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THE AMERICUS WEEKLY TIMES-RECORDER. FRIDAY. JULY 24. 1908.
THE ~7IMES*REC0R0ER
DAILY AND WEEKLY
The Aniericus Recorder, Established
The Americus Times, Established 1S90
Consolidated April, 1891.
COY. SMITH'S ALLEGED REASONS
Entered at the postofflee at Ameri
cas as second-class mail matter.
THOMAS GAMBIA:, JR..
Editor and Manager.
C. W. CORNFOItTH,
Associate Editor and Assistant
Manager.
J. W. FURLOW
W.
City Editor.
DL'PREE,
Assistant Business Dept.
Editorial Room Telephone 99.
The Times.Recorder Is the
Oificial 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 3rd Congres
sional district.
Official Organ U. S. Court, Southern
District of Georgia.
Ejbserlption li tes:
Daily, one year ..
Daily, one month
Weekly, one year
Weekly, six months
$6.00
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Address all letters and make remit
tance payable to
THE TIMES-RECORDER,
\ Americus, Ga.
Americas, Gin, July 24, 190S.
CORPORATIONS CAN NOT CONTBI-
BUTE.
Even without the declaration of
can,paii;ii managers that big political
contributions would be out of order
thl3 year, the corporations were in
little danger of being bled. For the
last congress passed a law that cor
porations should not contribute to
such purposes. This may have been
a joker inserted by an agent of the
corporations, hut it got to be a law
just the same.
This of course falls more heavily
on the Republicans, for the party
Is a notorious corporation ‘‘milker.’’
The Democrats might not be any bet
ter, but as It happens the squeezer
.lias been chiefly in the keeping of the
IRepubllcans.
From evidence In recent Insurance
-cases, some of the corporations con
tributed to both committees, to be
able to land on the right side of the
fence for sure. For this campaign
At is to be expected the corporations
will let politics alone. Certainly It
will be unlawful to use thh some
what crude method of buying candi
dates by contributing to the cam
paign funds.
The Chicago Record-Herald says
on the subject of political contribu
tions : -
Though Congress failed to pass a
law to compel the publication of
campaign contributions It is ob
vious that the reform is to be fairly
well established without a law for
the present and that legislation will
come as a matter of course later, i
As to the prohibition of contribu
tions by corporations, that cannot
be defeated by such arguments
Air. Sheldon's or affected by the de
clarations of Mr. Bryan and the De
mocratic platform. For Congress
passed a law in January 1907, which
not only prohibits contributions by
corporations but provides imprison
ment for offending officers of the
corporations as one of the penalties.
It also authorizes a civil prosecution
for the diversion of the money of
stockholders, a diversion which, as
we have indicated, is wholly indefen
sible where there is an opposing
terest of a single share.
The only tangible reason that Gov, Smith gives in his long message
io the legislattiie—drawn out of him by a resolution demanding it—explan
atory of the reasons for the dismissal of Commissioner Brown, is that the
Commissioner dissented from the opinion of the majority of the Commission
auent the reduction of passenger rates and took it upon himself to scatter
his opinion among the people a means of educating them to his views.
Of course there Is the puerile reason of the unopened “personal" letter
which the Governor saw fit to construe into a threat, but this is so silly and
(hildish,ilial one wonders why a man of Smith's strong intellectual powers
zhould allow himself to be led into using it. It was a species of campaign
claptrap that is beneath the dignity of consideration and reflects »o credit
upon the good sense or judgment of the Governor In using it again at this
time.
The real question for the General Assembly to consider, if it # sees fit
to further consider the matter at all, is whether Commissioner Brown acted
within his prerogative as a Commissioner in dissenting from the views
if the majority of th; board and disseminating his views after it had acted
on the question of a reduction in passenger rates. No one can question his
light to dissent from the views of the majority. The majority of the Com
mission has no more right to throttle the views of the minority than the
Iiolitlcal majority in the state has the i^ght to throttle the minority and
prevent It from giving expression to its views. Unfortunately Gov. Smith
■ ferns to ljavo early entertained the idea that the ^majority is everything
Td the minouty nothing, and that the big stick should beat down any
Assenting voices. The application of such an idea was properly resented
by Commissioner Brown when it was applied to the Commission, and his
summary dismissal was the result.
Carrying Gov. Smith’s peculiar idea to its logical conclusion, no minor
ity member of i ny state board lias the right to dissent from the majority
oice. If he docs, if he exercises the right of personal judgment, if he
views a public question differently from his associates, he is a public enemy
at only to he humiliated and chastised at the earliest possible opportunity-
after the legislature has adjourned.
