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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 postoffice at Atlanta, under act of March 3.
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Payable in advance.
The Hobble SkirTll
Menace to Virtue”
« R «
But It Is Bad for the Health, and Silly. It Should Have Died
Long Ago.
A medical journal attracts attention usefully hy denouncing
“the hobble skirt." The editor thinks that the present styles are
“a pitfall and a menace to the innocent and virtuous female, and
as such are intolerable for our daughters, sisters and womankind in
general.' ’
The hobble skirt is not immoral, or lacking in virtue, because it
is nol INTENDED to be immoral. Women from sixteen years of
age to eighty wear hobble skirts—millions of them—and these
women are not immoral or lacking in the different kinds of virtue.
The hobble skirt is harmful because it does for the legs and the
body what superstition and various forms of ignorance do for the
mind.
The hobble skirt prevents a freedom and natural gait in walk
ing. running and dancing
It is responsible largely for the present “turkey trot " and other
ungraceful, stupid and more or less indecent kinds of dances.
These dances, which consist in hopping up and down in an ugly
way and substituting wriggling and raising of the shoulders for
natural, graceful movement, have become popular as a result of the
hobble, which will not let the feet move freely.
A woman with part of her dress or a rope or a silk sash tied
around her ankles is restrained in her movements —interfered with
in free walking, which is the most wholesome of exercises—and her
health is injured.
The hobble skirt is part of a half-silly, half-depraved effort to
hamper the freedom of women and thus develop an unnatural, mis
called beauty
This can be seen in t he extreme in the tight shoes of the ('hinese.
which compel the poor creatures to hobble t hrough, life; in the
dreadful, abnormal condition of fat developed in their daughters by
Hotlentol mothers, making them so huge in one particular way that
they can scarcely walk, or the cruel fattening of other women of
desert regions by mothers that stuff them with camel's milk.
A woman thoroughly hobbled, whether it be with the hobbles
of fat on her body, with the hobbles of class, prejudice or supersti
tion on her mind, or the hobble of the modern skirt around her
ankles, is much to be pitied. She is as sad to look upon as was that
thoroughly hobbled lady, the Democratic party, during the last few
days of the convention, and that is saying a good deal.
What ihwn want is freedom—in the truest and highest sense
of that word—freedom of thought, freedom of action, freedom to
take part in all great public affairs, freedom from that shameful
condition of inferiority which through the ages has compelled them
tn make of themselves a changing, pitiful plaything for man, who
would not give them equality.
A Progressive Democracy
vs. a Retrogressive Navy
Since the Democratic platform has declared for an “adequate
navy—sufficient to defend American policies, protect our citizens
and uphold the honor and dignity of the nation"—is there any fur
ther reason why the Democratic majority in the house of represen
tative* should not cease to play politics and meet the patriotic sen
ate amendment for two battleships and additional cruisers.
There is no longer either justification or excuse for Defriocratic
delay in this vital matter.
The weather vanes nf public opinion, as exhibited in political
conventions and platforms, turn all one way—toward a larger and
complete navy. If the Democratic majority is afraid of public opin
ion and afraid of losing votes by a sufficient appropriation for the
national defense, that fear is now stripped of its terror
The Republican convention and the Republican platform point
edly condemn the Democratic parsimony in refusing to vote the ad
ditional battleships and demands a stronger navy.
When Colonel Roosevelt's third party convention assembles
next monili we may oe sure that one of its strongest planks will he
a ringing declaration for preserving and even advancing the status
of the naw.
And so the three prongs of the American sentiment, as express
ed in the platforms of the three great political parties, prod sharply
and insistently the mistaken policy of the Democratic house.
The time for definite action has come. It is up to the Demo
cratic house to say now in action, rather than in platitudes, whether
this is to be a progressive rather than a retrogressive Democracy
It is impossible for the party to go before the country as pro
gressive when it stands retrogressive in the national defense. The
Democratic party can not possibly assert a forward mission if it
takes a backward step in reducing the American navy to a fifth
place among the navies of the world. The eountrx will laugh at
the profession which is belied in action and will resent the un
patriotic and un-Americati policy of the house naval program.
The challenge of public political opinion now calls squarely and
resolutely upon Mr Oscar I’nderwood and other obstructionists
who have delayed a progressive naval program to meet the demands
nf their own platform and tn vote the battleships which are needed
for the country 's honor and defense
The Atlanta Georgian
FRIDAY, JULY 12. 1912.
