Newspaper Page Text
6
THE COHSTITimOH
CLARK HOWELL Editor
ROBY ROBINSON.. Business Manager
O ttered nt ti e Atlanta P«<tofTice «" Sicsai
Class .Mail Matter, Msv. 11, 1573.
THE WEEKLY CONSTITUTION, onlv $1 per
annum. Clubs of five, $1 each; chib? of ten,
SI each end a copy to cetter-up of club.
WE WANT YOU—The Constitution wants an
agent at **very postoffice In America. Agent’s
outfit frc>‘ and good terms. if you ar*® not
In a cbm. we want you tc act as agent at
your office. XVrite ue.
ni?'v.P! OF ADDRESS -When orde-ing si
d-e*sp cf your pap pr chanpol give
old as well sc the new address. Always give
V >st office. county ard state. If your paper
** net received regulariy. notify u® and we
wiJ straighten the matter.
IF YOU SEND US AN ORDER for new sub
ficribers, please allow us a week to get the
names on the Fust and paper Flatted before
you write a complaint, es we are very much
cicwded now.
I'* » NOT FORGFT tn make your renewals In
t'n.e Vatch your direction «-ag and fceo
w'u.n voui subscription exi-ir**- The next
s r rv. nth wl 1 be full of Interest, and vou
: not miss a 5.0g1e copy of The Con
sutution. .-end your orders at least s week
•; qg tmee to make sure. It may not <ake
p v\ejk in every instance, es wo use the
it-e” st diligence to get them on our mall-
Is It the Opening Gun?
Small wonder there is agitation in
the inner circles of the Roosevelt ad
ministration. What can this attack
of The Cincinnati Commercial Trib
une hi. on our b -loved i resident mean,
anyway? Why rl-.ould it devolve upon
'.he organ of that distinguished citizen
o . ■ But keye Sta . Boss G< orge B.
Cox, to become spokes, an for repub
lican op position to the nomination el
i heodore Roosevelt, and just at a
time when Mr. Hanna is devoting all
h. spare hours to protesting his love
and pledging himself io harmony.
Ear be it from us to suggest that
them is sinister meaning to this Cin
cinnati attack. Os course, it does
se m a little peculiar that the leading
republican newspaper of Senator Han
na's own state should voice the claim
that tlie interests ol the party demand
that some other than President Roose
veit. be the republic.tn standard bearer
!n 11’01. Senator Hanna cannot be
held responsible for the utteianccs of
all the editors in Ohio; and then. too.
The Commercial Tribune is published
in Senator Foraker’s town, not in
(..evelnnd. But-
Well, it is a little curious that Mr.
Eshclby, the editor of The Commer
cial Tribune, happened to be in New-
York the other day when Senator
Hanna was th-re. And it may be
worthy of passing note that Mr. Eshel
by’s paper is the personal organ ol
Mr. George B. Cox. the boss para
mount of southern Ohio, the man who
<:id moi' than an;,- other one raan to
accomplish S- nator Hanna’s first elec
tion and who since has been most par
ticularly close to the old man.
Mr. I.ar.:.a ays Theodore loves him
and ti.e president is blissfully confi
dent that he is foreruns’ in the aft'ec
'.on ci (nU.e Mark. Well and good.
Surely tint spoils harmony. Why,
t.ncti. should Mr. Cox and Mr. Esheiby
• . turb th.? entente between the bold
trn-- twins by suggestions of party
liis' iin.et:’. in New York, Rhode Island,
Massachm cits. Indiana. Kentucky, tiie
■ mth ami th” west? Why should
they ret cal the sact —for it is a fact
—that there is .suetdiiy growing re
publican anxiety as to the result of
•i.i- pres denlial < ' lion? Why should
th.-y recall the painful recollection ol
>!. ■ joy .. It in New York when Roose
v o was shov.-.j o;;t of the governor
ship it.to what was designed to be a
y!» e presidency bob-? Why should a
lenubli. an organ point to President
]o■ ’ ■ ;.’s adt:■. (! w akness in his
homo state, a state whose position
will in all likelihood determine the re
sult o. ti: - contest of 10 4?
Pr<:-id ::t Ro.'sev It and Senator
Lodge ami M;.iray Crane and the
others of the iar r administration cir
cle a c as. i;.g these questions with
anxiety, and v.-ell th-;• may. Attempt
to di - ;uis ■ it a.: they do. there is fear
m tin s i. . ii o. them as have
real poiiti ai s--i..-< n aiize that the
ULteranc* ■ of T Commercial Trib
yieat riai.y ■ ptibloan leaders and
.-•a t. .■ , 1. other than Sena
te.• ilt.:-. .. ami • •- Cox. The di!-
in : !,•■•• may hav <• a sit
i : me (■•mt. ■ ?■ tor tht ; radical poll
. -.-. a- . • a elections. but even
tiir', res! ze that !:. a political contest
. is w. il :r. i av. tiie politicians with
■,'c w • :in any ii —c. this republican
attack upon ; .- Roosevelt is of
Li. at impoi.aii: . !■ ma;, not prevent
i. ncmimi.a ti; r. rrtnly up to this
id <•-.• . thing .as imli< a: :d that
thia ~ a otmi com way. But with
s - .or’ of h.irampant m his
i. arty. v. hat ] th. nomination be
werth? Opposed by the entire con
servative b-.udnc.-.s sentiment of the
country, having the labor union lead
ers—despite i.is catering to them as
mi other man in 1... a office has done
antagonistic to him, and with the
majority of the pirn rical politicians
iui ■ warm, if muhing worse, there is
little in the present outlook to bring
joy to the heart of the man in the
It may be that one r.ay or the other
ibis attack on the part, of the leading
republican organ in Ohio may mean
the beginning of his end.
