Newspaper Page Text
Waycross Weekly Herald
OFFICIAL
ORGAN OF WAYCROSS AND WARE COUNTY AND COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
VOLUME XV
WAYCROSS GA- SATURDAY APRIL 11 1908
NUMBER '•
VjM
TO TIE PEOPLE
Talks Of The Situation In Georgia
Ane Tells Of His Ideas;
TO THE PEOPLE OF GEORGIA: j passenger stations; in having ample
In response to the call which so; freight warehouses ami easy, access!-
many of my fellow citizens have made.j lllp> IenEth; , s u ot , ac . ki! .. hav in g t - ae
; shops fitteii up witu the most Improv-
! e<! machinery for the pyrpose of jnaiu-
talnistg the rolling stock In the high
est decree of perfection for protect
ing lives and property. They are in
terested in having the best ballasted
roadbeds, with faultless steel rail
and sound crossties, strong and safe,
fteel bridges, a sufficient number of
locomotives and passenger and freight
cars in perfect repair for the speedy
and safe transportation of persons
and property. They are interested in
having as many trains per day as the
business nf the country justifies, and
the prompt arrival and connection or
inese trains. They are intereste
having main lines of the railroads
double tracked so as to put our state
abreast of her needs and abreast of
the demands of the day. They are
interested in paying only just and
reasonable rates.
Such regulation \should be .done'
with firmness and good judgment,
holding equally in mind the rights of
those who travel and ship, and of the
stockholders who own the property,
and of the lives and just and fair wag*
of the employes.
.Governor Smith’s Promises te The
Farmers.
Touching now upon some
tvents of the past" two years, the iarm-
of Georgia were led to believe
that the present state administration
would materially lesson their burden*.
I have announced my candidacy for
the democratic nomination for gov
ernor of Georgia.
1 wJU candidly confess that I do not
claim to have been gi/ted by Provi
dence, with an orator’s voice, whereby
I could be heard by throngs in the
. open air or in lorf& hails. In the
present condition of affairs, it Is my
candid conviction that the laboring
masses of our state, whether in fac
tories or .shops, or on the farms, need
prosperity rather than oratory,
truth,.It ^is more than a figure of speech
to say that the Jtme has come when
Georgia should disassociate herself
from the aristocracy of oratory .and
clasp hands with the democracy, of
deeds. Hence in .this campaign I will
not undertake Jlo make political
speeches, but wiL 1 seek to bring about
that spirit of sympathetic accord and
cooperative endeavor which -wou.d
again secure employment with fair
wages to those of our fellow citizens
who are now unwillingly Idle, whose
families are deprived of the comforts
* of ldfe„ and to restore such confidence
in .the good faith of our state and her
officials in guaranteeing to every dol
lar .invested in the state equal .protec
tion of the laws»as will attract to her
the .capital needed to develop Jier re
sources of every character.
If elected to the exalted office of
governor, I pledge .every energy of my
nature to the upbuilding and develop
meat .of .this great .state and the res
(oration of prosperity to all at bar peo- 'Governor S^th'e speech, as a
candidate at Albany, July 9th, 1906. .1
Governor Smith says that freight
rate reduction has been held in abey
ance by him on account cf the panic.j
and. because the railroads could net
now stand the loss of that large aj
revenue. In other words, THEY;
WERE PLUNDERING THE PEOPLE!
OF 51,000.000 TWO YEARS AGO, BUT
HE DOES NOT STOP THE ROB I
l.l f,Y TODAY BECAUSE THE RA.L.j
ROADS "NEED THE MONEY ' j
TJio rallroblK wore, or » i.- i-.-U.
stealing as charged two S->- T
COX CO., HOLDS
LI
they were Governor Smith today
tlio
DECLARE TEN PER CENT DIVI
DEND FOR YEAR.
Came Officer.-. Re-Elected for Cnsue-
ir'S Yc. Thle Company Has
Been In Cosiness Seven Years.
that”
The aim
Conipr
T Hint col
The ol.ii
etlng of tho J. M.
bo!,! at tho offices
yesterday,
tho enaueing year
pie.
Confederate .Pensions.
