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Published Ever; Wednesday.
OFFICIAL ORGAN NEWTON COUN¬
TY AND CITY OF COVINGTON, GA.
FRANK REAGAN, Editor and Publisher
A. S. ADAMS, Superintendent
SUBSCRIPTION RATES
One Year .....................$1.00
Six Months ...... 50c
Three Months ................. 25c
Advertising Rates on Application.
Entered as second-class matter De¬
cember 2, 1008, at the post office at
Covington, Ga., under the Act of
March 3, 1870.
All obituary notices, cards of thanks,
and announcements, other than of a
public nature will be charged for at
the rate of one cent a word.
COVINGTON, GA., NOV. 10, 1915.
MANY IE’S AND ONE WILL.
"If Covington continues to grow
for the next ten years as it has grown
during the past ten years, our lead
ing streets will be macadamized by
then.”
This remark was made to us by one
of Covington’s best and most public
spirited citizens some time ago.
We remembered the remark even
after we had parted with our friend,
and the thought came to us “why
should there be any ‘if’ about Coving¬
ton’s future growth?”
Why indeed should our growth be
left to chance?
There is a way in which we can as¬
sure this growth, a permanent and
continuing growth, and let it not be
a mere matter of chance.
There was a time when mere natural
advantages alone would insure a city’s
future prosperity and progress.
That time has passed. Now a city
must make some effort in order to at¬
tract to itself new industries and new
citizens.
This is accomplished, wherever it is
accomplished, by the co-operation of
the citizens of the city and county in
a concerted and systematic effort to
make the city and county grow and
prosper.
Such co-operati(>n i s needed in Cov
ington and Newton county. Call it
Board of Trade, Chamber of Commerce,
or what you will.
We need it. We need the work of
the many splendid citizens of our coun¬
ty and city concentrated on plans for
our growth.
Yes, efforts to effect such an organ¬
ization will meet with some objec¬
tions, which will have to be overcome.
An occasional man of energy and
ability will offer en excuse for not giv¬
ing some of his time to the public
good, that he is too busy, it takes
all his time to make a living.
The jungle man and the cave-dweller
did that well, made a living, attended
strictly to his own business. The con¬
sequence was there was no improve¬
ment, no civic pride, no public posses¬
sion and no public consciousness.
Every modern convenience which we
now enjoy is due to the unselfish labor
of some person or persons for the public
good, and out of the lino of his
vocation for a living.
Shall our people awake to our power
and our possibilities, eliminate all the
“ifs” that beset us and retard us and
substitute for them the one will of all
our people working In harmony to
the end that we shall increase and
grow?
A FEW THINGS THE CON¬
VENTION DID FOR COVINGTON
It. helped from a religious stand¬
point.
It helped from an advertising stand¬
point.
It brought people to our city who
were never here before.
Covington is now known and recog¬
nized as she never was before.
It put people to thinking of what
an awful evil whiskey is and what
slavery its use causes.
It caused many people to think dif¬
ferently of the AVoman’s Christian
Temperance Union, because they be
came informed.
It convinced some doubters that
women can be depended on to con
duct parliamentary proceedings in a
buisness-like way, and in many res
ytects even improve on the work of
men.
It was our greatest inspiration and
impulse to exert greater efforts in the
future to make our city worthy of the
blessings the convention brought and
always KEEP KOVINGTON AND
OUR KOUNTY KLEAN.
To this end of moral improvement
and cleansing, we love to believe, the
convention left such an impulse for
good in its wake that a Young Men’s
Christian Association has been organ
ized to conserve in some measure the
spiritual blessing we received.
THE COVINGTON NEWS, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1915.
SENATOR WALKERS LETTER
Elsewhere in this issue we publish Senator John D.
Walker’s letter. We give it the same prominence as we do to
our editorials.
Lack of understanding lies at the root of most differences
between individuals. So we would and do make every effort
exactly to understand Senator Walker, who, we are sure, is
not only a man of unusual gifts of intellect and business
acumen, but is also a man of the highest character and most
pleasing personal qualities.
