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HOKE SMITH’S
OPENING SPEECH
splendid Record of What
He Accomplished
AS GOVERNOR OF GEORGIA
Elimination of Negro from Politics—
Registration Law—Abolishment of
Convict Lease System—Supervision
of Railroads—Speech in Full as
Prepared for Delivery at Waycross^
Former Gov. Hoke Smith, too ill to
fill JiIb engagement to speak at Way-
cmrs today, has given out for publica
tion the speech which ho had prepared
lor this occasion. As it is the first dis
cussion by Mr. Smith of the record upon
which he is asking for election in the
approaching primary, It will be read with
absorbing interest by voters throughout
the state.
The speech Is a strikingly lucid review
of the accomplishments of wlmt Mr.
Smith aptly calls the "Progressive De
mocracy" during his two years’ adminis
tration an governor of Georgia. As the
former governor sets forth the record of
liis administration, the reader Is amazed
ot the-amount of work accomplished for
Georgia in «o brief a space of time. This
record Mr. Smith gives as the reason
for his candidacy, this and the announc
ed ‘Intention of the reactionary Democ
racy to tear down all that lie had build-
id. His speech in full follows:
My Fellow Citizens of South Georgia:
It fs with pleasure that I meet you
to speak of the policies which have been j
pursued for the past few years and of
those which conoern our welfare for the
future .
There are different schools of thought
upon questions of government which
tiave existed at all times.
They have found expression In different
ways, but the division has always been
between FAVORITISM TOR TIIE FEW
AND EQUALITY OF OPPORTUN-
ITT FOR THE MANY. The
one stands for special privileges, the oth
er for popular rights. The one would
give power to a small minority, the
other to the whole people. The one Is
reactionary, the other Is progressive. The
one Is selfish, the other stands for man
kind, for the betterment of tho human
race. '
CONTEST OF iSCt
Four years ago wo had a political con
test In Georgia. The state and the Dem
ocratic party were at the time in the
control of an alliance between trained
politicians and the employed agents of
great corporations. Special prlvllogoa were
the order of the day. Certain corpora
tions were favored but they were required
to pay tribute for what they received.
The hired lobbyist was a recognized fac
tor In legislation. The man with the
free pass was always In evidence.
■ Hiheated campaign, tout the peo-,
Pie Wbh’q®k)hsi t ^li»dtIons’ " TheFprogreksi ve'
Democracy took charge.
We did not have a majority In either
house of, the legislature, BUT WITH
THE GOVERNOR AND THE SPLEN
DID MINORITY IN THE LEGISLA
TURE A REAL SERVICE FOR THE
PEOPLE WAS ACCOMPLISHED.
I wish to'discuss before you with per
fect calmness the work accomplished
In two years by the progressive Democ
racy. I wieli to compare It to the work
of the reactionary Democrats since that
time. I wish to point oat some of the
future work of the progressive Democra
cy and to submit to you the question—
Under which flag will you march?
Our forefathers sought to establish for
us a system by which the people at tho
ballot box should rule. By this power
they were to protect themselves against
Injustice, and inspired by this power they
were to broaden the opportunity of the In
dividual citizen. The progressive Democ
racy regard the ballot os a right almost
sacred. To preserve It in its purity, to
exclude debauching influences from reach
ing the man who uses the ballot, to in
spire the individual voter with a lofty
patriotism which will control bis use
of the ballot—these are principles of prog
ress which we recognize as essential to
obtaining those benefits which should
come from the ballot to a free people.
DISFRANCHISEMENT OF THE NE
GRO.
THE FIRST STEP TOWARD PURI
FYING THE BALLOT REQUIRED
THE EXCLUSION OF THE IGNO
RANT AND PURCHASABLE NEGRO.
The true policy in the United States
should be the development of the white
.race, with no mixture in matters
government by the yellow, the brown
cr the black races. I would favor an
amendment to the national constitution
which would limit suffrage to the
Whites.
Confronted with the national consti
tution which prevented such state ac
tion. we have still given you a con
stitutional provision which excluded
the great bulk of the negroes. Under
It less than 10,000 negroes have regis
tered this year. Over 200,000 negroes mignt
have registered but for It.
The franchise law, passed during our
administration—it was yours as well
as mine—is the wisest and best adopt
ed by any southern state. It is un
necessary now to discuss it In detail.