Erassia. Japan and The Hague.
If it is true, as reported, that Sec
retary Hay has suggested to Russia
a zi Japan that they take their Far
I'lstern controversy to The Hague,
the suggestion must have been made
more with the idea of emphasizing
this government’s desire ior peace
than with any hone of its acceptance.
The principle c. the settlement of
international disputes by arbitration
has not as yet reached that point of
general acceptance when nations are
willing to submit questions of national
j. mor or of territorial integrity- to a
tribunal whore decision is shaped by
a di: :.’crested urn; ire. Tim Hague
court is yet on trial. The United
States would never have been willing
:<> submit to it a question like that in
volved in the Alaskan boundary dis
pute. nor Is it conceivable that Rus
sia, having given her solemn promise
tn eva-mile Manchuria, would submit
to any court the highly interesting
problem whether she intends to keep
her promise.
The Hague is all right for questions
of a purely judicial character. For
the adjudication of claims like those
against Venezuela it presents an ideal
court. That the nations of the world
have agreed to submit such questions
to arbitration is a great step forward,
but the time has not come when any
strong nation is willing to have out
siders pass upon its national integrity
or national honor.
The President’s Message.
Having carefully read the annual
message of the president to congress,
we do not see how many of our read
ers can be other minded than that it is
interesting, but at no point remarka
ble.
Disposing of routine subjects with
something of characteristic bresiine
uess ami selJ-sumeiency of comment,
the president reaily devotes his in
tenser message to the subject e. Lie
Panama canai ami the new' relations
of this country to the people who
claim the sovereignty within which it
lies. He assumes that congress set
him the task of obtaining the 1 anuiua
route within a reasonable Him.: and on
just terms. Reciting the situation as
it is now in Panama and how it came
about, lie assumes ti.at he has dis
charged his duty and that no xalid
question can ne raised as to the steps
by which the resuit was obtained. He
takes it for granted wholly that what
he has done will be approved ami the
canal treaty ratified by congress.
That far we think he argues well
an I assumes no more than he has a
right to expect from the general tem
per of the people of this country and
the almost unanimous opinion that we
nave conic hone/tly by the rights now
sought to be confirmed by the
treaty.
In the matter of army promotions
President Roosevelt does no more
than pat into official expression what
lias been the common sense .iudgmem
of the common people for nearly hall
a century, 'the idea that men mtr i
be promoted io positions tney are
clearly not fitted to nil purely because
they have lived up through ranks to a
seniority by so-vice is absurd. Ihe
people of the I'nited States want et
ficiency rewarded and cannot but icH
a wholesome disgu.it for any cat t
iron system of survival rigi-ts to pro
motion that would make the former
impossible.
Beyond these matters the president
goes into subjects more or less polit
ical and shows that ho wrote this lat
est message wth a shrewd eye to us
vote-making qualities. Where those
interests are touched on that ate sen
sitive toward his fiincss tor his high
office he walks or. egg shells with a
most adroit vagueness. Where he
thinks he can strike a popular chord
he hits out. for it “just to hear it
hum'” He reveals all the way down
to bis signature that lie is bidding tip
his fitness for ami tight to the nomi
nation of Lis party m-xt year.
Yet. as a whole, the message is not
a presidential document, measured by
the poise, scope and dignity imparted
into such documents by the least of
his predecessors.
Twcnty-five-Cent Cotton.
The Phiiadc-li hia Inquirer .says that
"if the predicted twenty-fi ve-cent cot
ton should come, it would be a belter
excuse for a lynching bee than is
usually found.”
Now, wouldn’t that jar you’ The
usual excuse lor a lymhing bee is:
the brutal and awful crime of lustful
assault upon a woman, or some des
perate criminal deed almost as re
volting. But here is an eastern paper
of character and iufluence coldly pro
posing that a doubling of the present
price of cotton would be an allowable
excuse for lynching ts? peonlo who
bring such a price to pass. If condi
tions of crop ami ileniaml .
price of cotton 25 cents per pound
now, as they made it wortii .'0 :;mi G
ccr-ts jusr ..ftc r the civil war, where
dcies the crim? of the oc< ur< n- e coni"
in?
If the steel trust can manufacture
steel rails ;it pei ton and sell
them for SI’S, by reason of the tariff,
and no kick against this enormous
profit is worthy to be registered, why
should tin re be tiny kick coming if
southern cotton, by reason of natural,
or artificial, trad; ennditious, goes to
cents per n.mml?
We do nc.r follow the logic of the
esteem d I’itiiadclpi ia Inquirer, un
less it. m.'-ans to s. y that, anything
which enhances the value of >or.th>-rn
cotton is. a high crime and should be
punished after the Wilmington, Del.,
plan.