In our effort thoroughly to understand him, we have read
and studied the complete card, a copy of which he has favored
us with.
This card covers a half page in the regular body type and
is much too long for us to copy here in full. But such is un¬
necessary, as we can make the matter clear by only a few ref¬
erences to it.
He begins this card by stating that he has always been a
prohibitionist and will continue to support that cause, but that
he is tired of so much profession and so litte practice on the
part of “the talkers.”
He does not, he says, “score” the anti-saloon people, and
blames the necessity for the extra session on the “make-be¬
lieve” prohibtionists and not on the real prohibitionists.
He charges that it was “dilly-dallying” that prevented
prohibition and other important legislation at the regular
session, and intimates that many pretend to have interest
in prohibition merely because of their interest in who is to be
the next governor.
He charges that many so-called prohibitionists in the
House were merely the tools of politicians.
He thinks the state was “flim-flammed’ - by the last leg¬
islature, because a majority of the House now intend to have
prohibition at the extra session and did not secure it at the
regular session.
We wish especially to quote the three following par¬
agraphs of his card:
“1 am in favor of strong prohibition legislation be¬
ing enacted within ten days, but I do not thiriK the laws
enacted should be made effective until next summer, or
not earlier than April or May, thus giving those owning
property that will be effected by this legislation a square
deal, which is ever the duty of the state.
“Had action been taken at the regular session, as
I believe should have been done, the law could have been
put into effect by January 1st, but now that there is no
chance of enacting a law before the middle or latter part
of November, and possibly December, it is only fair to
allow about six months preparation for the changfe that
will result.
“A spirit of compromise is better than one of intor
erant stubbomneas where the rights of others are con¬
cerned, and I think this applies to the prohibition ques¬
tion in connection with the time that the law, if passed,
should become effective, and by being willing to defer the
operation of the law until spring or summer, the opposi¬
tion will not have as much ground to stand on, and ii will
be easier to pass the needed legislation.
“Let me say further, that if the representatives in
the last legislature really represented the true views of
their constituency, then there is not an overwhelming
sentiment throughout the state for such drastic legis¬
lation as was proposed, else action favorable would have
been taken, for whoever heard of a member of the Geor¬
gia Legislature taking any chances on losing out with the
voters at home. Evidently the people are different to a
larger extent than we have been told, or they w’ould have
demanded action by their representatives in the last
house.”
Then Senator Walker closes his card by objecting to hav¬
ing others “dictate” to the members of the legislature, and his
expression of the opinion that no prohibition will be enforced
until the people shall have voted on it.
We admit that we cannot understand the first half of
Senator Walker’s card as clearly as we should like to under¬
stand it.
It is nothing more than criticism, which is the right of
any man to make. But it makes so many general charges of
hypocrisy, without specifying either the acts of hypocrisy or
the names of the guilty ones. It is too general against a por¬
tion of the body, not to be more definite in indentifying the
portion.
If he means nothing more than that many in the House
have been far stronger in sentiment and even in talk than
they have been in act, then we can easily agree w’ith the Sen
ator; for this is human nature the world around, to act less
than we feel and think and say. And when a man reaches
the point of acting beyond the degree of his thought and talk,
w r e begin to build institutions to confine him.
We do object to one word in the card, when Senator
Walker defines “prohibition, or the restricting of the sale of
beer and liquor.” This may not be intended, and we are in¬
clined to believe it was not, for the Senator’s vote and even
the tenor of the whole card shows that he is for prohibition
and not mere restricting.
We do not want to restrict, we want absolutely to prohibit
and abolish the buisness, to eradicate the evil.
In our consideration of the rest of the card, it is neces¬
sary for us again to refer to The News’ editorial against
which Senator Walker complains in his letter.
This editorial was in our issue of October the 20th, the
W. C. T. U. Convention Edition. That issue contained two ed
torials referring to Senator Walker’s card, under the heads,
“Let the People Vote,” and “Delay the Day of Wrath.”
As his letter complains only against the former, we as¬
sume that he makes no objection to the latter editorial.
