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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