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EDITORIAL, PAGE
THE ATLANTA GEORGIAN
Published Every Afternoon Except Sunday
By THE GEORGIAN COMPANY
At 20 East Alabama St., Atlanta, Ga.
Entered as second-class matter at postoff’ce at Atlanta, under act of March 3. 1873
Subscription Price- delivered by carrier, 10 rents a week. By mail. 15.00 a year.
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The Shame of Atlanta
* « *
She Excels in Many Things, But She Can Not Hide Her Streets.
“By its highways ye shall know the city.
True or untrue, this paraphrase, made long ago. contains a
bitter arraignment of Atlanta.
The streets of the metropolis of the South are as much in
keeping with the rest of the city as a team of oxen would be
with a 60-horse power automobile truck.
To the stranger five points in any city are uppermost: The
climate, the natural advantages, the shipping facilities, the build
ing development and the condition of the streets. There is no
fault to be found with any of these conditions except two. One
of these will be discussed later.
The other is the shame of Atlanta—its streets.
From day to day The Georgian will give facts and. figures
ahout the streets.
If the people's money is being thrown away while the city is
being disgraced, the people will know it.
If the amount appropriated is insufficient to finish respectable
highways, the people will know that.
[f incompetence is responsible for the thousands of mud holes,
the people will know that.
The. time has come when there must be a remedy. It is all
very well for Atlantans to point with pride to their city's su
premacy in a hundred things, because in at least a hundred things
she excels; but she can not hide her streets.
Atlanta deserves the best, and she MUST and WILL have it.
The Duty of “Instructed”
Delegates
How long does a state's "instructions'' hind its delegates in
a national convention?
This was a question frequently discussed and variously con
strued at Chicago and at Baltimore. The answer should he plain.
When the people of a state in free consideration of several
presidential candidates come to the primary polls and give a ma
jority vote for one of these candidates it ought to be perfectly
clear that the man so voted for is distinctly and definitely the
choice and preference of the people, whose wishes are sovereign
and conclusive. It is a matter of common sense and common loy
alty that delegates so chosen should expend every effort of advo
cacy and endurance to put ink. execution the wishes of the people
whose servants and messengers they are.
And this advocacy and effort are by no means discharged as
an obligation when some designing politician or some scheming
interest may urge that the choice of the people is hopeless. No
candidate can be honorably deserted by “instructed delegates"
go long as he is in the lead, certainly not while he has a majority
of the votes, and not even while he leads a loyal and undismayed
minority with a hope of his success.
There was more than one delegation which violated and for
swore its “instructions" at Baltimore and at Chicago. If the
states that “ instructed for Clark ” had been loyally obeyed by
their delegates “as long as there was a reasonable hope for
Clark's success" Clark would have been I he nominee on the fourth
day of the convention.
Os course, all "state instructions" should provide some dis
cretion.for the delegates who represent it. The absurdity of rob
bing delegates of all discretion was illustrated at Baltimore in
the ridiculous ease of Georgia—bound by an ironclad instruction
to vote for Underwood ‘‘UNTIL HIS ELECTION IS SECURED.’’’
Under this foolish resolution the Georgians really had no
right to vote to make Wilson's nomination unanimous. The man
who wrote that resolution ought to have his head put under cold
water and be retired from further duty as an instructor of dele
gations.
The Tariff: Platform Com
ment
It is regrettable that the Baltimore convention committed
itself to the abstract theory that "the Federal Government un
det the Constitution has no right to impose or collect tariff
duties except for the purpose of revenue."
Phis notion that the protective principle is unconstitutional
is a theory of closet philosophers. Its falsity is a matter of
history. The Democratic party will never attempt to put it into
practice. It is. therefore, not dangerous to the country. But it
stains an honest platform with a touch of insincerity.
This newspaper stands, with the mass of the American peo
ple. for the effectual protection of American industries iroin
the competition of foreign countries having a low standard of
living. The Georgian voices the nearlx unanimous sentiment of
the country in demanding a rigorous downward revision of the
tariff in all the schedules touching the common necessaries of life.