One of Its features requires the pay
ment of taxes six months before the
date of the election.
By the adoption of the new fran
chise law, the negro has been perma
nently eliminated from politics In
Georgia. There is not now a> county,
olty, town or militia district in the
state where the negroes have registered
sufficiency to outnumber the whites.
McIntosh county has for the first time
BEEN ABLE TO HOLD A WHITE
PRIMARY. A law of this Bort had been
discussed for several years, but towards
Its passage no progress had been made.
It was distinctly our work, and it was
opposed at every step by those who
are now our political opponents.
The benefits of this law are far-
reaching. it Is already makl-g t.he
n«rro better suited to his position In
Georgia. It makes him more indus
trious anti more useful.
for years conditions have existed
Which ui' many places required resort
in mentis that Wore unfair to prevent
(be negrees from controlling your of
fices. Resort to these unfair means
produced a lack of proper regard for
the sanctity of the ballot, and at times
even white men have been guilty of un
fairness towards each other.
With the negro gone from the politics
of Georgia, with no excuse under any
circumstances for resort to conduct
other than that which Is lnwrul or
clean In elections, we can reach a high
er standard of purity on the part of
our citizens than would have been pos
sible under prior conditions.
NEW REGISTRATION LAW.
In connection with the disfranchise
ment law, we adopted u registration
law. This registration law was ln->
tended to make complete and fully ef-<
fective the disfranchisement law, and
It was also Intended to protect the bal
lot box, even at our primaries, from
the presence of men wno did not live
In Georgia, of men who were not resi
dents of the counties where they ought
to vote, and of men who were willing
to wait until the excitement of the
election was on to have their taxes paid
for them, and to be otherwise compen
sated as an Incident to exorcising the
privilege of voting.
Our political opponents demand the
repeal of our registration laws. They
expressly declare thetr desire to ex
tend the day of registration until SO
days before the date of the election.
Let us see what would be the conse
quence of this change.
Our general stale primary comes ap
proximately 80 days before the election.
Our county primaries come still earlier.
To extend the time for registration until
*0 days before the election would prevent
the registrars from doing anything to
purge the registration list, practically
abolish registration, and leave any man
the privilege, no matter where he may
come .from, to participate in our pri
maries. It would r.pen wide the door to
Illegal voting. It would destroy the pur
ity of the ballot box. It would discourage
the patriotic voter from participating In
elections because he would know that
the active politician and the agent of
the Interests, using money, would make
his vote Ineffective.
Under our present law registration
closes during the first week In April. It
requires from that day until the first of
June to perfect the registration lists, and
to give an opportunity to the registrars
to purge the list. Our registration law
provides for an appeal by any man who
is dissatisfied with the action of the
registrars to the superior court, as ap
peals are had from justice courts. The
action also of the registrars Is subject
to supervision by the courts of equity.
We close our registration work on the
part of the registrars a sufficient length
of time before the general primary to
prevent the excitement of the election
from hindering the registrars In their ju
dicial work, and also a sufficient time
to permit supervision of the conduct of
the registrars by the courts if such su
pervision is necessary. WE HAVE
MADE A GREAT STEP FORWARD
TOWARDS THE PURITY OF THE
BALLOT BOX.
HON. HOKE SMITH.
SIX MONTHS TO REGISTER.
Have we done any Injustice to the
voter? We have provided that the citizen
can register at any time from tho 1st
of October to the 1st of April. We have
given him six full months In which to
register. We have provided that he can
register at the time he pays his taxes,
giving the privilege of registration during
the three last months of the year and
at the time taxes ure pnld, which had not
been his privilege prior to the present
law. The opportunity for registration has
been increased and made more convenient.
The cry that any one has been disfran
chised by the registration law is absurd.
In the rural districts, the number reg
istered lias Increased. In the cities, as
i rule, It has decreased, and that decrease
Is principally due to the fact that illegal
names were placed upon the registration
rolls in 190S. In the county of Fulton, In
which I live, the white registration for
I90S was over 17.500. The white registra
tion for 1910 is less titan U.500. Over 2.500
Illegal voters were upon the registration
roll of Fulton county for 1903. I do not
mean that the officers were remiss in
discharging their duty. The defect was
in the law.