As lor the south, she can stand for
twenty-fivc-ci-nt cotton all right. If
i’ can be brought, to that, price, sin.
will not kick. So long as she raises
more- cotton than her people consume
she has as much right to whatever
price she car. get for h< r s-.irpl . a i
Pennsylvania has - to protection prof
its on her steel outputs.
Harmony in New York.
According to the various republican
organs published in the state oi New
York, republican harmony is so thick
up that way it can easily be cut with
a dull knife. There seems, however,
to be some slight dis! rc-nce of opinidn
among these organs as to whether
this harmony' leaves old man Ten:
Platt at the head of things or whether
he has been displaced to make way
for Governor Odeii.
The Platt organs are charging that
Governor Odell tool; advantage cf uie
fact that he had bm-a summoned to a
conference with President Roosevelt
to procla’m that Plat’ had been de
posed and he bad been given the reins
of leadership. To Ir, ■ ire h< is c.uco d
as declaring that so long as Senator
Platt lived he would be accorded the
nominal leadership, but. this was said
in away . .> convey the impre .-sion
that the accent was on the nominal,
and the Pint' mc.n arc not happy.
Senator Platt is quoted as saying
that, cf course, ho ;■? to remain as
leader; which gives the anti-Platt re
publican organs occasion for sneering
that Platt could get nobody to say
this for him, so had to say it him
self.
The situation, in a nutshell, is that
while all elements are talking about
harmonv. ’here is no harmony. Gov
ernor Odell begins his campaign for
the reorganization o f tho party by
fighting Senator Platt's man, the
chairman of the New- York city com
mittee. While the governor was in
dulging in a good deal of tai’-, about
what he is going to do to this part'- -
ular Platt lieutenant, the um.or was
THE WEEKLY CONSTITUTION: ATLANTA, GA., MONDAY, DECEMBER 14, 1903.
taking steps which insure the failure
of the governor’s campaign. There is,
in short, no agreement upon anything,
unless it be that all elements have
pledged themselves to support the re
nomination of President Roosevelt.
This is significant of nothing at all
except that the president has his re
publican enemies whipped to a. stand
still. However much some of them
would like to see him defeated in his
natural ambition to succeed himself,
their wishes arc doomed to disappoint
ment and they realize it. There is at
present no man in the republican
party who dares io become a candi
date against President Roosevelt, nor
is there likely to be one: those repub
licans who would oppose President
Roosevelt have had to acknowledge
humiliating defeat.
In the light of these conditions the
Platt-Odell row has no real national
interest.. It is nothing more than a
contest, for control of a local repub
lican mathinc.
Cotton-Raising- Philanthropists.
Onto more the newspapers east aud
south are discussing the question of
high priced cotton with reuewed evi
dences of their ignorance of the true
situation. Some arc- ( still foolish
enough to believe that "the cliques
arc doing all the devilment of putting
cotton at 12 cents and forcing the
u. to shut down production of cot
ton goods and reduce wages. This,
too. in the face of tiie lai t that every
b< dy with the slightest claim to being
an authority has been predicting since
July that cotton would sell at 12 cents
and over before Christmas. 1 hat fact
was as inevitable on the lace ol the
reports of sup] Jy and demand as that
line gold would be bringing over §l7
il.-e ounce at this same time.
.\il along the future of cotton prices
has bemi prcdicable ou the basis of a
short crop and a demand beyond sup
ply. What, then? Higher prices, o!
course, and those prices higher than
the level oi the larger crop of 1901-U2.
And that meant 12 cents or better.
At. the same time the southern plan
ters are lending a hailing ear
to the wails of the eastern spin
ners. Those people have been
so gen -rotis to our cotton rais
ers and always labored so abund
antly to make good prices for our cot
ton that the southern planter feels in
duty bound to help the good, generous
mill men of the east, out ol their holes.
50 the southern planter, throwing
aside his own cham c to get. 11 and
jci-nts for his coiton later on is now
rushing it to market and damping it
out to the eastern brethren anywhere
around 12 cents. The southern plan
ter is not a greedy man. He doesn’t
want the earth —and net much of the
fatm .. thercot. II he can only get
12 cents lor his cotton he is willing
that the New Yorkers, the New Eng
landers and the ol<: Englanders may
have the res’, of the good thing that
is m coiton on its present, position.
Naturally we like to see our people
show this generous feeling, this lack
oi gre-’d. tills splendid repudiation of
c nimereialism. It would be almost
too great a violation of our traditional
sm-dhern patriotism and generosity to
want all that is coming to us out of
the cotton crop.
Doubtless, then, w£ are wise to
stick to the altruistic policy that has
always kept, us poor and our neigh
bors rich. At any rate, when we shall
be aid.- io prove up at Hie judgment
that we eagerly sold our great staple
< rop to our brethren at 12 cents,
when it was ready to go right up to
14 and 15 cents per pound, we shall
have part in the r< ward of Joseph
who saved corn in j.gypt against the
poverty of his lather and brethren.
It is not the speculators, nor the
statistii al position of cotton, that ac-
CGunis for the present situation. It is
only the wholesale eager desire of
the southern cotton planter to got
things in shape where he can be sure
of bis 12 cents and his brother in the
f .ist can be sure of all the other prof
its that inliere in the greatest staple
crop with which God has endowed a
people.