As Gov. snith views it, when a case involving passenger or freight
rates comes before the State Supreme Court, if the Chief Justice, or one of
Ihe Associate Justices, after mature consideration of the question at issue,
differs from the views of his brethren of the bencli and flies a dissenting
opinion he should be “kicked out” in as humiliating a manner as possible.
A Justice of the Supreme Bench has no more right to file a dissenting
opinion, or endeavor to educate the people to his views by giving publicity
to them, than Commissioner Brown had. But does any one for a moment
entertain the idea that Gov. Smith would try to run the Supreme Court
with such a high hand?
The real truth of the matter is that “Little Joe Brown’’ offended Hoke
Smith by showing to the people of Georgia that the candidate for governor
•wo years ago did not know what he was talking about when he discussed
I-ort rates, that there was much buncombe in his addresses on railroad
questions, and that he was appealing to prejudice and passion rather than
to calm reason and true facts. This was the sting that penetrated beneath
the skin and rankled in the heart of Mr. Smith before he became Governor
and which led him to his disgraceful conduct in the discharge of Mr. Brown
when It was too late-for that Commissioner to seek justice ai the hands of
the legislature. It was personal pique, wounded pride, flayed vanity, that
actuated Gov. Smith in his action, and no amount of excuses and no amount
of alleged causes can remove the real reason. It was an underhanded blow
at a man who had cut to a tender spot, who had wounded Mr. Smith’s
susceptibilities. It was the misuse of official power to gratify a personal
hatred. Only that and nothing more.
ELEVATING THE VICE PRESIDENCY
all the light possible'before deciding on any question.
"Congress can by law impose upon the Vice-President the duty of giving
such assistance to his chief, or the President can of his own violation
establish the precedent, and it would, In all probability, he observed by
Lis successors. A Cabinet position has generally been considered more
desirable than the Vice-J’residency, but the latter In dignity and importance
Is, in fact, only second to the Presidency, and the occupant deserves the
prominence and prestige which would come from more intimate official
association with the Executive.”
MAY BE HOT TIMES IN GEORGIA
Dynamiting apartment houses Is
getting to be a very common diver
sion in New York city. At first It
was confined to the poorer sections,
but more recently fashionable apart
ment houses are being attacked. A
.great city has some advantages as a
^residence site, but many, many
drawbacks, the danger of being blown
-up most any night being one.
John Temple Graves has been en
dorsed by the Independence League
of Washington as a candidate for
Vice-President, along with Hearsf
as the main guy. Georgia will soot
be the mother of Presidential candi
dates, whether any Presidents are
In the bunch or not.
Says the Macon News: “The charge
in Georgia that Hoke Smith was fired
from the Cleveland cabinet is resent
ed in Washington. Up there they
seem to think that Hoke fired the
cabinet.”
The Rome Tribune-Herald says:
“The convict system must go, is the
eery. And if we mistake not some
people are liable to go along with
if
The entry of the Prohibitionists in-
-to the Presidential ring Is E. W.
Chafln. His name sounds like a hot
proposition.
It Is doubtful if the fathers of the Republic ever intended that the
vice-president should lie reduced to the political nonenity that he now
it mere hanger on hoping to fill a dead man’s shoes as the only possible
excuse for Ills existence. Tne little service he is to the'eountry as a figure
head for the Senate is of small consideration. Tffie fact remains that his
chief function is that of a prospective legatee of the presidency in the
event of the death or disability of the occupant of that official position,
and his importance, even in that capacity, has been lessened by the law
tinder which the succession runs down through the various cabinet officers.
A cabinet office" is really a - very much larger figure in the public eye, and
a very much more important man in an official way, than the vice-president.
Frequently articles are now appearing pointing out the absurdity
the position occupied by the vice-president and insisting on a change
Ihe treatment of what should be, next to the presidency, the most important
gift in ihe people’s hands. Deprived of even a vote In the Senate, except In
the exceptionally rare event of a tie ballot, without a voice In Its proceed
ings, with no weight in the administration of which he is supposed, when
l-ominated. to he an important factor, the position has been reduced to such
■> low point tint men of the highest calibre decline to accept a nomination
.o it. Restored to its proper position wlih the Incumbent influential in
molding the policies of the administration and with his voice a potent
factor in its affairs, a much higher grade of nominees would undoubtedly
■ esult. The people would rerent the selection of men for the office who were
chosen merely because they were successful fat-fryers or had some local
political Influence that might he utilized In the election. ‘
Bryan has shown that he recognizes that the vice president should
receive more consideration than Is now' accorded him. Whether, if elected,
he would carry out the views he has expressed in the past no one can
cay. As a general rule there seems to speedily grow up a strained relation
between the president and his legal successor in the event of death. Per
haps Bryan would rise superior to whatever the considerations are that
breed feelings ‘Ike this.