Now we have a clean registration list
for our primary and only the legal vot
ers all over Georgia will he allowed to
vote in the coming election. There
have been sovte men who were legally
entitled to register who failed to exer
cise that privilege during the six months
that they were allowed for registration,
but they have no one to blame but them
selves. In future they will be more
careful and the registered voter will
grow in appreciation of the responsibil
ity which rests upon him.
There are several respects In which
the law can perhaps be Improved. If a
citizen once has legally registered, his
registration can to a large extent be
made permanent. The proper plan can
be devised . a certificate of le
gal registration can be obtained in one
lounty and carried to another when the
voter moves from one county to another.
These are details to be worked out with
experience, BUT NO CHANGE SHOULD
BE MADE IN THE LAW WHICH
LUF?r.NF ITS VALUE AS A PURE
ELECTION LAW, AND THE LAW
SHOULD BE PERFECTED BY MEN
WHO REALLY SEEK TO EXALT AND
PURIFY THE BALLOT.
In August. 1908, the legislature passed
* bill requiring every candidate for of-
fioe to file under oath a statement of
expenses incurred in connection with
his race for the office. This will be a
great help when properly enforced to
wards purifying elections.
I have been somewhat amused to see
our oppune’-te fill the rural papers with
statements that I neglected to comply
with this law, when It was not passed
until til' days after the primary In whlih
I was defeated foi governor.
RAILROAD COMMISSION LAW.
The railroad commission law was
amended. The jurisdiction of the com
mission wob extended to all claases o'
public service companies. The power
of tho commission to require for the. In
dividual citizen rights to which he was
entitled was greatly enlarged. The ra '-
road commission act as comfletcd Is
similar in most respects to the public
servloe law of New York state. The
New York law was drawn with great
care by leading lawyers and business
inen under the supervision of Governor
Hughes. OUR LAW IS BASED UPON
THE SAME PRINCIPLES OF JUSTICE
TO THE PUBLIC AND JUSTICE TO
THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANIES
AS THE NEW YORK LAW.
The ory lhat the cost of the commis
sion has been Increased should not come
from the friends of supervision. The
work of the commission is more than
four tlmeR as great as It was before tbe
new bill was pat
There are approximately 250 publta
service corporations doing business in
the state now under the jurisdiction A
the commission. The gross sum collect
ed by these companies from the people
of Georgia annually le over 150,000,000.
The commissioners are charged with
the responsibility of adjusting differ-
ei.ces between ihe pejple and 79 systems
of railroads. 97 street railroads, gas,
electric, and water companies, 04 tele
phone and telegraph companies, and 27
compress companies.
They are oharged also with the duty
of supervising stock and bond lssuM
made by these companies.
These companies are to a large ex
tent natural monopolies. To perfect a
system by which the public and the
corporation will each receive justice is
of the utmost importance.
EXPENDITURE COMPARATIVELY
SMALL.
The expenditure which Georgia makes
for the benefits brought to the public
through the railroad commission la small
indeed compared to the Importance of
the service rendered. It Is smaller than
that usually Incurred by other states for
auch service.
We should resist every effort to dis
member the commission. We should sup
port for positions upon the commission
the ablest and purest men who are
wllHng to serve, and we should foster
It as a body organised to encourage and
Sustain the prosperity of the state
through equal Justice both to corpora
tions and to the public.
ABOLISHMENT OF CONVICT LEASE
The third great piece of constructive
legislation which came to you through
the two yearB of progressive Democracy
ie the abolishment of the convict lease
and the utilization of the convlots upon
the public roads of the state. This was
literally and exclusively the work of
the progressive Democracy.
For years a system of handling con
victs existed In our state far from cred
itable. , 1) was objectionable for two
reasons,'. , uFlret.^, because the convict
passed'out'of ih< haVida or the stare to
tho hands of private individuals, and sec
ond, because private Individuals were
being made rich by the use of crimi
nals.
The struggle to abolish tbe lease sys
tern was Indeed laborious. Some good
men tn the legislature believed It lm
possible to handle the convicts except
under leases and some In sympathy with
the lessees desired to help them accum
ulate wealth from the use of the con
victs.