What of the isle of Pines?
There seems to be no small amount
of justice bach of the protest of Amer
icans living upon the Isle of Pines
against the ratification of the pending
treaty which cedes sovereignty over
tha'. island to the republic of Cuba.
In the tr< aty of peace with Spain, the
fmal determination of the question of
s(>’-<-reigniy over this island was re
served lor i'eiure negotiation between
this government amt Cuba, or for such
mtion as Hie l.'ni’ed States might de
sire to take. A treaty was subse
quently negotiated under the terms of
v. i;i< h it is to go to Cuba, and that is
now pending before the senate for rat
ification.
During the period of military- occu
pancy of Cuba, American citizens
v, hos ■ attention had been drawn to
ike tiw . ibiilti's of this little island
amir: ..- ’ ( oiiimiiiiicaiions to the war
clopar: 1 "c'.ii and received some sort ol
assuram es that the island would cer
tainly belong to the United States.
Acting c.u the strength of these as
s-aniJ . s, a number of Americans
iiaxa invested in lands there, until, it
1 im l :stood, they own a majority oi
the island.
Thei’i' is quite an American colony.
The fi’wt desire ol these people is,
imturally, to remain under the Amer
ican flag. They are convinced that
not only their personal comforts, but
their property rights will be more se
cure if tiie island is American terri
tory than if it. is made a part of the
Chilian republic, with which it has no
real connection. It is true that under
the Spanish regime the Isle of Pines
was governed, from Havana, but that
was merely done as a matter of con
venience to the Spanish authorities.
The Isle oi Pines is not at all depond
m-.on Cuba, and such commercial
ri kttions as it has arc not to any great
c: ■nt v.iih Cuba. Sime such a largo
American interest has developed
tls.ro, the relationship is even less
close than it was during the days o.
51 r-.nish government.
The residents on the Isle of Pines,
ns’ives as well as Americans, have
hoped that tne United States would
rciain jurisdiction over the island;
failing in that, the;.- have certainly
felt they had the right to expect that
their interests would be safeguarded in
every way should the sovereignty '
eventually go to Cuba. Several
months ago, when they were first in
formed that they were to be made
Cubans ins’ead of Americans, they
asked, that in the treaty certain much
needed reforms in the government of
the island would be provided for.
Those ii.elude the establishment of an
efficient local administration, with
proper judicial tribunals, a port of
entry, at least one American school,
and also the transfer of insular land
records from Cuba to the capital of
the island. It is now claimed that
these denian's are not provided r or in
the treaty negotiated at Havana a.w
Minister Squiers is being criticised by
the Americans on the island lor what
they call his neglect of tnoir interests.
While there may be two sides to the
case, enough has uccu shown to war
rant a thorough investigation of the
question.
• ——
The Senate and the President.
The peaceful wind-up of the extra
session of congress is worthy of notice
principally because it served to em
phasize the quiet but effective rebuke
which the senate administered to a
gentleman who undertook to rough
ride over that body.
The senate, the only branch of the
government conducted in away to
preserve to the representatives oi the
people the right, to be heard, decided
it would debate the Cuban bill as it
chose and to this end fixed the 16th
of this month as the day lor final
vote.
’flic repuoiican leaders of the sen
ate, men of wide experience in legis
lation, considered that by reaching
this agreement with the members op
posed to the bill they had done more
to advance the interests of that meas
ure than could have possibly been
accomplished by any effort to drive
the bill through. But this way of do
ing things did not meet the approval
of the white house devotee of spectac
ularitis and he at once: conspired wim
the speaker of the ho:;: e to “discip
line” i lie senate. There should be no
adjournment oi the special session un
less the Cuban bill was p::-.s,ed by that
body,
Tiie senate thereupon smiled, said
nothing and did nothing. The repub
licans of the senate assumed that they
hud accomplished everything that
could possibly have been expected oi
them, and they went ab "it their bus
iness in their own sweet way. The re
sult was what might, have been ex
pected. The white house "drive" of the
senate was a rank fizzle.
The only person or interest injured
by the little set-to between the presi
dent. and the senate leade s is a g"ii
tlcnian temporarily residing in tho
white house who sadly needs the
friendship and support of th< so .ead
ers In the furtherance of certain polit
ical ambitions which lie is nursing.
The Stand-Pat Policy.
Brother Hanna did m>t open the
proceedings of his national commit
tee yesterday with Hie loi'miilary "let
us ail stand and sing” a pa -n to Ted
dy, or "let us all pray” to be deliver
ed from evil, and so forth, but he put
forth his great shibboleth:
“Let us al] stand pat!”
There is scarcely a doubt that, the
brethren will all line up under that
injunction. The president has al
ready shown by his message that he
Is going to stand just as pat as he
can—but he is a very nervous man, it
must be remembered.
Secretary Shaw, in his report of
the treasury operations, issues a doc
ument. a.- ame as the report of a pre
siding elder at a 'Jct'-edist confer
ence, and makes it pla.ii that so ’ar as
currency reform is com erned lie pro
poses to stand pat and. should occa
sion require, stand patter!
The senate gives clear evidence
that it is going to hold the safety- I
valve down to the stand pat maru, 1
oven if it has to ask John Hay how
to perch a colored brother on It to
keep it down.