Sooner or later the two great political parties will'be forced by
irresistible public opinion to rescue the vice-presidency from the deplorable
position it now occupies. When that time conies, and every good citizen
will hope that the day shall he hastened, Bryan’s views may prevail,
they have done In some other matters which he was unable to affect in the
slightest except by publicity and the force of au aroused public conscience.
The views of the Democratic candidate, expressed on various occasions, are
as follows:
“Why has the Vice-President been so generally ignored by the Chief
Executive in the past. It Is ..aid that Mr. Breckenridge was only consulted
once by President Buchanan, and then only in regard to the phraseology of
a Thanksgiving Proclamation. This incident was related to a late Vice-
President, who was noted for his skill at repartee, and he replied, witli a
twinkle In his eye: “Well, there Is one more Thanksgiving Day before my
term explrse.”
“According to the constitution the Vice-President succeeds ■ to the
office in case iPe president dies, resigns, is removed, or becomes unable to
discharge the duties of the office. The public good requires that he should be
thoroughly Informed as to the details of the administration and ready to
take up the work of the Executive at a moment's notice. The Vice Presi
dent ought to be ex-officlo a member of the President’s cabinet; he ought
to sit next to the President In the council chamber. Receiving his nomina
tion from a national convention and his commission from the people, he is
able to furnish the highest possible proof that he enjoys public respect
and confidence, and the President should avail himself of the wisdom and
discretion of such an adviser. While the responsibility for action rests upon
the occupant of the White House he is entitled to, and of course desires,
Whether some Republican leaders and Atlanta correspondents have,
been indulging in too much dope we cannot say, but that is the first impres
sion one would have on reading the dispatches sent out from the slate
capital to the effect that the G. O. P. expects to laud Georgia in its electoral
column this year and that to “Big Bill” Taft will be accorded the honor
of breaking into the heart of the Solid South and capturing Its most pro
gressive state.
We are much ijiclined to believe that these roseate dreams will prove
very vaporous in their make up when election day comes. Georgia will
give Bryan a substantial majority, not an overwhelming one, we should say,
nothing that v ill malm Texas look like thirty cents, or put Pennsylvania’s
Republican majority small by comparison, but still a good healthful safe
majority.
At the same time it is easily recognizable that Georgia could be quickly
converted inty a storm centre and the eyes of the nation fastened on it as
the scene of ihe campaign's greatest and only three cornered fight. I
the Republican leaders would really cast their glove into the ring and coni
Ti for a good c!J fashioned scrap there would be a-hot time in the old state
between now and November and political prognosticators would be in the
hey days of their glory.
To begin with, there are undoubtedly some thousands of white voters
vho are not Republicans but who are anti-Bryan. These are the men who
supported Palmer aud Buckner against the Nebraskan on his first race,
is reasonable to suppose that a large proportion of them will either not
vote at all or support Taft. Then Tom Watson Is a factor of no small
moment. Four years ago Watson polled almost as many votes as Roosevelt
n Georgia, 22 335 to 21,003, and Watson made no strenuous campaign in
ids home state. This year it Is intimated that he wll stump Georgia and
leave no stone unturned to secure its electoral vote.
More negroes are registered this year, it is stated, than before, owing
lo the desire on their part to be in position to vote against the disfranchise
ment measure in the state election, and there will he more interest on their
part to vote at the November election. It is intimated that Secretary Taft
may lie induced to visit the btate and make one or more speeches. Taft is
not very apt to tour the state, but there-is no doubt he would get a hearty
reception in the big cities, and if he elected to speak in several of them he
would be heard by many thousands. Georgia Mass a big man, even if he is
politically opposed to its principles, and Taft is a big man in more ways
than physique. He would receive a far more cordial reception than would
have been given to any Republican candidate since the war unless it were
the genial, lovable McKinley after'he had endeared himself in a measure to
the South by Ids kindly sentiments for it. •
It would be as good as a .riple ring circus to have the three parties scrap
ping for Georg.a, to have Democracy, Republicanism and Populism In their
shirt sleeves appealing to the voters and struggling for supremacy. From
the far away Nebraska farm.Bryan might view the conflict with alarm and
rush to rescue Georgia from the fear of political revolution. Just think
what it would mean as an advertisement to have all three—Bryan, Taft and
Watson—whooping up things from the mountains to the seashore.