In Accordance with my platform
hertotore announced I believe .In
return to the payment In -one atun at
Confederate pensions as prevailed be
fore It was repealed by Governor
Smith’s administration. If there be a
debt—yna. a debt owed .by Georgia .to
any peopfe Qn earth, it Is to thoee of
her sons who amid the carnage of bat
tle, in tte .camp, wbather .among tat
malarial »«(amps, or tits crasy steep*
under summer's burning sun or win
ter’* freezing Anow, pledged tbelr
lives for Georgia’s honor, for Geor
gia's weal, and who now, in the gath
ering Lwlllght Abodes, when the frosts
of life'* winter are whitening their
hair, and th e decays of age Are bend
ing their frames And weakening their
limbs, need the modest stipend wbten
in their prime It would hove been
their Joy to give. If thle payment
has been made In one sum by every
executive before Governor Smith'd ad
vent, why tot by Mm? Especially
pertinent la this Inquiry when we real
ize that under Govenor Smith the tax
rate to higher than It has been to
jean.
Taxation.
I believe that the affaire of the state
should be most economically adminis
tered. Any tax levied upon the Peo
ple which brings Into the treasury
more money than to absolutely neces
sary to meet- the expense of the state
government so economically adminis
tered to robbery of the people. If,
therefore, I am elected Governor I
will Inetot upon t reduction ot the tax
rata which to now a burden upon the
people for a top-notch high tax rate
to not In accord with the spirit for re
form.
Regulation of Railroads.
In the regulation ot the common
quote the following which was printed
in conspicous black type In the Atlan
ta Jouj-’ial:
“YOUR RAILROAD C0&.MI£3ilQN
HAS CONTROL Or’ THE (.toiBHi
do.-ias Ilf,- rpbters
1 be railroads are hard-up—if tb
charge was false mol merely mad
for campaign purposes, the time ha
come for the governor to moke admtl
slou accordingly.
What the people need now to re-Iwere-eleci'-.l us follows: J. M. Cox,
store confidence to honest, stralghtfot-!president and general 'manager
ward,^manly frankness; they are tired! sesscOnr, vice-president; C. A. Powell,
of political evasion and cheap clap-] atwroLiy. Tho board of directors are
trap. |ua follows: J. M. Cox, A. Sessotna.'TV.
Let mo give some further convincing] 3, ffeacii, W. H. Buchanan mid B. F.
proofs, showing wherein the governor! Beach.
has turned the back of his hand to: -J-- company declared tliolr usual
the farmers of Georgia. I ar.utal dividend of 10 per cent -which
Passenger Rate. I was paid In cash, besides placing a
In tho spring of 1907 tile Farmers', considerable amount to the aiTfgfi.a
BURGLARS OUT ICARRIE NATION
LAST NOT! - HERE Ti
VISITED SEVERAL HOME
WAYCROSS.
iTELEPHOEG HERALD
BRING HER
Did not Get Anything For Their Troub-J f/jre. Nation Spaka He
les. Chair Wm Pitched Into Night. Arrange-"!
M*Ce By W. C. T.
Union petitioned the .allroad commis
sion of which I vaA ‘hen a member
to reduce the passenger rates in Geor
gia. >.
At the end of the first week in June,
1907, reduction were ordered on the
main lines. On the Atlantic Coast
Line the flat rate was fixed at 2 1-4
cents per mile. To this decision 1
dissented. I proposed a rate of 2 1-2
cents per mile .for distances not ex
ceeding seventy-five miles; 2 J-d cents
per mile and 2 cents per mile for dis
tances exceeding 200 miles.
THIS REDUCTION IN PASSEN
GER RATES WAS MADE BEFORE\
Burglars made on extendi! i
ing trip to homes in Old Waycross
last night, but so far as cun he ascer
tained tho trip didn’t bear much fruit.
Among the 'houses entorod were
those of J. B. Strickland, W. H. Brad-
ley, A. P. Padgett, Mrs. Guttis and a
number of others.
Chairs were used by the would-be
burglars to gain entrance to the win
dow*, and at one home It Is reported
that a chair which had been used was
pitched Into the house when the men
left the premises.
The houses entered were on Church,
Butler and Thomas streets and were
all In the same neighborhood.
account.