THE SO-CALLED POOR
By HAL COFFMAN.
f ’
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Senator Elihu Root, in a speech delivered recently?- was talking of "a diffusion of wealth
which should inspire cheerful confidence in the future." and he used these exact words:
“Witness the 9,597.185 separate savings banks’ accounts, with $4,212,583,598 deposits in the
year 1911. BY THE SO-CALLED BOOR."
Those words—“the so-called poor"-—came to Mr. Root on the spur of the moment, and they
expressed his real thought and feeling.
Those who believe that there really ARE some poor people in this country, and that the poor
are a reality and not a “so-called" fiction, will remember this saying. »
,
what Would Happen If Husbands Were Frank
Absolute Frankness Otten Endangers the Happiness of Many Homes
By ADA PATTERSON.
(i I Y WOULDN'T you like to
V V know what lie thinks of
you?" one womhn asked
another. They hail been talking
of a Sphinxlike, and, because si
lent. Interest-provoking man. If
he had talked much, the spell would
probably have been broken.
"No," replied the otner. a note of
alarm in her voice; "not always.".
Vet a little English woman, who
recently married the grandson of
the poet Longfellow, tempted the
gods of discord by saying that the
ideal husband is frank. Rash lit
tle woman who reckoned without
moods!
Moods are mental weather. Some
times the sun of the spirit shines
gloriously, and at such time it is
safe to be frank. The sunshine has
irradiated and beautified the land
scape of facts. Rut there be times
when the sky is overcast. Perhaps
this mood portends a downfall of
rain, a rattling of verbal thunder
and lightning Or it may only be a
temporary eclipse of the sun of
good humor. Rut heaven spare us
absolute frankness at these times!
Some Questions That
Husbands Do Not Like.
Maybe the little bride confused
terms. What she wished to say
may be. "The ideal husband Is
truthful." Certainly no normal
woman wants lying answers to
those ancient, honorable questions:
"Where have you been?" and "Why
are you late?" Husbands do not
like these questions. They bore
them. Rut the just husband be
lieves they are one of the inescapa
ble evils of married life, and lie
gives answer more or less truthful,
according to circumstances. The
only man 1 know who had the
hardihood to dispute his wife's
right to ask these questions, dis
puted also his mother’s, and he has
been divorced, as he deserved.
Truthfulness may be construed
as an accurate answering of ques
tions put: frankness as the volun
tary forcing of facts upon us. If
the bridegroom last week acquired
by the hardy spirited bride who
has been quoted is truthful, he will
answer reluctantly when she says
Do you think thi' frock is becom
ing"" Not quite " becoming as
the one you wore yesterday, dear."
But if he is frank he won't wait
for the question. He will say at
breakfast—that trying meal which
temperamental persons should eat
alone—" What's the matter with
that dress? You are looking worse
than I ever saw you."
Difference Between Frank
And Truthful Husbands.
In ten years she may say "1
lost my fresh color when I came to
America. I'm dreadfully pale.
Don't you think so?" If he is mere
ly a truthful husband he will an
swer. "You are a little paler, dear.
We must take a run down the coast
to freshen yot up." If he is a frank
spouse he will not wait for qtfes
lions, but will announce: "You're
looking horribly faded. You're not
nearly as pretty as you wore when
I married you." If the bride is as
spirited as a wife | know, she will
The Wedding V eil
By MINNA IRVING.
CA XANDMOTHER wore it long ago
J Mistily flowing dow n
t'tver the stiff and shining silk
Os her lilac wedding gown.
Over her hlirhes. swift and bright.
Over her golden curls.
Over the blossoms on her breast,
<■•>. r the sheen of pearls.
Robed in billows of bridal w hite
I'nder the' clouds of lace.
Mother, breathing her marriage vow s.
Knelt in her girlish grace.
Oh. but she was a picture rare.
I have heard my father say.
Framed in the ivory-tinted veil,
I'pon her wedding da'.
%
bift it out of the cedar chest.
Where it lias folded lain:
Now its delicate sprays must drape
The form of a bride again.
Look! entangled ano ng the threads.
Withered and brown and dead.
It keeps a sprig of the orange flowers
Once crowning a fair young head.
Dear. sweet woman, who laid it by
With tender and loving care.
With fragrant rose and lavender leaves
Eor another bride to wear!
May all y our virtues descend to me
With the woven lilies pale
Os this priceless treasure of antique
point*
Grandmothers wedding veil.
retort: “Do you suppose you are the
handsome man I married?"