THE REPRESENTATIVES OF OUR
POLITICAL OPPONENTS* IN THE
LEGISLATURE WERE LtXED UP
ALMOST SOLIDLY IN FAVOR OF
THE NEW LEASE. THE CLAIM
THAT THEY HAD DECLARED^-
AGAINST THE LEASE IS ABSURD.
THEIR LEADERS PREPARED THE
NEW LEASE BILL, PROVIDING FOR
THE PERPETUAL LEASING OF CON
VICTS. Their leaders supported It. and
It was only defeated by the strenuous
effort? of progressive Democrats aided
by the fact that I publicly stated my
purpose to veto a bill which did not
provide for putting the convicts
! the public loads.
I GOOD ROADS BUILT BY CONVICTS.
| The people of south Georgia already
I feel the benefit which has come to them
from good roads built by convict labor.
By the end of ten years all south Geor
gia will be a net work of splendid roads
' constructed because the, progressive
Democracy broke up the 'convict leaso
' and thereby made it possible for the
counties to use the convicts in the con
slructioh of good roads. Middle and
; nortn Georgia less rapidly but surely
| will, hi’ the use of convict labor, carry
good roads throughout the entire state.
Good roads will lessen the cost of
transportation for tho farmer, they will
make access easy to schoql houses and
churches, they will remove the Isola
tion of rural life, they will Increase im
mensely . the value of farming lands
and tend to stop the rush from the
country to the cities and towns. They
will help build a citizenry for Georgia,
prosperous, capable, independent and
happy.
I shall not discuss the many other
measures which were a part of the two
years' service of the progresive Democ
racy. but I do wish to call your at
tention to the fact that the BEST IN
TERESTS OF THE STATE WERE
CAREFULLY WATCHED AND GIVEN
ATTENTION EVEN IN THE SIM
PLEST DETAILS.
The appropriations to rural schools
were increaeec $500,000 annually, and
pensions were paid promptly.
TREASURY STRENGTHENED.
In spite of an Increase of $000,000 paid
out for education, your treasury was
strengthened and Its surplus Increased.
The attack made upon the treasury In
the fall at 1909 was utterly unfounded and
hag reoolled upon those who published It
on account of the sound condition In
which It had been left.
STATE FINANCES.
There is no difficulty about handling the
(lenses, but the ad valorem taxes ore nec
essary to pay the heavy appropriations
to public schools and to pensions. By
the latter part of the summer, the sur
plus with which the treasury now starts
the first of the year is liable to be ex
hausted. Our ad valorem taxes are not
required to be paid before the 20th of
December.
The comptroller general collects all the
taxes directly from the public service
companies. These taxes do not pass
through the county tax receivers' or
comptrollers’ hands. They amount to
over $700,000 a year.
HOW TO PAY THE TEACHERS.
1 BELIEVE EARNESTLY IN THE
PROMPT PAYMENT OF TEACHERS’
SALARIES. THEY WERE MC)RE
PROMPTLY PAID WHILE I WAS GOV
ERNOR' THAN EVER BEFORE, BUT
THE STATE SHOULD NOT ISSUE
BONDS FOR CURRENT EXPENSES.
We can advance the time of the pay
ment at those taxes collected from pub
lic service companies which are paid
through the comptroller general to a date
not later than September 1st, and allow
them 1 per cent discount, because they
pay sooner than the public generally. I
have talked with representatives of a
number of these companies, and I feel
sure this plan will meet with no objec-
Mon.
The plan will put the treasury In am
ple funds for the year through, and it
will not be necessaYy to burden the state
with a bonded Indebtedness or even with
an extensive temporary loan to meet cur
rent expenses.
Our general system, permitting the pay
ment of taxes so late In the year, is due
to the fact that the farmers collect theli
money principally In the fall, and pay
ment of taxes after that time is neces
sary to meet the financial system under
which they do business. This reason dost
not apply to the public service companies,
and the 1 per cent discount on their taxes
which I have suggested will be a fair al
lowance for their earlier payment. This
Is a simple business plan which will com
mend Itself to the unprejudiced.
NATIONAL PANIC.
Two years ago, when a national osnls
jrea an International panic. Interfered with
the business ot the country and depressed
prioes, I wax charged with having pro
duced It. Few people will be deceived
longer by such a statement. The men
who made H laughed at the men who be
lieved It.