The J. M. Cox Company has llcen
In busine.-s In this city for seven
years, and without on exception the
anribsl dividends have been 10 per
cent, besides strengthening the sur
plus account each year.
The concensus of opinion Is that
the radicals this year are on the de
cline and that the conservative j»lt-
A telephone message a'c..i, jI:m.
Carrie Nation, who is now at Valdosta
to the Herald this morning states that
she will arrive in Waycm.v* in th«
morning and will deliver an address
tomorrow night. She will probably bo
taken in charge by the W. C. T. U.
on her arrival. In answer to on .:*•
qulry Mrs. Nation informed us that
she had her little hatchet ulong but
did not expect to use It in Waycross.
Mrs. Nation is welcome in Waycross
and we do not doubt that her recep
tion will be all that ah e could desire.
The Herald learns that she will b*»
a gueBt of the Phoenix.
A second telephone mesage from
Mrs. Nation states that she will
speak in Valdosta tomorrow and will
arrive in Waycross on the noon (rain
She expects the W. C. T. U. to ar*
cies of Joe Brown will have many con-j ran S® for time and place of bojp lecture
verts from the ranks of the Smith par-J tomorow night. We call the atten-
ty.—Tomasville Times—Enquirer. tion of the W. C. T. U. to tho above. >
>d to purchase the 2,000-mile books
tjte privilege will bn the result of tho
voluntary act of the railroads and not
in accordance with the agreement
made by Governor Smith and his com
mission.
I have not seen the annual report of
GOVERNOR SMITH WAS INAUGUR-| the Atlantic Coast Line for 1907, but
ATED. BEFORE THE PRESENT, t}$t for 1906 shows that the above
COMMISSION WAS ■'APPOINTED J syu.TJ, intn*HO.Med In Georgia 1,127,
AND BEFORE THE PRESENT RAJLr 274 passengers. It is safe to assert
ROAD COMMISSION ACT WAS j that that company will not sell an-
farmers and traveling men of Georgia
RATE FROM HUBS TO SAVA....A*..; tueM
PASSED.
Governor Smith's railroad <commii-
sion, however, within the past few
weens has consented to allow the At
lantic Coast t.ino to RAI3M5 HATES to
- vents mile, und a.io agreed
liIi 14. upon issuing coriau mileage
a. agreed rates. 1 he first of
A STUDY OF THE FREIGHT RATE:
ON COTOIQN IN 'GEORGIA W
SHOW .THAT A .HtCOUCTION .OF
FROM THIRTY TO FIFTY CENTS
PER BALE CAN BE MA’Dii AND YET
LEAVE THE RAILROAD EARNING
A FAIR PROFIT. THIS WOULD
3AVE THE FARMERS OP GEORGIA
OVER $590,4100 A YEAR.”
-Now let us see If Governor Smith:
has made good the words which the
iacmers of Georgia, In vte.w of this
promise, had Lte ri&ht to expect or
him. In his speech to the United Com
mercial Traveler*. March* 57th, 1908.
Oov. Smith, referring to tto events
of the past few months, since his ad
ministration began, said: “The rail
road commission refrained from re-.
Jucing freight rates,**
This Admission that be has fallen
down cannot excuse him, but the fail
ure of Governor Smith to save tho
farmers ot Georgia the $600,000 io
freight rate* Is emphasized by the
damage which bis teachings and bear
ish phopuecias at a critical time con
tributed to reducing the price of cot
ton. These show that after els ejec
tion be bad little concern for the wel
fare of the farmer of Georgia. t
Governor .8mith declared
practically on every stump‘in Georgia
two years ago that the railroads were
robbing the people of $4,000,000 per
annqm In exorbitant freight rates.
is a 2,000 mile hook at a rate of
as HE WAS SOLICITOUS AT THAT
TIME TO MAKE FRIENDS WITH
THE RAILROAD3 to serve his own
purposes, he’would have provided that
these mileage books were to b e used
on the trains as mileage books were
used under the rule of the old com
mission under the old law.
