County.
Official Organ ot Railroad Commis
sion of Georgia for the 3rd Congres
sional District.
SUBSCRIPTION RATES:
Dally,, one. year 36.00
Dally, one month 60o
Weekly, one year ..31.00
Weekly, six months 50c
Address all letters and make remit
tance payable to
THE TIMES-RECORDER,
Amerlcus, Ga
Amerlcus, Ga., March 13, 1808.
MAY RUN FOR GOVERNOR
Hon. Joseph M. Brown, who was
kicked off the Railroad Commission by
Gov. Smith, Is said to be preparing
an announcement at an early date
for his entrance into the race for
Governor. Many newspapers over
the state are only waiting for the an
nouncement to accord Mr. Brown
their enthusiastic support.
In cale Mr. Brown enters the. race,
it will mean that the administration
of Gov. Smith is to be called to the
bar of the people's forum. The
prosecution will be represented by
Hon. Joseph M. Brown, which is a
sufficient notice that the work will
be well done. He has shown by his
caustic and logical criticism of the
claims of Gov. Smith and his rail
road commission that he has plen
ty of weapons In his arsenal.
“With full opportunity to lay be-
' fore the voters of the state the record
• of Gov. Smith, a startling reversal
-.of sentiment from the last election
Js to be expected.
"'Weighed In the balances and found
•waniing,” Is already the verdict of a
. large element of Georgia citizens.
THE ABATEMENT OF GOV. SMITH’S
| POPULARITY
i
WHY DOES MR. HUGHES SEEK OP.
POSITION TO MR. LEWIS?
"He was given the closest and most
respectful hearing throughout. While
<tbe enthusiasm was not very great,
it was quite evident that his hearers
agreed with him in the main, and
were prepared to heartily support him
for a second term—Atlanta Georgian,
Smith Organ.
Candidly speaking, this would not
look as though there was any over
whelming enthusiasm at the first
-outturn of Georgia voters to hear
Gov. Smith In his camvalgn for s
second term. „
‘The governor carried DeKalb over
whelmingly two years ago. The per
sonal popularity and enthusiasm In
his cause must have subsided, judging
from the statement of the Georgian.
When a man’s organ admits that
"the enthusiasm was not very great"
It can be accepted as a fact that the
-enthusiasm was more noticeable by
Its absence than by its presence.
TJiere Is no doubt that Gov. Smith
will be elected for a second term.
Everyone knows that Precedent Is a
powerful weapon, and it has been the
custom in Georgia to give a* man a
.second term in this office.
But If this were jot the case,' and
a really strong man had entered the
field. Gov. Smith would not have had
a walkover by any means. Indeed, it
Is quite within the range of probab
ilities that with public sentiment
Taptdly receding from him he would
have been left stranded high and dry,
a dead politician.
But Georgia will have another two
years of Smith administration. It Is
certainly to be hoped that It will not
be a two years marked-by persecu
tion of incorporated capital, by the
driving of fenterprises from the state,
by the discouragement of movements
Intended to promote the building
of the Btate, by railroad receiverships
and the arraying ot class against
class.
But many Georgians tear that such
•rill be the case. ,
If the current rumors are correct,
and there seems to be good foundatiou
of fact for them, Hon. Dudley Hughes,
white not at this moment a candidate
for congress himself. Is especially
anxious to bring some one else Into
the field against Congressman Lewis,'
who has publicly announced that he
will not be a candidate two years
hence for the position he has so hon
orably and satisfactorily filled.
Especially why Mr. Hughes should
be so anxious to stir up opposition to
Congressman Lewis at this Mine we
do not understand. It Is Mr. Hughes'
prerogative, like that of any other
American citizen', to run for Congress
himself any time he wants to,’or to
Induce anyone else to run If he can.
But what good It will do him, or
what good it will do the Third dis
trict, we fail to see.
Congressman Lewis stands high In
Congress. He understands the mefli-
ods In Congress and Is in position to
do better and more effective work the
next two years than ever before.
Amerlcus is especially interested In
returning Congressman Lewis. We
hhve a big empty lot back of the
Windsor Hotel, where a government
building's*, must some day stand.
Through Congressman Lewis's efforts
an appropriation of 350,000 was se
cured two or three years ago for this
purpose. Of this 315,000 went for the
site, leaving 335,000 for a building. It
was seen that this was not adequate
for a building such as Amerlcus wants
and needs, and at the request of the
people of this city work was deferred
until such time as another appropria
tion could be had to supplement this.
We want this government building to
be an honor to Amerlcus, to Sumter
county, to the Third district, and it
must cost not less than 375,000 to
3100,000.
Congressman. Lewis Is more apt to^
secure this additional appropriation
for us than any new Congressman
would be, no matter who he might be.
This is pure selfishness, of course.