If he be simply- truthful and she
asks him if he thinks she has paid
too much for a rug he will answer:
"May be they did overcharge you."
The frank man will exclaim:
"There is no limit to your extrava
gance."
The truthful man. when begged
Io tell her whether she is becoming
unbearable, answers: “Your nerves
are a tritie upset, dear; you need
rest." The frank man will rush
into trouble with the remark: "If I
had known what a bad temper you
have 1 wouldn't have married you.”
The truthful husband will an
swer the inevitable post-matrimo
nial question: "Do you love me as
much as you used to do?" with
"True love never changes." The
frank man will not mince delicate
matters. She will have no illusions
when the conversation w ith him is
ended, and he may have no wife.
It would be rather painful to
know what people think of us at
all times, their actual appraisement
of us at the moment. Because of
their mood, or ours, we might hat e
a lower rating than we would have
received yesterday, or than that we
w ill get tomorrow
The lightning flash of anger
might show us ourselves in away
that we would never forgive the
speaker, and would be ba-d press
ed to excuse In ourselves. Moods
are mighty, but their reign is bless
edly short.
Blessed be the man who invented
silence! In crises it has saved
bloodshed and spared broken
friendships.
Critical Situations
Saved By Silence.
Many a critical situation has been
saved by enveloping if in the
blessed veil of silence, for thoughts
make no sound, and there is always
hope that they may change
Mark Twain inscribed on a pho
tograph I have seen: "Truth is
precious. Let us economize it."
Doubtless he had suffered at the
hands of some volunteer of un
pleasantness who called himself
frank. '
The w orld has some ugly . jagged
rocks of fact. Life will be more
beautiful if we screen their ugli
ness by planting flowers of consid
eration about them can at
least refrain from brutality in the
name of frankness.
THE HOME PAPER
The Education of the
Voter
THE THINKING CITIZEN
He Is the One Great Asset of This Republic
of Ours
By THOMAS TAPPER.
i.
THE great asset of a republic
is the Thinking Citizen.
You. as a voter, will find
that the whole proposition involved
ih our form of government is as
simple as possible.
Hirst, we declared our independ
ence < 17761. Then we mad* a
constitution ( 1787).
The Declaration of Independence
was our first use of the Initiative.
Bv this declaration we deposed
the English king as ruler over the
destinies of the colonies.
THAT WAS DLR FIRST USE
OF THE RECALL.
The constitution begins with the
words: "We. the people of the
United States. * * * do ordain
and establish this constitution."
This was the use of Initiative ajid
Referendum.
Thus, these comparatively new
words are only recently adopted
names for POPULAR PRIVI
LEGES that- have been in opera
tion for nearly a century and a
half.
The Federal constitution applies
to the republic as a whole, exactly
as a state constitution applies to a
single state within the republic.
The president, senate and house
of representatives stand to the re
public as a whole, exactly as a
ernor, senate and house (or assem
bly) stand to a state.
The State Is Republic
In Miniature.
The state is, in fact, the republic
in miniature.
In like manner, these three fac
tors of government (1) president
or governor, (2) senate. (3) repre
sentatives, are the people in minia
ture.
Hence, the more perfect the ar
rangement is by which the people
shall say w'no among themselves
shall run the affairs of nation or
state, the more truly have we es
tablished a popular form of gov
ernment.
Any step that takes the selec
tion and election of the people's
representatives out of the hands of
the people themselves is a step
away from the true principle of the
republic as it was conceived by
Jefferson. Washington and their
Associates.
n.
The privilege of voting begins at
21. A man may be so fortunate as
to live to exercise this privilege
for 50 or 60 years. You can well
understand that the first vote may
be cast in doubt and uncertainty.
But the second and third and
fourth and after should be the
exi%ession of a point of view that
is becoming clearer year after year.
You. as a voter, have to assist in
providing the republic with men to
do its work. Or. you may have the
Letters From the People
OWNERSHIP AT TALLULAH.
Editor The Georgian:
The Georgia Power •Company has
had articles printed in the Atlanta
papers in which they say that the
dam which they are building at
Tallulah Palls will back up the wa
ters of the river and form an im
mense lake, which will be more
beautiful than the river as it now
is. and that the water will run ovet
the dam on into the channel of the
river and that the dam will not dis
turb the falls.