The astonishing feature of the en
tire transaction, however Is that Gov
ernor Smith,, while raising the rate
nualiy exceeding 2,000 of the 2,000-1 which the farmers and others not
mile boks. THEREFORE TO SE
CURE ON THE ATLANTIC COAST
LINE A RATE OF 2 CENTS PER
MILE FOR 3,000 PASSENGERS. GOV
ERNOR SMITH AND HIS COMMIS
SION HAVE AGREED TO RAISE
THE RATE ON MORE THAN 1,124,-
000 FARMERS AND OtNER PAB8-
jLceuts per mile “GOOD FOR HEADS, ENGERS.
oF tMM3 AND THEIR EMPLOYES
OR OFFICERS AND EMPLOYES OF
CORPORATIONSL-
Read those words carefully and you
will see that NO PARMER CAN BUY;
The Southern railway In Georgia (
during 1906 transported 1,568,276 paas-
epger*. It is safe to estimate that
that company will not sell annually
5,000 of these 2,000-mlle books. Hence
FOR lllMSELF, FAMILY OR EM*'10 secure a me of 2 cents per mile
PLOYE3 ONE OF THOSE TWO'for less than 6,000 passengers In cer-
THOUSAND MILE BOOK'S. The rate tain classes Goernot Smfth has agreed
waa reduced by the commission under' to let the Southern railway have a
the <dd law on the petition of the rate of ‘l 1*2 cents per mile. WHICH
Formers' Union, yet Governor Smith WAS FIXED BY THE COMMISSION
and bis commission in agreeing to the' UNDER THE OLD LAW. So far as
raise In rate In Addition to the issuing* the general public is concerned this
of a 2,008 mile book at 2 cents per | 8 what the lawyers call nudum pac-
mile, have so worded the conditions| turn—“an agreement without, consld-
that a Georgia farmer Is not allowed eratlon.” It Is certain without consld-
to buy for himself, his family and em-^ration so far as the general public Is
ployes cue of those books issued by concerned.
tie Atlantic Coast Line. j The Atlantic Coast Line and (he
The same privilege waa accorded by| southern railway hav|» upwards of
Governor Smith and hto commission to 1,400 miles of road In Georgia,
the Southern Hallway Company. | Let me be perfectly clear In tho ate-
Under the same abreenjent, l,00o;tement that I highly approve of the
mils book* are sold at 2 cant* per) rate of 2 cento per mile for 2,000-mlle
mite to the general public BUT LIM-’hooxs. I have long believed ttato book
ITED TO ONE PERSON. with this rate should be tozued. I
WHILE, THEREFORE. THOSE THINK THAT THE TRAVELING
SPECIAL CLASSES MAY BUY a| SALESMAN WERE ABSOLUTELY
TWO THOUSAND-MILE, BOOK, CAR j RIOHT IN CONTENDING FOR IT,
RYINO FIVE PEOPLE FOR HO, THE' BUT IS SHOULD BE EXTENDED TO
SAME NUMBER OF FARMERS AND. ALL. I apprehend the courts will bold
OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC CAN- that this race cannot he applied to
NOT AVAIL THEM9ELVE3 OF THIsJ^ne class of our citizens and denied
RATE WITHOUT PURCHASING the ot^er daises, and consequently
FIVE OX£ THOUSAND-MILE BOOK8J ill may ultimately lose it.
1 within the privileged ciaag must pay
on single trip tickets, as carefully ex
cluded them from purchasing the
2,000 mile books, the istue of which
was claimed as a justification for al
lowing the general rate to be raised,
and 1 repeat, this exclusion of the
farmers and others from critically on*
dangers, under the law, the right
the mileage books even to those who
are by this agreement entitled to the
tor which
That money wee to be returned to the EACH LIMITED TO OLE PERSON| Nor should eny arrangements have
people In reduced retee end in cheep
er commodities to the coniumer grow
ing out of reduced freight rates. Yet
today we find that prices of commooi-
carriers the people are deeply inter- lies are higher to the consumer, and
eated In having comfortable, wall- not one penny ha* been saved to the
Jilted and (In winter) well heated] people In freight rate redaction.
qualified and annoying u
they have paid the cosh.
Governor Smith, by this agreement,
bae Ignored and trampled upon tbe
cardinal principle ot free government,
•EQUAL RIGHTS TO ALL 8PB
CIaL PRIVILEGES TO NONE.”