But no doubt Mr. Hughes also has
some personal motive in seeking op
position to Mr. Lewis. There Is no
blame attaching either to him or to us
for being governed by a spirit of this
nature. We are all selfish In a great
er or less degree and because we are
THE BEAL “KNOCKERS”
One of the apologists for the short
comings of the present state admin
istration is the Macon News. In a
recent editorial It charges that pa
pers opposing Gov. Smith are not
"toting fair’’ with Georgia. This is
of course to divert attention from the
real Issue.
"One of the favorite plans,” says the
News, "of attacking the Smith admin
istration is to blame the business de
pression of the present on the gov
ernor and Ills lieutenants. • Georgia
is painted a desert waster a place
where Industry Is famishing, railroads
drying up and the people becoming
paupers, because of the acts of the
state administration. This is slander
and slander that is likely to injure
Georgia with men of means looking
for investment."
If any paper has been saying all
the things which the News sets up, it
has escaped our notice. But the charge
has been made by many papers of
the state that the attitude ot Gov.
Smith ^md his railroad commission
frightens away capital from the
state. This statement the Times-Re-
corder subscribes to most heartily.
Even if the governor and commis
sion had committed no overt act of
hostility—and they have many to
their credit—the very fact that dema
gogues are in the saddle in Georgia
is enough. No man with money cares
to invest that money in a state domi
nated by such wild-eyed theories as
are rampant in Georgia. Even though
field for investment looked other
wise inviting, the fact that a faction
hostile to railroads was in power, lia
ble to break out at any moment, would
deter capital, lest having placed its
head in the lion’s mouth, the Jaws
might snap together.
But as already intimated, the rail
roads have been harassed ’and hound
ed by Gov. Smith and his Railroad
Commission until their managers have
well nigh become discouraged. How
many capitalists does the News sup
pose would be encouraged to come to
Georgia by Maj. Hanson, of its own
city? What would he tell seekers
after investment regarding the rail
road situation in Georgia?
It Is the course being pursued by
the administration which is giving a
black eye to prospective Investors.
The newspapers are calling the at
tention of the citizens to that fact in
the hope that the present administra-
so—and we are not ashamed to say
we are selfish for Amerlcus and Sum
ter county—we want Congressman
Lewis returned to Washington for the
next two years. We want that public
building.
Outside of this the other counties of
the District will not suffer by Cong
ressman Lewis’s retention for another
two years. He is in position to keep
up the good work for rural mall routes
and other things In which the farmers
throughout the district are vitally In
tcrested.
Of course Amerlcus would like to
Bee an Amerlcus or Sumter County
man in congrece. Maybe two years
from now we may have that pleasure.
But we can hardly understand why
Mr. Hughes should be 30 anxious to
have an Americas man run for Cong
ress Just at this time. Would it ad
vance Mr. Hughes’ present or future
political ambitions? He may think so,
but we candidly confess that we can
not take the same view of the mat
ter.
It seldom does a man any good to
simply stir up opposition to another
man needlessly, and really there Is
no need for any opposition at this
time to Congressman I/ewIs.
And as for two years hence, well
Mr. Lewis will not be c candidate and
then It may be Sumter's time. But
perhaps Mr. Hughes may not be
anxious for a strong Sumter man to
run then as he seems to be now.
The Augusta Chronicle is prepar
ing against surprises politically. The
Chronicle says: "Surprises in gub
ernatorial campaigns are the fashion
In Georgia these days It would be
-extremely Interesting, to say the least
of it, It Little Joe Brown were elected
governor over Hoke Smith by a hand
some majority. And yet stranger
-things have happened!”
Taft’s friends say He will be nomi
nated unanimously and without op
position, all other candidates drop
ping out Of 'the race as soon as the
hopelessness ot their race is made
apparent. Bryan thinks his position,
is equally .unassailable. It looks like
the choice of the voters must lie be
tween Taft and Bryan, unless they
are lnellned to national prohibition,
socialism or anarchy.
lion will be overthrown and a more
safe and sane regime be instituted,
under which capital will be Invited,
rather than repelled.
CONCILIATING NEGRO VOTERS
The Taft people outln Ohio threw
a very liberal sop to the disquieted
brother in black. The feelings of
the negro voters, ruffiled by the
Brownsville incident, are mollified by
a declaration In the, state republi
can platform to the effect that the
negro's "marvelous progress in In
telligence, Industry and good citi
zenship has earned thp respect and
encouragement of the nation." Laws
seeking his disfranchisement are
condemned without equivocation and
a .demand made for the lessening of
the Congressional representation . in
such states as havg adopted laws
looking to this end.
No one believes for a' moment that
the republican party expects to
undertake any such legislative action
as intimated in this plank of the Ohio
platform. The right of the States
to establish qualifications for voters,
even if these qualifications do bar out
a vastly greater number of negroes
than of whites, can hardly be disput
ed successfully in the courts. But
there was need of a strong bluff. For-
aker has set the negro voters to
grumbling and to seeking for rev
enge by his attacks on the policy of
Roosevelt qnd Taft in dismissing the
batallion of negro 4roops implicated
in the Brownsville shooting affray.