The power company is trying to
sidestep the issue. The question is
not whether the dam will destroy
the beauty of the falls, but wheth
er the legislature of Georgia is go- >
ing to allow the state of Georgia to
be dispossessed of fifteen millions
of dollars worth cf .
If the power company own the.
land bordering on the Tallulah
river, they have a right, under the
law, to stop the flow of the water
entirely. If they do not own this
land, thee have no right to build a
,oam or any other structure on this
land, whether it will mar the beau
ty of the scenery or not.
Evert lawyer, except corporation
counsel, who has examined the rec
ords and survey of this is of
the opinion that the land has never
been granted, and that it is st ill th?
property of the state of Georgia.
The corporation officers should
know that they have no title that
will bear being aired in open court.
Their counsel should know that the
power company does not really own
the contested property. Either this
or they do not deserve the reputa
tion which they bear as being
among the best lawyers of the
state.
The corporation says It is arw
ious to have suit brought to
ride definitely and finally their title.
The Tallulah Falls Conservation
ambition to do some of it yourself.
What is the question involved"
Only this: Who can do this work
in the best possible way.
When the roof leaks, you go out
to find a man who is long on fixing
leaks in a roof, or you do it your
self if you are able. But not oth
erwise.
Hence, you are called upon to
cast one vote for a man to fill i
leaking roof office.
Who gets the vote?
The man who can do the job
perfectly and without loss of time.
Having this one vote to cast on
the leaking roof ticket, you would
no more vote for a grafter than
you would for a thief.
Why?
Because it is your roof.
Well! this is your country.
Remember that every public offi
cer must be chosen, so far as you
are concerned, for one quality
alone. That is his ability to keep
whatever roof he has charge of in
perfect condition.
HI.
This point of view shakes al! the
dreams and nightmares, all the
shadows and empty noises out of
politics, and places the whole sub
ject on the basis of business, pure
and simple.
When politics (meaning thereby
the efficient administration of any
public office) begins to appeal tn
you as the business of the public,
do not fail to remember whose the
republic is. It is yours and your
neighbor's, your fellow workmen's,
the motorman's and the baker's.
Most voters think the republic
consists of Mr. Taft, Mr. Roose
velt. Mr. Root, Chauncey M. Depew
and a few groups of men called the
"money interests.” As a matter of
fact, IT CONSISTS OF SEVERAL
MILLIONS OF CITIZENS, among
whom each of these men counts for
one, just as you do.
Rut there comes in a difference
when you begin to analyze men.
That difference may be expressed
thus: Some think, and >om« d»
not think.
The Thinker Rises
To the Very Top.
The thinker rises to the top. and
the rest fall under and hold him
up.
Now. the 1776 Declaration of In
dependence can not make you
think, and theXJonstitutfon of 1787
can not compel you to think.
But if you have any interest in
* running the business of the nation
so that your own roof will not
leak, you must draw up your own
Declaration of Independence and
your own Constitution.
If you draw these up so that
the republic of your mind Is prop
erly established, you, too. will rise
to the top.
and Parking association has of
fered to furnish lawyers to brine
this suit and to bear all the ex
penses of this litigation. If this
suit is brought, it will .not cost toe
state of Georgia one cent. The cor
poration says that it wants the suit
brought. The conservation asso
ciation is ready to bring this suit.
Under these circumstances, it is the
duty of the legislature to grgtifv
all parties and call on the governor
to authorize the suit.
CHARLES G. REYNOLDS'
OPPOSES WILD LAND DIGESTS.
Editor The Georgian:
The wild land tax digest? should
be abolished. There is no wild land
in Georgia, or should not be Al!
the land now held assessed and tax
ed at a few cents or dollars t
wild land, ought to be assessed and
taxed as improved land, and b«
made to bear its part of taxation.
The wild land digests give rise
to conflicts of title and litigation.
There are cases where for years
one or more persons have claitnr'i
certain tracts as wild land and
some one else has claimed the
same, or a pari of the same. aS
improved land. Having two di
gests and no uniform system of
designating improved land these
conflicts necessarily arise.
If the state should designate ev
ery tract of land in Georgia by
number and require that every con
veyance designate that number to
be legal, even if other description*
be given, it would make titles mo"
certain and prevent much litiga
tion. Tt would also be easy to de
termine whether all the lands are
returned for taxation, and also be
easy to equalize their valuation for
th? purpose of assessment and tax
ation. LLEWELLYN .1. BROWN.
Social Circle. Ga.