Uncle Joe Cannon is for Roosevelt ■
and for himself, and if the former
doesn’t try to get gay with t’ncle
Joe, he also will hold the house on
the stand pat griddle whih tiie cam
paign of 1!) -1 is shaping up.
All cf which should be very ac- i
eoptable to the democrats. They
should rejoice to see Hanna hold the
reiuiblkans where they av . for that
will enable tho people to see them as
they are and prefer the something
better that the democracy can offer
them.
Signs and Omens.
The saintly Lodge, walking briskly
up ;lie white house avenue for that
early- morning conference without
which there could be no moving of '
wheels of government, glanced np- ■
v. ard and beheld—-a signal oi di dress!
The flag over the great executive man ’
sion was liying upside down.
It was cue of the busy days when ,
baby republics were io be recognized
with each passing hour, and to the su- :
perstitious impreseniative of ihe old I
witch-burning stale this sight b.ue ’
dire augury. Rmdiing in upon the
imperial presenc ', he broke ihe bail '
news as gently as he could. “Loeb
Loeb!" shouted t! president; ami as
be wailed the coming oi' the swift-I
looted secretary, he sharpened his !
teeth as for mortal combat.
Loeb, b 'ing told, rushed to ti:'.? flag- i
loft and relieved the glorious Stars i
and Stripes of the ignominy of stand
ing on her head. Then for tho culprit. |
This proved to be old Jerry, black, I
with snowy' hair, who i'or a third of a 1
century Ims raised and lowered Hie I
white house flag. Faithfully and well ,
has the duty been performed save :
upon this one da;. ; the failure had
aroused superstitious fear in the
manly breast of Lodge, so of course,
Jerry bad to be relieved.
There are some eminent, republican
leaders who incline to the opinion
that Jerry is endowed with an in
stinct of prophecy. It. is a fact worthy'
of note that very' many republicans
see in the signs of the times no cer
tainty' of republican success. Lodge
knows this, and he has. in conse
quence, a holy' horror of signs and
omens.
The Fatal Inkstand.
What is there about an inkstand :
that brings it into so great demand
as a weapon of warfare? The pen
may or may not be mightier than the
sword, but there seems no question
about the inkstand being more tatal
than the football from a twelve-inch
gun. ,
More than once has the Inkstanu
figured in a militant manner m con
gressional controversy. Because he
threw one at the right time, one es
timable gentleman is now in the
United States senate. There is. too,
n story of a flying inkstand having
figured In one of tiie meetings oi tii"
confederate congress in away to i
greatly influence the careers oi men., j
But tiie most, momentous flight one I
of these missiles ever took—or rather
started to take —was the ono which
Bismarck aimed at the head of the
beloved kaiser.
The newspapers of Berlin are re
sponsible for the story. It goes that
when the emperor, shortly before
crowned, asked the venerable chan
cellor ol tbe empire why he had dared
negotiate wi h the leader of Ihe Cath
olic party without firs’, having asKed
permission cf his majesty, ineinself —
und Gott —there was a very heated
line of coiiver; :’.tion, in the course of
which Prince Bismarck became so
angry that lie grubbed the nearest
inkstand and was about Io smash the
imperial head.
Presumably ho made such apologies
as the occa-Jon de nanded. but in the
opinion of tlr emperor the episode
<alled for somethin"; more substantia’
than y, am'.111. 1 took it. This
w:> - i’isma.’.' h’s official head.
On that day Bismarck passed into
history. From that day William be-
- came emperor in fact as well as in
na tne.
It. is pc:-aldo to guoss which of the
two regretted most the fatal tempta
tion of the inks!ami.
The Text-Book Awards.
The people of Georgia are to be
highly coii;,riiliilaied ov< r the work
of the ui.iioriii si'h'.’oi t-. xt-book com
i mission.
The t:; .!; so! the:. ' able gentlemen
by the law v.a: .as they say. no incon
siderable one and precedent:-: in other
states gave ampl<‘ reasons to appre
hend tlm. t.l;e r .-nits of their labors
might r.A be : > popular as '■ s desira
ble in s:: aca -. ’film r.aults. how
ever, ar ' beloi'" u and The Consti
tution t: ' pb-asure in commend
ing to th" s.upro.me <1 -'ice the abil
ii". pati":i e and nirablc work ac
coili})lislu'd by tiip uoiiip.l : sioi).
If there i oi in • i in G( orgia
that more than .-r enlists tin
devotion of Tne < or.stitution it is
tlm: of our come ■ ’■ d.---. We ar
committed -o the people by every
pledge ])o 'bl? for ns to make io
stand sentinel over the school
hoi as o’ tin- ; trv ami to make bat
ill at all times those tiling'
which are wi:;i’. tm;:"!bl" and nocc"
sary for tin grow'i and efficiency oi
our public school system.
The t-v’-l.: ik (ommission began
right. It adopted as its governing
the truth that the books om
children i mly ; ■■ ' ' ’ import-
ant than i '.i ir teachers and tiie!’
daily influencing environments. That
basic principle at om-o ::-cured that
no book could obt-Gu .he favor of the
coinniit sion :b'it i‘hl not make tor
sound cduca ion :.i'd good morals.