The negro voters are the balance of
power in Ohio, and in some other nor
thern and .western states. Indeed, it
has been clerly shown that but for
the negro vote in the last two elec
tions the Democratic party would
probably have been successful. So
the negro voters in the states where
republican defeat would mean nat
ional defeat must be conciliated in
some way, and this is the method
adopted.
It will not be suprising to see simi
lar planks in other state platforms,
and even an utterance along these
lines in the national party platform.
But when the election is over, if the
Republican party is successful, it is
probable that outside ot some empty
oratory at Washington conditions now
existing will be undisturbed.
THE PARTIES ON INJUNCTION shoulder. There is hardly a doubt
: that the mass of voters prefer its pos.
ABUSES. itlon j on this question, and on many
others as well. What a pity that we
, . cannot have a loader who would an
the pow« ofTnjunCtion In order to !>«' to the voters sufficiently to gh e
prevent its abuse."—Republican plat
form In Ohio.
"We favor such a modification of
the law relating to injunctions as
will, first, prevent the issuing of the
writ in industrial disputes, except af
ter notice to defendants and full hear
ing; second, permit trial before a
judge other than the one who issued
the writ, and third, allow a Jury to
be summoned in all cases where
the alleged contempt is committed
outside the presence of the court.’’—
Democratic platform in Nebraska.
The two great parties, In the home
states of the prospective two candi
dates. for president, have spoken on
the much discussed question of the
use and the abuse of the injunction
by the Federal courts.
The Democratic party speaks with
no uncertain tones. It tells exactly
where it stands, And leaves nothing
to “Ifs” and "whereases." Its an
nouncement is clean cut, to the point,
and not to be misunderstood. The
man who votes the ticket knows that
the party in Nebraska stands commit
ted to a policy that has for its pur
pose the elimination of the abuses
that have crept into the use of a
power that was placed in the hands
of the courts for their protection.
Just as the party has spolffin in
Nebraska, so, In all likelihood, It
will speak In Denver. From now on
Democracy will stand committed to
the curbing of a power that many be
lieve has been grievously misued by
some judges, anil may be still fur
ther abused if action is not taken to
prevent it.
The Republican party straddles the
question, in a large degree. It leaves
everything to the imagination of the
Individual voter. Its utterance in
Ohio, which will probably be its ut
terance at Chicago, Is apparently pur
posely made vague, so as to catch all
classes of voters. The man who wants
rigid restrictions on the use of the
power of injunction, may feel that
the Republican party is willing to go
as far as he desires in this direction,
while the man who believes In only
some minor hedging about of the in
junction procedure may satisfy him
self that this Is all the party utter
ance means.
The Democratic plank Is the more
manly plank. It is Straight fronj the
us at least a good fighting chance at
the polls. - *
CHANGING PENSION LAW
The prgspeet of repealing the law
adopted at the last session of the
Legislature for quarterly payments
of pensions to Confederate Veterans,'
instead of yearly in advance, as here
tofore, seems good. A number 0 [
candidates from Fulton'county have
been ^Interviewed and were unani
mously in favor of the change, prorl-
ded the Veterans desired it.
On that point there can be little
doubt, as the complaints all over the
state are loud. ,Gov. Smith thought
he had accomplished a financial feat
which entitled him to credit, but he
will likely find the experiment a dis
astrous one.
The money Is theirs and they stand
in need of it Many Instances have
been published as to the hardships
worked by these quarterly payments.
In some sections the veterans are
already preparing to throw their In
fluences for candidates who express
themselves as favorable to the old
system. This will touch the candi
dates at a vulnerable spot. The vet
erans will no doubt be able to secure
the change demanded.
Miss Iday Harris Armor, of Geor
gia, is up In Pennsylvania prophesy
ing that within ten years there will
not be a drop ot liquor manufactur
ed or sold within the limits of the
United States. Judging from the
fright of the brewers and distillers
they arealmost afraid of just some
thing tike this.
The National Model License League
says a small quantity of alcohol
is good for the digestion. If this is
so we are very much afraid a large
number ot Georgians will have terri
ble attacks o'f indigestion In the near
future.
Having Senators Dick and Foraker
down the Taft republicans refrained
from stomping on them. Which was
very liberal treatment, indeed, ltn-
der the circumstanes.
Georgia’s Old Line Legal Reserve Company.
The Lowest Cost Consistent With Safety.
$100,000.00 Deposited with the State Treasurer for the protection of
all policy holders.
THE PUBLIC PLEASED-AGENTS ENTHUSIASTIC.
FIRST CLASS PRODUCERS WANTED.
J. E. MATHIS, Inspector of Agencies,
Allison Building, Americus, Georgia.
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