The panic started In New York city and
In other money centers of the world. It
was produced in large part by the reok-
less misconduct of high financiers. It
went through every state of the union,
Georgia and Texas suffering less from It
than any other states.
WELCOMES FOREIGN CAPITAL.
It has been charged tnat the progres
sive Democracy sought to keep foreign
capital from coming to Georgia. This
was another political story. The man
Who told it knew it was not true, but
good, honest men were In some instances
fooled by It.
NO ONE DESIRES MORE THAN I
DO TO SEE FOREIGN CAPITAL
COME TO GEORGIA, that our great
undeveloped resources may be built up
for the benefit of our people. I welcome
Its coming, but we want ythe capital
which comes to Georgia to be so in
vested as to help and not hurt the state.
If It absorbs more than it produces, it
would impoverish and not enrich the
state. It would, burden and not help our
people. We went it to come ' ui>on an
equitable and fair basis. /
RAILROAD LEGISLATION AND
PANIC.
It has been claimed that our railroad
legislation has hindered the development
of the state and driven out capital. Let
us consider this claim New York state
has same laws on this subject that the
progressive democracy gave to Georg'a.
Have those laws In New York run all
the money out of New York?
The moneyed men of New York in their
own home are accustomed to the same
laws with reference to public service
companies that we have here. They have
found them equitable and Just, neces
sary for the legitimate progress of the
corporations themselves. The broader
and wiser of the owners of these prop
erties in New York state supported Gov
ernor Hughes for governor and aided
him in securing the passage of these
laws. They do not frighten the legiti
mate and honest investor. They may
’er the wild and reckless speculator
o would come amongst us only to ex
ploit our resources by filling his pockets
from the sale ot excessive bond and
stock Issues and then leaving after hav
ing placed a permanent burden upon
the resources of the 6tate.
We desire manufactories, we desire
banking institutions, we desire com
mercial houses. Would the owners of
money to be invested In these lines of
enterprises in New York state hesi
tate to place their money in Georgia
because we have a railroad commission
law similar to that of New York? Do
they not know that they can not afterd
to build a big factory at a point where
tho railroad could arbitrarily charge
Ihem what it pleased, arbitrarily take
up their sidetracks, or arbitrarily leave
them, alter their money had been put
In the factories, where they could not
do business? Would the financiers in
Now York invest his money in a big mer
cantile business in Georgia, where he
knew the railroad company could ar
bitrarily destroy his business by ex
cessive freight rates? Would the finan
cier put Ills money into banking institu
tions in a state where the entire com
merce of the state could be arbitrarily
throttled by railroad companies?
SUPERVISION BRINGS CAPITAL.
The truth which I desire to impress is
that tho FAIR AND JUST SUPERVI
SION OF TRANSPORTATION COMP I.
NIES IS ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL
TO THE GROWTH AND PROPERITY
OF THE COMMERCE OF THE STATF
AND ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL TO
INDUCE MONEYED .MEN TO PUT
THEIR MONEY INTO THE STATE; in
stead of driving out foreign capital, it
la essenttal to our success in bringing
foreign capital Into Georgia to help uf
develop the state. “ p ue
FREIGHT RATES FROM AND TO
PORTS.
One of the subjects which has received
frequent dlsousslon in conneotlon with
the transportation problem has been
be® C t ^ ra ( °‘ er Charges which should
be made to and from all interior points
in Georgia to ports. I have Insisted that
these rates should be fixed on the basts
of what was reasona.hiA am* * ^ -
finances of the state If they ore managed the particular b au | t0 be f ° r
with conservatism and Intelligence. Our railroad company to and fr/h-T.t by the
appropriations are passed relying upon Let me illustrate by u,il ^ Ports,
the ad valorem taxes of each year at least of \yaycross. i Insist that
In part for their payment. The current Wayoross to. Brunswick aba
Income of the slate m«$t« -.arrent ex-.' or from BnfftHwtrft «Hd bhvn n nnW^lo
l
APPLICATION FOR CHARTER.
GEORGIA-Grady County.
To the Superior County of said County:
The petitition of G. A. Wight, Ira
Higdon, M. G. McManus, H. G. Can
non, John B. Crawford, Walter Davis,
L. C. Graham, J. B. Wight, L. L. Bar-
wick, W. A. Walker, Wight Brothers
Company, P. H. Herring, M. L. Led
ford, Wight Hardware Company, R. C.