If plat ed tbe star tP.rd of our common
school < ".i i-i--r.li.im upon the highest
patriotic plane.
In tho 'next place, th<> cominissior
sot before their e-.-s ihe fact ’ha*
tlm poop’o don-und'. J oeonomy to be
wisely married to i’n'..- : ur.itormlty of
.-tm-ies ami t'"-:f ’ e-->\ cimracter. Ami
so from tne first ■ t?j> in their delib
; orations they made it plain to al! who
I appeared biTor-o them ti-r.t excellency
- and economy would be the governing
I rules of their adieu. When one of
i these wa.--- attempt -<l to be ignored by
: a. seeming conceit of bidders there
I was an instant wiriing off of the slate
: and a new proceeding ordered.
j The result U— and we sneak from
■ an aliiindanee o.’ evidonce —that Foor-
i '-ia lip ■. given bv th-- action oi
; the conimi-- on r- (•:' ’he r. mo"t
- piactico.l am; oppre- • I lists oi books
I Ilia I can be found in any sl at ? of
' emiivalcnt comlUons in the union.
Tho books semi tod are modern, splon
j iiiillv constrmtod ; 1 most happily
’ chosen to me -t he needs of our
' school system as it now stands.
On the oi oiioniii- . ule the ,second
bids were lower G $lO AOn than the
first ones c ml.r-’tt’d. The contiacts
as finally let represent a < arefuilj es
unrated savim’; of ' lor 'he Eve
1 years, or ?1 • .Oflfl in.-r month for the
■ sixty ii.ni lbs. This is no mean sum
to be left in the hands of parents with
whi'-h to otherwise '. iovide for their
I children.
' Taken as a. whole, the work of Hie
commission Ims ’m--’i nmgiiiiicent. Io
describe it b-.-s mr.mgiy would not do
: justice io the study and (lie wisdom
; tin- commission dovct.cd. to its work,
i The whole i aide ill'-- to 1.--" ; incerelj
i congratulated nimn tl-e result and
: should lie grateinl to the faithful ol'fi
; cers v.’.<> have l>-.'ougl:t it to pass.
Russian Big Talk.
That Russian general who persists
in tuli-.ing about ihe ease with which
i Russia woti'-.l (.rush Ja- ".n, "so small
j ami poor an opnoner.':,” is not epnirib
! tiling toward tlr? promotion of peace
I in the Far East.
; It is nor to the interest of Russia
i tc have a war with Japan, nor is it to
i the interest of Jaw:. i to become in
-1 volved in war with Russia over Korea,
■ Manchuria cr anyt-i'iig "Ise; but it
| must be evident from tiie trond of
j popular sen’ime’it in the mikado's
‘ kingdom that. Russia will not have to
, go very far to provoke such a fight.
I The Japanese, wno are an intensely
I patriotic people and have demoirstrat-
- cd their ability to in iui:: themselves
I on land and sea in modern warfare,
' have fell very bitt<?-r!y toward Russia.
| since the czar’s government took from
: them what limy ei’iimdcred the legiti
i mate fruits of their victory over
China, ft has been with tne greate.ji
difficulty that the Japanese ministry
has kept the ship of state off of the
war bteakers (’tiring the past few
months, so siro;: is the sentiment of
ti.e people for war.
It will not. do for this Russian gen
eral or anybody else to assume that I
because Japan is comparatively small
ami poor that victory would lie with
Russia in any clash at. arms. In the
judgment of American naval experts,
Japan is more !'■•'••midable on the sea.
ship for ship, than Re. : ia. The Jnp-
- anese navy is a. i.-rge any force
: Russia can send io Hie waters of the
; Orient, and the Japs are far better
sailors, and it is believed boiler fight
ers on sea. t .an Ihe Russians. Add to
this the probability (hat Japan would
bo able to send into Korea, where the
clash would most likely come, a land
force equally as strong as Russia
could send, and it will be seen that i
there is no excuse for Russian brag
gadocia.
The only possible result of this sort
of Russian big talk will be to augment !
the bitterness of feeling in Japan and i
te proportionately increase the proba
bility of friction. Russia cannot well |
afford this and if the czar is wise, lie j
I will cable orders to his generals in the i
I Far East to adopt, the “speak low" pol- ■
j icy of President Roosevelt. i
“Songs of the Soil”
By FRANK L STANTON
The Toilers.
A weary throng, we tread lifes dusty
highway—
Onward in storm and shine.
Or toil with tears and groanlngs in tne
vineyard
That fools may drink the wine.
Th.: great sun lights the gray gloom of
our casements
With sad and broken beams—
Herald of toil, whose advent leaves us
sighing
Over our ruined dreams.
There is but one sad message that he
brings us—
Once more to walk the way
Where red thorns wound, and life hath
but one longing:
The death—the death of day!
No space to read the meaning of that
lesson—
“ God said. 'Let there be Light!'
Each hour of fol! a. step that brings us
nearer
The refuge of the Night.
The shelter and the shadow of the dark-
Tho only boon we crave
Where e.-irth beholds in ewry trampled
vineyard
The Master and the Slave.
Not men alone who toil that life may
linger.
Os Fate the fools—the jests.
But women wan, with pallid infants
pining
Still for their barren breasts.
Denied—the clinging arms of little chil
dren.