Let us come now T directly to the letter:
In the second paragraph of his letter he complains that
our editorial had him “sure,” when he merely “assumed
that a majority of the people wanted drastic prohibition laws”
and our editorial had it “the most” drastic.
This was merely putting it some stronger than he said
it; but we know of a way by which he can be made “sure” this
is true: Let the legislature now in session fail to enact
“the most drastic” prohibition measures, and return to the
people next year for a “vote of confidence” in the shape of a
HON. JOHN D. WALKER
WRITES TO THE NEWS
He Complains That the News Editorial
Misquoted Him On Proposed Pro¬
hibition Legislation.
We publisji below a letter from Senator John D. Walker
to The News, which reached us too late for last week’s issue:
Covington News,
Covington, Ga.,
Dear Mr. Ediotr:-
1 have just read you editorial, “Let the People Vote,” in
your paper of October 20th, and I observe that you make ref¬
erence to me and my card in The Constitution, and I am sure
that you want to give to your readers only facts, therefore I
am sending you a crorect copy of my card and call your at¬
tention to the following:
1 did not say, “He is sure that a majority of the people
of Georgia want the General Assembly in the coming extra
session to pass the most drastic prohibition measures, for I
have heard of very little demand for drastic legislation out¬
side of the cities, Atlanta particularly, and therefore 1 said
that 1 would assume that a majority of the people wanted
drastic prohibition laws.
i did not say, “He thinks these new and drastic prohibi¬
tion measures should he passed with a proviso submitting
them to the people for ratification.” for I agree that to submit
this question to the voters would produce confusion and tur¬
moil, but 1 did say, “I still believe that no prohibition law will
ever he enforced as it ought to lie until the people have had an
opportunity to pass upon it at the polts.”
It is an idea of mine that if a men can be bought to vote
a wet ticket, he is therefore not a prohibitionist and ought
not to be counted as one any more than a representative who
prates, at home about his prohibition proclivities and yet
when he gets to Atlanta acts very vet, both in practice and
in legislative performance.
If my record as a prohibitionist was not above suspicion
both in public and private life, I would not have had the
effrontery to have written anything at all on the subject, but
I thought that the people of Georgia ought to know how their
money has been wasted by the Legislature, composed of real
prohibitionists and “make-believes,” who allowed fifty days
to go by without accomplishing prohibition enactment, thus
necessitating an extra session, which in my opinion, was en¬
tirely unnecessary if the members of the House had tried
to do for prohibition what the majority now swears they are
going to do at the extra session.
Being a business man, 1 look at all public questions from
a business man’s standpoint, and I don’t believe in wasting the
money of the people either by unwise legislative action or by
failing to utilize the opportunity to enact legislation in the
interest of the people.
1 still believe that the extra session would not have been
made necessary and that it would not have been if many,
now claiming allegiance to the prohibition cause- had made
prohibition at the last regular session the important matter
that we are now told they propose to make it at the extra ses¬
sion, and had they performed then as thy now propose to, the
tax payers of Georgia would have been saved from $50,000
to $75,000 and many business men in both Houses would not
have been called away from their business at a very incon¬
venient time. Very truly yours,
JOHN D. WALKER.
re-election. He will be made “sure” when he sees how badly
such members will be defeated.
Then the third paragraph we do not regard as needing
much comment. Here the Senator will not say prohibition
“should” be submitted to a vote, but does say it will not be
enforced until it is so submitted.
Does not the Senator want enforcement of the law ? We
are sure he does.
Then does he not want what he thinks will bring the
law’s enforcement? ‘We cannot see how he can say no to
this question without also saying no to the former question.
Now, if he wants what brings enforcement, and he “be¬
lieves that no prohibition law wil ever be enforced as it ought
to be until the people have an opportunity to pass upon it at
the polls,’ - does he not think we “should” have a vote of the
people? It is but a logical belief based on what he admits he
wants and what steps he says will alone bring what he wants.
As a business man, he thinks the regular session should
have enacted the appropriation measure and then let pro¬
hibition wait till the next regular session, after it had be¬
come too late to pass it at the regular session.
We suppose it is also as a business man that he thinks it
“only fair to allow about six months preparation for the
change that will result,” and that there should be “a spirit of
compromise.”