Bell, Thomas Wight, W. T. Crawford,
W. D. Barber, W. J. Willie, W. G.
Baggett, W. B. Roddenberry, Joe H J g-
don, J. A. Lindsay, Robert H. Harris,
E. F. Dollar, J. J. Coppage, Roy W.
Ponder, J. M. Sasser, F. M. Brannon.
T. S. Copeland, W. P. Smith, Ira Car
lisle, W. H. Robinson, J. G. Kincaid,
J. G. Moore, T. M. Chastain, C. G.
Stephens, White & Stringer. J. W.
Booth, W. C. Jones, W. A. Carr, L. 0.
Maxwell, (’. H. Maxwell, H. J. Poulk,
Pelham & Havana Railroad Company,
J. L. Peebles and T. A. J. Majors, all
of the County and State aforesaid, re
spectfully shows:
1. That they desire for themselves,
their associates and successors, to be
incorporated and made a body politic,
under the name and style of Progress
Publishing Company, for the period of
twenty (20) years.
2. The principal office of said cor
poration shall be in the City of Cairo,
Btate and county aforesaid, but peti
tioners desire the right to establish
branch offices within this state or else
where, whenever the holders of the
majority of the stock may so deter
mine.
3. The object of said corporation is
pecuniary gain to itself and sharehold
ers.
4. The business to be carried on by
said corporation is the editing and pub
lishing of a newspaper or newspapers
in said county or elsewhere in said
state, the doing of all kinds of book
binding and job printing, dealing in
stationery and all kinds of office sup
plies, and the transaction of all such
business as may be necessary in or in
cidental to the conduct of a general
.printing and publishing business.
5. The capita] stock of said corpora
tion shall be Three Thousand ($3,000.00)
Dollars, with the privilege of increas
ing the same to the sum of Ten Thous
and ($10,000.00) Dollars by a majority
vote of the stockholders, said stock to
be divided into shares of Twenty-five
($25.00) Dollars each, and to be non
assessable. More than ten (10) per
cent of the amount of capital stock to
be employed in said corporation has
been actually paid in.
6. Petitioners desire the right to
have the subscriptions to said capital
stock paid in money or property to be
taken at a fair valuation.
7. Petitioners desire as a corpora
tion, the right to sue and be sued, to
plead and be impleaded, to have and
use a common seal, to make all neces
sary by-laws and regulations, and to
do all other things that may be neces
sary for the successful carrying on of
said business, including the right to
buy, hold and sell real estate and per
sonal property suitable to the purposes
of the corporation, and to execute notes
and bonds, as evidence of indebtedness
incurred, or which mav be incurred in
the conduct of the affairs of the cerpir-
ation and to secure the same by mort
gage, security deed, or other form of
lien under existing laws.
8. Petitioners desire for said corpor
ation the power and authority to apply
for and accept ^amendments to its char
ter of either form or substance by a
majority votalbf its stock outstanding
at the time. They also ask authority
tor said corporation to wind up its af-
'fairs, liquidate and discontinue its
business at any time it may determine
to do so by a vote of two-thirds (2-3)
of its stock outstanding at the time.
9. Petitioners desire for said corpor
ation the right of renewal when and as
provided by the laws of Georgia and
that they have all such other rights,
powers, privileges and immunities as
are incident to like corporations or per-
missable under the laws of Georgia.
Wherefore, petitioners pray to be
incorporated under the name and style
aforesaid, with the powers, privileges
and immunities herein set forth and as
are now or may hereafter be allowed a
corporation of similar character under
the laws of Georgia.
R. C. Bell and \
W. J. Wii lie, V
rv, , • Attorneys for Petitioners.
Filed in office, this the 3rd dav of
August, 1910. y
J. M. McNair, Jr.,
Deputy Clerk.
GEORGIA—Grady County.
I, J ; M. MeNair, Jr., Deputy Clerk
Superior Court of said county do here
by certify that the foregoing is a true
and correct copy of the application for
charter of Progress Publishing Compa
ny as the same appears on file in this
office.
Witness my official signature and the
seal of this Court, this the 3rd day of
August, 1910. y or
n * ™ , J. M- McNair,
|,D ^owtv C erk Superior Court, - Grady