But we are afraid it is all a dream, just the vain imaginings of some
political hacks who have run out of topics and have given free vent to their
vivid Imaginations. The whole thing reads so much like Atlanta that we
can almost ascribe it to the insatiable desire of the Gate City to create
sensation with Itself as the centre. Atlanta wants Taft to speak there, and
Bryan and Watson, and so it is endeavoring to establish the impression that
ail three of them cau carry the state on one and the same day. But It
won’t work. Georgia piay coquette with Taft and Watscyi but Its heart is
anchored with Democracy.
history of convict system
In bis. speech' Friday against th.
convict lease 'system, H 0n . w. 1'
Covington gave a succinct historv
the handling of the convicts J
Georgia for the past forty years. j u l
at this time accurate information on
the convict question Is of value.
Mr. Covington said:
P “ r fc >’ ears ago a Federal g, neni
o held Georgia in the imii„„. ,
GOOD ROADS
in these accessories to intelligent
road building. It Js pointed out by
Out of the state-wide discussion of Mr. Sheffield that the Interest and
the convict problem, has come a re- 1 sinking fund on the bonds necessary
vival of interest in the question of would be more than made good by
good roads. - i the reduced cost of repairing setenti-
In yesterday's Times-Rccorder ap- flealty constructed roads, as compar-
peared an Interview with Mr. Frank ed to the expenditure of time ' and
Sheffield, a member of the County money needed ,to keep in repair the
Commissioners, on the matter of Im
proving Sumter’s roads. It deserves
the careful consideration of every
citizen.
present highways. This does not
take into account at all the saving
to the farmer in being able to haul
heavier loads and to make quicker
In the building of good roads, town, trips, with less cost to wagon and
and country are each Interested. It. buggy than at present. All that would
is to the interest of the merchant and be a bonus for having permitted him-
cotton buyer that the communication | self the luxury of good roads.
between him and his clients should
be of the best possible, while the
benefits to be derived by the farmer
are even more numerous. Time and
money are both Involved to a far
greater extent than the average far
mer realizes. Else the demand would
have been so Insistent that long
ago the roads of Sumter would have
been models for other communities.
it will be conceded by nearly every
one that the ideal existence is a
country home, with the advantages of
city within easy reach. And dis
tances arc not to be measured in
miles, hut in the time it takes to
make the journey. New York and
San Francisco are nearer together
now than Americus and Atlanta would
without a railroad. As the iron rails
narrow the distances between cities
minimum, so do good county
roads bring every resident almost to
the borders of the county seat, or
smaller towns and near each other.
Good roads permit larger loads
and this In turn means fewer trips
to 'the market with products of the
soil.
It means a cheapening of freight
rates as It were, a cutting in half per
haps, or even more.
The suggestion of Mr. Sheffield that
bonds should be issued to provide
equipment for working the convicts
which Sumter will undoubtedly ask
for seems a timely one. With steam
rollers and scrapers the labor of
man Is multiplied, and It will be the
plainest kind of economy to invest
What better thing could thd coun
ty want than to spend a hundred
thousand dollars on the roads, and
save more than enough to repay
the sum by the time It falls due? Its
like eating the cake and having It
too.
It is to be hoped that the citizens
will come to a full realization of
what good roads will mean, and to
the fact that they can be had almost
for the asking, and without real
cost.
With highways in splendid condi
tion, the value of land and Its pro
ducts would bo Enhanced. Home-
seekers from other sections of the
stale and the country would learn
of the flue roads of progressive Sum
ter. and would be attracted to this
county as a place to establish pros
perous farming industries. In the
cities and towns the stimulus would
be felt, and the county would be the
envied of Us neighbors and the pride
of its citizens. And all these things
seem to be within easy reach. All
that’s needed Is to put forth the
hand and pluck the fruit.
. . ,Georgia ln the hollow of hi,
hand sold the convicts of the !
to private persons. Later, and thin,
ES? “ 8 °:.‘ he state authorities soH
them to other private parties a ,
and for the lump sum of $25,000 fn-
a time and period of twenty year, ,
?“ le ,\ h , at netted the state somethin'
like $11 per year per convict
years ago the general assembly
Georgia renewed the sale for '
ther live years, selling the labor of
the convicts for $100 per year Fiv
years ago, the same arrangement
entered into again for a like term of
five years, and this time when the
bids were opened, it was found that
‘Something like $225 per year ne-
convict was realized by the state
"Something like ten years ago a
prison farm was established at Mil
ledgevfile, Ga., for the purpose ' of
confining there aged, decrepit and
female convicts. Two years ago
established at Milledgeville a refor
matory for the purpose of sending
there such juvenile offenders as in
the discretion of trial judges ought
properly to go there.