To tbe (ermera he has handed
■tone, to the traveling man a lemon.
Regarding the pa.eenger rate reduc
tion, Goernor Smith claims fast at the
“trait of hto campaign." This claim to
on a par with other attempt* on hto
part to appropriate all credit, due otb
era.
Tbe record of tbe railroad eommla-
■Ion show* that the board, la 1905.
BEFORE GOVERNOR SMITH WAS
THOUGHT OF AS A CANDIDATE,
unmistakably indicated and Intention
to reduce the passenger rates when
the rnllroada of the state nod adjust
ed themselves to the reduction of up
wards or 12,000,000 which the railroad
commission, In February and May,
1005 had brought about In their freight
revenues; end afterwards, I repeat.
BEFORE GOVERNOR SMITH WA8
INAUGURATED, AND BEFORE THE
PASSED THE PASSENGER RATE
PA88BKD THE PASSENOER RATE
WAS REDUCED.
Port Rate.
But passing from the point wher*
Goernor Smith feel down on the farm-
AT A COST OF (130. ' [ been made by Governor Smith end
For the farmer or the general public ;he*e privileged railroads whereby. > r and tbo general public, let ua re-
to get a rate over either of these two' these mileage book* could be restrict-] view hto blunder In tbe "port rate,’
roads, covering members of tbelr J for use *■ cash In the purchase of| matter. During 1905 and 190d, on
families, they must bay a 500-rallc tickets alter cssb had been paid fori th. stump, he demanded the "port
hook at e coat of 2 l-f cento per mil}.
If the formers, later, shall be allow-
ouch mileage books. If
Smith had been is Interested
Goreraor rate,” and In tbe Macon platform he stand for the people In their right to
id In the! recorded bis demand for the "limedl- (Continued on Page ».)
ate” issuance of the ’’port rate.”
To be brief, tho figures In the pe
tition which he advocated asked for a
less rate on all classes from Savan
nah to Columbus, 266 miles, than from
Atlanta to Columbus 117 miles; less
rate on nearly nil classes from 8av
nnnuh to Athens, 267 miles, than from
Atlanta to Athens, 73 miles. In fact,
less rate from 8uvannz.11 to almost
*11 Georgia cities than from Atlanta bn
the same dittos, tmd the same would '
have held true as regards tho "port
rate” from Savannah to nearly every.
Georgia city.
The “port rate,” If applied, meant ex
actly the opposite of that whleh gov
ernor Smith promised.
It meant that eastern Jobbers and
manufacturers could establish desk
■pace agencies In Savannah and, u
they would be free from taxes and
other corresponding expanse* and fix
ed charges, undersell even the Savan
nah Jobbera and manufacturers In
Georgia. IT MEANT THAT GEOR
GIA MANUFACTURERS pHOULP .
NOT BE ALLOWED TO TRADE
GEORGIAS—AN ANOMALY WITH
OUT A PARALLEL IN AMERICA.
The fulfillment of Governor Smith’s
demand for tbe "port rate" a demand
which the chairman of hto railroad
commission say* hts not yet been con
sidered. WOULD TAKE OFF OF THH
ROADS IN OEORGIA EVERY TRAV
ELING MAN SENT OUT BY OEORr
OIA JOBBERS OR MANUFACTUlb
ER3. These valued sons of our state,
whose alertness, energy and keen wits
make them welcome visitor* In the
marts of trade and In the home circle,
would, like Othello, Rod “their occu
pation gone" In Georgia If Oovernor
Smith should succeed In putting In bis
"port rate, and yet. In hto recent
speech at Decatur, he voiced his hop*
that tbe time would com* when be
would make effective tbe " port rate."
IF THE “PORT RATES” BECOME
OF FORCE THEY WILL BRING
RUIN TO THE INDUSTRIES OF
GEOROIA, they will disastrously af
fect the Jobbers and disastrously al
erts of factories and THROW OUT
OP EMPLOYMENT MANY OTHERS
THOUSANDS OF OUR CIT1ZEN8.
Tbe disaster will lay its blight on
every country of our state, and yet
Ovvernor Smith foreshadows the I*-.,
•usnee of those rates If elected.
The gravity.ot the crisis which the
governor's declaration thus causes m
t