Then the Senator believes in this case that, if a man is
now violating the law, he should be allowed to go on violating
and given a reasonable notice, before he is forced to obey the
law r , because it’s business.
The Senator has fallen into the error which has done
more than anything else to make people lose respect for the
law. City and other officials will give notice that, after a cer¬
tain date, certain laws will be enforced.
The oath of these officials does not provide that they shall
perform the duties of their office only after given notice.
Why “after a certain date?” Why have officials hereto¬
fore violated their oaths of office by not enforcing such laws,
which they now give notice that they will enforce?
If the Senator wants to defend the violators of law, the
criminal courts are the place to do so and not in the legisla¬
ture by suspending the enforcement of the law, even for a lim¬
ited time.
The Senator might also take notice from a people more
aroused than he now realizes: The whiskey business is a
doomed business and outlawed; if business and buisness men
wrap this evil business about wth the cloak of their name,
they may expect soon to see the loss of both body and gar¬
ment.
Liquor must go. If business insists on clinging to it,
they must both go together and we shall have to re-organize
business.
l jjORIGlNALi A N D........................|
...............
I I OTHERWISE! |
By A. S. adams
Covington has more jitneys than
have jits. we
It seems that Covington has at ]a>st
decided to have a few wedding |, n
e s
Some people would kick if they
,
Playing in the Georgia-Tech n
game.
Some people have more money after
the first, hut we have m, mm,,., a f ttM
.
the first.
The other night a fehow says to me
“You'rte the proof reader, are you y>
We answered : "Yes. we are not."
Cranston Williams, on The Amerieus
Times-Recorder, is some paragrapher
Pul he will have to go some to catch
J. S.
The lug boss has consented to let us
edit this here eolymn, on condition that
we say nothing about ladies' dresses.
Kinder hard, ain't it?
There’s one consolation Adam had.
Of course he had some more;
Rut collectors didn't bother themselves
Trying to get in his door.
There is not likely to be many more
"beer-drinkings" jus! outside 'he city
limits around the small towns, because
I hey don’t make four-gallon kegs.
Where, oh where, is there a town
in the Emipre State of the South, the
size of Covington, that has nearly
thirteen miles of paved sidewalks?
Ten days until you can shoot bird.,
fifteen days before you can eat that
Thanksgiving turkey, and forty-live
days until Christmas. Shop early, and
pay your subscription soon.
LOST—A key-ring with three keys
and a b-, not that, a Chero-Cola
opener. Finder will please return to
the News office, and he can have every¬
thing' except the office key.
To the Georgia Press, who were so
kind to sa.v our W. C. T. U. Edition
was a creditable one, WE THANK
THEM. We challenge any paper in
the state who lias a cylinder press that
carries only two pages at a time, and
a force of only three men, besides the
editor, to print a twenty pages palter
in three days and one night, together
with twelve thousand double page cir¬
culars, and take care of the regular
commercial work. Guess you think we
have sold our hammer and bought a
horn, but these are facts. Let us '!•'
your printing.
Of all the folks with
Whom we’re bored.
The greatest far
Is Henry Ford.
—Columbia Stale.
Then surely yon
Don't chance to he
Oft where they film
This here Chas. C.
.—Greensboro News.
They're pretty tough.
But, bully gee.
Do not forget
W. J. B.
—-Macon Telegraph.
Yy u r,
Yy u b;
I c u r
Yy for me.
Tin* Press wants to know what
has become of Savannahs 1 '*■'
flag. May lie they have sent it to
the laundry.—Walton Tribune.
Or maybe it went like the on
had in front of the office. Some pat''
borrowed ours without "in
Otic Slob
consent.
FALL.
We know that Winter’s on the wal¬
ls making ready to advan"
The lady just across the way
Has taken in her rubber P laBt '
—Columbia
We know that Winter’s on the
We note its sharp advance
From cool sensations that aii-'
Just knee deep in our pani".
-Walton Tribune.
Tlie same tiling here,
And worser still:
We haven't the price
To stop the chill-