The trouble with the Bayne-Aldrich tariff is that it Mretches
out its arms to smite the weak and defend the strong. It pro
tects no poverty, but piracy
Even in the Republican platform and in spite of Taft's
atrocious vetoes of the farmers' free list and the reforms of
the woolen, cotton and chemical schedules attempted by the
Democratic House it is admitted that the tariff on necessaries
ought to be scaled down. But llm Republicans want to have
this scaling down done very gingerly by those who have a
parental affection for the tariff as it stands those who believe,
with Mr. Winona Taft, that it is "the best tariff ever enacted
b.v a Republican Congress."
The Georgian, on the other hand, will continue to insist
that the tariff should be scaled down not by "the friends of
the tariff'." hut by the friends of the people; and that this
reform should be accomplished not gingerly, but with ginger.
The people will not commit the incredible folly of giving
Mr. Taft and the interests represented by him a fresh mandate
to go on after their own fashion with the "reform" of the
tariff. The people will not set wolves Io feud the sheep The
words uttered by Senator .lames on taking the gavel at Balti
more will be remembered:
"President Taft has the lone and singular distinction of
being the only President in the life of this Republic who ev.r
vetoed bills cheapening clothing to the people, lumber to the
■ homeless, meat and bread to the hungry Americans and free farm
e mg implements to the toiling farmer measures that would
have saved to the consuming public three hundred and fiftv
a year."
The Atlanta Georgian
The First View of the Ocean
By HAL COFFMAN.
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DOROTHY DIX WRITES
OF
Both Sides of the Amusement Problem
PROBABLY there is no other
one question that gives rise
Io more arguments and dis
putes in the average well-to-do
family than the amusement prob
lem.
The wife wants to go out to
places of entertainment. The hus
band wants to stay home and read
the newspapers. Result: Domestic
tire works.
Tlie wife says:
"1 am a g’ood wife and mother,
and a competent housekeeper. I
am thrifty industrious and frugal,
and 1 am busy all day doing house
hold tasks that can make my fam
ily comfortable, and trying to
make my husband's money go as
far as possible. By the lime night
comes I am weary of performing
monotonous domestic duties, and 1
would like some change. I would
like io do something that would
give a different turn to my
thoughts, and that would stimu
late me. and brighten me up.
"I love society. 1 like to dame.
I like a good game of cards. 1 like
people. I am devoted to the thea
ter. I enjoy going occasionally to
a restaurant for dinner or suppei.
I like to see and be seen, but be
fore I tan go anywhere of an even
ing I have to have a battle royal
with my husband that takes all of
the pleasure out of it. To get him
to go to a dinner party is like
dragging him to an execution. To
induce him to take me to the thea
ter requires a week of hints and
persuasion and Jollying, and then
he sits up with a kill-joy face and
knocks the actors in the play and
yawns in my face until 1 get so
mad I vow I'll never ask him to
take me anywhere again
"We actually have a row over
every invitation we get and he
puls on his evening clothes with as
many groanlngs and mutterings as
if he were an early Christian mar
tyr dressing himself to be led out
to the stake.
Wife Wants Some
Os the Diversions.
" He acts as if being married to
him was picnic enough for any
woman, and that she ought not to
expo t oi desire any other diver
sion, while 1 contend that a wife
who does her duty, as I do. is enti
tled to ut least a few of the treats
after marriage that a man was
ready enough tn give het before
marriage W hen lie was courting
m< my husband wa n't 100 tired of
THURSDAY,. JULY 11. 1912.
By DOROTHY DIX.
an evening to take me to places or
meet me at panties.
"Besides all this, my husband
needs to go out some for his own
sake. A man gets so narrow who
sees nobody but his business asso
ciates and hears nothing talked
about but business and, in addition,
we have children for whom it is
our duty to make as good a social
position as we can. So it seems to
me that my husband is unreason
able not to be willing to go about
with me more.”
Husband Says
He Needs Rest.
Tlie man says:
"I work all day under a pressure
that my wife does not even under
stand. 1 am giving every ounce of
strength and vitality that is in me
to my business so that I can give
my family" every possible luxury
and Indulgence, and when night
comes I am utterly spent, soul and
body and brain. I am so tired that
I don't care to talk, nor lo be talk
ed to, and so nervous that I fee!
that I would scream if I had to lis
ten to the inane chatter of some
foolish woman to whom I was ex
pected to make myself agreable at
dinner.