Sweet neck-lacing the years;
\rd i.ovo :> dream, or only seen forever
Dim, through a rain of tears.
No toil Today for rest that lights To
morrow
Where Hope is singing brave.
But toil, until tho giay hairs of the
toiler
Go glimmering to the grove.
Vnd then 1 ? . . . That rest-or beautiful
or dreamless.
Rest, from the wrath and rod:
The. enfolding dark, or dawn that Knows
no dying—
Forgetfulness, or God'
At Night.
Up do c.unnines' er chiih’n in his 1; 1
gown T white
Wen I rockin’ him ter sleepy, en he
cuddle close at night;
Wen 1 tollin’ him de witch-tales, make
him hug his mammy tight—
Or singln’ in de medders er de mawn
in'.
He ax me ,vhar dey foun' 'lm in de
swoetes’ long ergo—
Wuz it heah, or wuz it yander, whar de
huckleberries grow?
En I tell ’ini: You de blackbird what
got losted in de snow! —
Foun' you in d medders in de mawn-
En he know his mammy love 'im, en de
rainy day would start
Rotin’ de eyes lie see hlsse f in. es we
ever come ter part;
Kaze he ain't no furrier film her dan de
beatin’ of her heart—
Sleep li’l' honey, ’twel' de mawnln'i
To a Case of Claret.
In sunny, southland vales of France,
Where mornings dnwn not dim.
ft blushed in meadows of romance.
Fill, to the rosy rim!
For Love's a dream—
O, Love’s a dream,
And Life is driftwood on a stream.
Hei'-in, my masters, ye shall sip
A nectar gods might greet.
No welcome of a woman’s lip
Was ever half so sweet.
For Love's a dream—
O’ Love’s a dream.
And Life’s a Bubble on a stream.
Fill to tho rim!—No bitter bread
Lurks here—no venomed stings.
(Eor all their prate!) The beggar’s head
Here rises to the king's!
For Love’s a dream—
O. Love's a dream;
Drill ye upon this rosy stream.
Drink to the sword and to the pen—
To deeds of high emprise.
Drink me the memory of great men
No woman’s luring eyes!
For Love's a dream—
i). Love's a dream,
Quaff swords that glitter—deeds that
gleam!
Drink to the scholar’s glowing page.
tTlii- madness of Lie brain!)
And drink ’till gray und g;.biding age
Sings songs of youth again;
For Love’s a. dream—
O, lyove’s a dream,
And Death is fairer than ye deem!
♦ ♦ « ♦ •
The Hcliday Bells.
The/ sound their sweet notes o'er the
Thev ring o’er the hills and dells;
The, <-eho the voices of ohildren—
T’;e happy, sweet holiday bells.
They are telling the tenderest story
That I.ife, with Its joy ever tells;
They ring out the gloom for tbe glory—
The 1 :-I'py. sweet holiday’ bells!
The Story of a Turkey.
De parson say: "Dat turkey
De bes’ I ever see;
I wonders whar dey kotch d it,
En whar de roost kin be?
"I foun’ him on de do'step—
A-shiveriti’ in de storm;
I fetched him ter de tire
En put him on ter warm
“En den I gits so drowsy
1 noddin' up en down;
En w’en I waked, de lire
Had cooked dat turkey brown!”
Dat way he told de story;
Wen sudden, on de do’,
De-.- come a mighty knockin’
Dat almos’ shuck de flo’.
De parson stomped do fire—
His foot wuz fire-proof!
En den elumb up de chimney
En crawl out on de roof.
De sheriff say: "Dat turkey
De bes' 1 ever see!
I knows des whar he kotched him—
He gwine home wid me!”
Log Cabin Philosophy.
It's mighty hard ter turn over de now
leaf, kaze some er de New Year books
comes uncut.
Folks dat always lookin’ fer a bushel
er happiness never .‘tops tor think dey
might < r got ’long wid a pint measure.
De wori’ is gittin- better, but human
natur’ is still wid us. en won't pay de
gas bill ’twcl de last day or grace
♦ * M ♦ 4
Happiness.
Bread and meat
Enough to eat—
Joy. as heaven may will it;
Soil that yields
From fruitful fields.
And health and strength to till it!
Plunkett's Letter
Reaching out for opportunities u
develop, capture and appropriate
seems to be the spirit that possesses
the world.
With all this restless desire to discover
new opportunities the humand mind of th* 1
day seems bent upon the idee, that all
that is good lies ahead. There seems to
be too little thought given to dis >ver
■ what is right at our doora. In our very
midst, and especially does this apply to
i the people of the south and to the op
portunities that lie eonscaled here. There
I are no conditions in Georgia that should
i excuse our people for a restlessness CJ
J west or east or anywhere in search or
' better lands or more promising opportm"
! ties. My greatest hope for the future
.: of the south lies in her agriculture, and
1 the nearest road to reach that prosperity
i lies in having men of money and brains
■to turn their attention in this direction.
I The soil of the south used to produce in
i such abundance till it was a seeming land
of “milk and honey”—anyhow, all old
people know that it was a land of won
derful abundance. To get back to H,'
wonderful abundance I would say to tho-"
men capable of great enterprises to edw
their strain on experimental and uu
tain lines:
Come join your brains with our hardy
i sons of toil,
■And watch the generous yield of south
ern sod.
ilt only craves from laggard sons a touch
To yield the same today and just as
much.