“Under the terms of the present
law, it was provided that if any coun
ty should wish to establish a countv
chaingang for the purpose of working
felony convicts, and should indicate
its wish tb do so to the prison com
mission of Georgia, such proportion
ate number of felony convicts should
he allotted to it as its total population
might sustain to the whole population
of Georgia; and that the remaining
felony convicts not so taken by the
counties should be leased to the
highest bidder, as stated above. Th»
act also provides that the total moneys
derived from the hire of the con
victs so leased should be divided
among the counties not choosing to
work their convicts on their roads,
and that this division should be iii
proportlqn to the' population. It
was also provided that this money
upon its arrival in such counties
might either be utilized in working the
public roads, or might be diverted in
to the public school fund of such
county.
“All this has reference to . felony
convicts. For a long time it has been
the law that misdemeanor convicts
should be worked upon some public
works by the authorities of the coun
ties where they may have been con
victed.
“The present arrangement for dis
position of the felony convicts ex
pires under the terms of the act of
April 1, 1909; and thus we are com
pelled to deal with it.
AVool Growing In Georgia
(Savannah Morning News.)
Box-making is to be revolutionized
in Savannah, according to a story in
a local daily. Maybe they want boxes
with a jug for a lining.
The worst hag been heard. /William
Randolph Hearst has "lost faith ln
the empty professions of an ungener
ate Democracy.” He ought to take
something for It.
There was a time when the wool
clip of Georgia amounted to some
thing, but the sheep industry seems to
he pretty nearly on its last legs ia
this state. In the Morning News a
few days ago there was a special
dispatch from Moultrie, Colquitt coun
ty, telling how the farmers of that
section were selling out their sheep
for transportation to Tenessee, Mexi
co and elsewhere, because It is no
longer profitable to engage In Ihe
sheep and wool business in Georgia.
Only a few years back Colquitt coun
ty raised and marketed upward of
$20,000 worth of wool per year, and
Berrien, Appling, Coffee and other
South Georgia counties did as well or
better. Wool sales were held from
time to time, closely following the
clipping, and they always turned
looke a considerable lot of ready
cash.
The great reason for the virtual
ruin of the wool business in Georgia
is embraced in one word—dogs. It
has been found impossible to get
rid of the dogs. Ninety-nine out ot
every one hundred sheep-killing dogs
are absolutely worthless for any par-
pose under the sun. They are too
mean to throw Into a compost heap,
lest their carcasses vitiate the other
ingredients of the manure pile. The}
are consumers at home and abroad
of about everything they can get their
fangs upon, and producers of nothing
except trouble and expense. And ijei
they .are politically powerful. The
Georgia Legislature has shown itsea
to be afraid of them. The members
of the Legislature talk in favor
sheep, and vote in favor of dogs. I ne>
hold the worthless dog in high c s,M
because there are more owners
dogs than owners of sheep, and there
fore the ilogs have the largest voting
strength behind them. Numerous bm
have been proposed to leash the nog-
and give the sheep a chance, but wan
ing of importance has ever come »
them. A number of dog bills •>* .
been passed—to muzzle the A®* 8 ‘
lap dogs o fthc cities, and they n
been practivally Ignored—but the • »
in the sheep sections have been i
to their own devices and virtual >
thorized to feed on spring lamb an
fresh mutton according to the
mands of their appetites. .
There are tens of thousands
acres of land in Georgia unavailn
for other purposes that might be I
to good use as sheep ranges,
there is no use trying to raise sir >■
which are notoriously helpless cr
tures, ln a section where ^ ™' * j’
dogs are permitted freedom to
their worst. The effect of/hte
of thing is seen in Colquitt. API? 1 '®*
and other counties, where the " ‘
industry is going out of «*•«*"
while the dogs are doubtless niultil 5
ing.
The Democratic Campaign Han ’
book ha's been Issued. It is c0 ® 1 ’ ,
from the Congressional Record,
contains matters of much lnte ‘' e .
the voter. The book can he"'
by sending 25 cents to the 0*®°"
Congressional Committee, Washing
ton, D. C.
'