"All I want to do is to eat my
own dinner in my own house, and
sink down in my own particular
chair in the library, and doze along
over the evening paper. More than
that I must have this rest if 1 am
to hold up my end in the strenuous
business competition of today
"If I go to bed at 10 o'clock and
get a good night's sleep I attack
my problems with a clean, clear
brain the next morning, but if I've
been out to 1 or 2 o'clock, and eaten
a lot of indigestible stuff, and drunk
and smoked too much, my mind is
in as upset a state as my toniach
is. My judgment is clouded; my
temper Is on edge and I’m literally
not fit for business.
"Heaven knows I want my wife
to have every possible pleasure. It's
for her sake and the kids that I
toil like a dray horse. Let her go
to all the matinees, and teas and
lunchtons and hen parties she
wants to. but why can't she be
reasonable and le' me have my
evenings at home in peace instead
of dragging me about to places that
bore me stiff, and where every other
married man looks like St. Anthony
on the gridiron?"
' n<j there you are. And -•> the
argument goes on over every in
vitation. and ends w ith tears on one
side, and a banging door on the
other and the queer part of it all is
that each side is perfectly right
from his or her point of View.
The solution of the problem is
onl£ to be found in compromise,
and. undoubtedly, it would make
for peace in most families if the
wife w’ould establish the house
maid's inalienable right to a night
out once a week on w hich her hus
band would accompany her whith
ersoever she chose to go without
protest. The balance of the time
she could take her pleasures with
out him at the various afternoon
diversions that women have -de
vised to meet this very contingency.
It is unfortunate that the very'
difference of their fields of labor
makes men and women look at this
question from opposite angles. The
husband, who is seeing new faces
every minute of the day. and talk
ing to new" people, longs for quiet
and rest in the evening. The woman
who has been shut up in the house
all day. often with no one to. speak
to, Jongs for fresh faces and fresh
interests. This being true, why
should they not figure out together
a working schedule by which the
man should go cheerfully abroad
witli his wife a certain number of
nights a week, while the balance
she may remain at home without
feeling herself a persecuted domes
tic slave?
One Reason Why
Americans Lead.
t'ne of the chief reasons why this
country leads the World in divorce is
because Americans so often settle
this question in the wrong way by
the wife and husband each going
his or her own way—the wife going
in for society, and the husband go
ing in for business, and both land
ing in Reno. When you jneet a
married woman traveling alone, or
going to balls and theaters with
friends, instead of her husband, you
don't need any other tip as to the
state of affairs in that family.
Os course men say that they
have to work so hard they haven't
time to go about with their wives,
but if husbands gave their wives
more of their time and personal at
tention and less money it would be
better for both
After all. it's th* people that w
plu’" with who are most n- essttry’
to us.
THE HOME PAPER
Dr. Parkhurst’s Article
Conservation of Human
Race as an Urgent Need fc
—and—
Development of Deserv- OyST,
ing Men and Women
Written For The Georgian
By the Rev. Dr. C. H. Parkhurst
THERE Is one need of tli»
times that the generosity of
our large givers seems not
quite to have touched, but a need
which, if handsomely met, would
go far toward the conservation of
valuable material that is now run
ning to waste.
We have latterly learned to
realize that our wealth in forests,
water power and minerals has
been dealt with so carelessly and
extravagantly as seriously to im
pair our resources, .and to cause
mischief that only the prolonged
pursuance of a more cautious pol
icy will avail to repair.
But our new policy of conserva
tion will not be complete till it also
extends itself outside the region of
our material assets. Very much of
the humanitarian work that is be
ing done is done in pursuance of
the conservation idea, and is an at
tempt to prevent values in human
bodies, minds and characters from
being wastefutly sacrificed.
Our thought just now is upon one
particular class of people—men and
women—whose embarrassed condi
tion Is making consistent appeal
to any man who is known to be at
all interested in those who have
abilities and ambition, but whose
abilities are rendered unproductive
and their ambitions disappointed
by the Imperious limitations of cir
cumstances: —people who could do
something worth while, but who
are so hampered by adverse condi
tions that they have no chance to
get a start.