If men of brains 'and capital will turn
their attention to agriculture in th- soul
we will soon have a satisfied people and
a land of such abundance that there
would be no more restless search for
new fields of endeavor. Give up the
planning of gr( nt enterprises at least ti
you have brought agriculture in th" souH
to where it should be. It is now lime to
plan the making of next year's crops. L
is not sufficient that men almost h (
drift into the country seeking woik. A - '
want people capable of forming gteat
syndicates in the interest of farming, ju:,'
as such syndicates are formed for othe
pursuits and other developments.
Farmers are now sowing wheat, a:
the great majority of them are bouncii;-
and skimming it hi with little oel
"schooters” that bounce at every i
and clogs and skims at every bun :i
crab grass. The need is for men capab; ■
, and with capital to harness up i- an>
with something more than a pair
traces and a backband, and to prove,
implements sufficient to pt in the gia,
as it is in other countries. If tiie peoj i
out in tiie states so much btagged 1 •
were to try to farm as tile averag
Georgian tries, they would stall
; to death without a doubt. The impl
I ments ou a farm in the western sta ■
i represent a greater investment c.ian bind
I improvements, stock and everyth...g lit
' in the south. There must be an imi
ment in our methods here of farmin
and there must be greater effort at ma.,
ing country homes more, inviting in
matter of social contact. The lonelim
that attaches to a majority of t’- ; ‘ '
homes must be relieved. It w..i take
such a revolution in our present methoo
to accomplish these things that it v ■ ;
idle to think of it without a .create:
; amount and a different handling m
i money. I wish that Georgia had a rev.
! men in her agriculture as Mr. Morgan
’ Is in railroading. I know It might be
unpopular for a while with some, but 1
believe that great combines in farmin,
lust as capital is combined in other pu,
suits is the south’s great need. It is nov.
the season for the preparations that wit.
-O to make the crop of 1904, and it "■
greatest interest that confronts Georgia
and the south.
! Many people are disposed to canclud
! that the great abundance that exist'--’
j here in the south before the war is ;
’ owing io slavery. The truth is that pov-
I erty is slavery and capital is mastci m
| all "lands and all the time, just as iru-m
I so as the slavery of the south and tn
i negro. Slavery then was a concentration
: o f capital and It meant intelligent direct
! ing with power of discipline. Cifpitalists
i with the right ability could direct and d:
■ cipline agriculture now just as i. wa
the days of slavery and then theie i --
i be the same great abundance, but a m -
' without means cannot direct t*ie I-'"'
: that must now be depended upon.
i average farmer of today has to pet r
i labor into remaining on the farm at; ■■
i there is mighty little profit in a mu a
: who has to be petted to work. In this
j day and time the question of a pay-day
' plays a very important part. It is m>i
: one farmer in ten that can meet th ; d
mands 'of these weekly or even month'..
! pay-days and so the farm hands hie awa.-
;to the public works. If we could g'-
i few such men as form syndicate
I other pursuits to turn their attention t”
: farming they’ could so systematize th-
I tiling and direct the labor that tie :
i would be found ii-.ch dividends that
few years there would be a grand rn.-;'
j for agriculture. The negro cost ju;-t
| about as much in slavery as the hire-.i
! man does now, but he was directed in
’ telligently and so came the abundan •
' of the old south.
i The truth is that it is a wonder how
I life south has succeeded as well as it lia
; The old masters gave way after the v. .;i
I hffd a general demoralization took r -
I session. Some poor widows and broken
: down soldiers r-.-mahivd and fought a
■ great).;• light for the cause of agroui
! lure than they had fought mid- : !-■
- but with all that these accomplished an-l
with all the praise they deserv la
; seeds of demoralized labor and the want
■ of capital has been with us and it v. i ’
still remain until tiie brains anil money ..
i the land concentrate on farming just -
it does concentrate in other pursuits.
I do wish that all the people of the
south could see the need of this great
combination of capital in the interest ol
agriculture. A considerable prejuiih
yet remains against such a combin ' • ion,
but I am sure that no such prej- -ii<•••
would remain when tiie work of combin
ing had once shown its advantage. A?
for these men of capital, they . 1 think,
would find sweet relief in their wrk of
farming. There will Tie no nod for
staying awake at night uneasy about how
"futures” or stocks or anything will be
Jt the next tick of the telegraph. As
you sleep your crops will grow, your
flocks increase and the (ffuov- 'he laud
the happier tile people. So may it be.
is my wish for the future.
SARGE PLUNKETT.
He’ll Pass.
(From 'J'he Zebulon Journal.)
An inmate of a Pennsylvania jail soap
cd himself and crawled through a 6-ine!i
hole to liberty. Evidently, a slick citi
zen.
For the Exercis .
(From The Pike County Journal >
Perhaps, that Georgia wildcat was sect
to the president to afford him exercise
whoa the boss senators arc not chasing
him.
What Brew.
(From The Columbus Enouirer-S-inA
Emperor William, it is said, will try
the elixir of life'’ f ov pij throat trou
■d1 ’ It is not stated whether it Is of
Kentucky vintage or not.