No Sensible Person
Would Advise Pampering.
“Der anfang ist immer sehwer.”
say the Germans.
It Is comparatively easy to build
a ship: the crisis comes at the
launching.
It takes more steam to start a
locomotive than it does to keep it
running.
Once a seed has begun to ger
minate we can pretty confidently
count on its becoming a shrub or
tree.
The same holds true of young
humans as of ships, engines and
flower seeds, that the rub comes at
the beginning.
No sensible person would advise
the pampering of a fledgling.
Things can be made too easy for
the young aspirant as well as too
hard.
An ambitious fellow can go up
a pretty steep grade if he has grit,
but he can not pull himself up a
perpendicular.
Enough slant must oe put into
the climb to give him a scrambling
chance to get to the top. Apd
that chance is what a lot of
young people—boys and girls—-do
not have.
::: ::: Together ::: :::
By ELLA WHEELER WILCOX.
Copyright 1912, National News Association
WE two in the fever and fervor and glow
Os life's high tide have rejoiced together:
We have looked out over the glittering snow,
’ And known we were dwelling in summer weather,
For the seasons are made by the heart 1 hold.
And not by outdoor heat or cold.
We two. in the shadows of pain and woe.
Have journeyed together in dim. dark places.
Where black-robed Sorrow walked to and fro.
And Fear and Trouble, with phantom face-a,
Peered out upon us and froze our blood.
Though .lune's fair roses were all in bud.
We two have measured all depths, all heights.
We have bathed in tears, we have sunned in laughter;
We have known all sorrows and delights—
They never could keep us apart hereafter.
Whether your spirit went high or low.
My own would follow, and find you. I know.
If they took my soul into Paradise.
And told me I must be content without you.
1 would weary them so with my lonesome cries.
And the ceaseless questions . asaed about you,
They would open the gates and set me free.
Or else they would find you and bring you to me.
We are thinking only of thr...
who have in them the makings of
something, who are aware of the
fact and who are brave enough to
do what they can themselves, but
who can not do it all, can not make
opportunities when there is noth
ing to make opportunities of
young people who have an art im
pulse and want to cultivate ft. or
a genius for mechanics or a pro
nounced leaning toward teaching,
journalism, preaching, no matter
what, but needing just enough m
help get them on their feet and to
put them on the road.
A Few Dollars Will ? ? .]
Conserve Human Effort.
Not to give such ones an Initial
push means a waste of value, it i?
neglect to conserve resources mor.
valuable than timber or water -up.
ply.
Sometimes SSOO will do it. or even
SIOO. if only it be enough to h»in
the wheels to begin to turn.
Or the need may be for more"
enough to buy a little farrit, giving
a mortgage on the land as security.
Appeals for just that kind of as
sistance are reporting themselves
constantly.
Who now is the man of large
wealth that w'ants to create an en
dowment, the income of which-shall
be applied in the manner proposed’
We have had immense monev
donated in the interest of advanced
education, gifts tha.t inure especial
ly to the advantage of those who
have already gotten quite a wav
up the incline, money without stint
for the construction of magnificent
buildings.
It is said that if a man resident
in Boston dies without leaving half
a million in bequest to Harvard
university it is considered suffi
cient ground for breaking his will.
Al] these bequests are attracted
to men and institutions' that are
already favored, but the poor,
struggling, capable and ambltiou 0
boys and girls at the bottom of the
ladder have, comparatively speak
ing, very little done for their en
couragement.
If They Have Ability > I
That’s Half the Fight.
If they have ability and grit, they
do not need much; but if they have
those qualifications, society, the
state, the schools, the world’s busi
ness, the church, can not. afford to
have their powers of effect wasted
Fine and competent humantier’
is more necessary to the world
than crude oil and timber.
Men and women, capable Mid
confident, are the best product of’
our civilization, and the recovery
of such from helplessness to use
fulness is one of the best enter
prises to which men of wealth can
give their hearts and apply th”tr
means.