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EDITORIAL PAGE THE ATLANTA GEORGIAN Published Every Aftemnnn Fvcer’ > -J*’ By THE GEORGIAN COMPANY At 20 East Alabama St, v •».’■'>. -•>, Entered es second-class matter at postoffice V - » Vv-s 5 Subscription Price Delivered by carrier. W .-er*- • * * : • > ’ < mr Payable in ad vac Why Not Leave Religion Out of Politics? k r « Men of All Relijrinris. and P«-np of No Particular Religion. Make Good Citizens. Ability, Hon stv, Good Citizenship—NOT RELIGION—Are the I‘esu in THIS Country. Governor Osborne, of Michigan, who thought he was an ardent Roosevelt supporter until Roosevelt failed to get the presidential nomination at Chicago, has come out for Mr Wilson. The kind of man who is very friendly to an individual until the individual meets with failure is not always the most desirable kind of a friend. Such a man also is apt to he rather a poor adviser, politically and otherwise. Governor Osborne, who drops Mr. Roosevelt when the latter fails in his first big struggle, says that he has come out for Mr. Wil son because the latter is “a Christian and a scholar.” Just how Governor Osborne KNOWS that Woodrow Wilson is a Christian, we DON’T know. But we do know that it is a foolish thing to drag any religion or any religions quality into politics in this country. This is a republic baaed upon a constitution which expressly forbids government recognition of ANT religion and expressly guarantors the equality of all citizens before the law, REGARD LESS of religion. Mr. Osborne, in his high praise of Woodrow Wilson’s Christian ity. slaps at President Taft, calling President Taft the candidate of Wall Street and Woodrow Wilson the candidate of Christianity. Does Mr. Osborne think that Taft is NOT a scholar and a Christian ! Taft, it is true, has shown friendship and sort ended protection to the Jews—BUT ONLY BECAUSE THEY WERE AMERICAN CITIZENS AND DESERVING OF SYMPATHY. Does Mr. Osborne think it was an unchristian act on Taft’s part to abolish the Russian treaty when Russia ill-treated American citi zens of the Jewish faith? Would it have been more desirable, in Mr. Osborne’s opinion, to wait nntil Russia stepped on the toes of some good PRESBY TERIAN or Methodist before making a protest ? Mr. Taft’s action in the Russian matter—his abrogation of the treaty when Russia refused to treat the Jews justly—may not have been distinctly CHRISTIAN, inasmuch as the Jews are not Chris tians But Mr, Taft acted tn defense of national dignity and uni versal justice. He insisted that ALL American citizens should be treated alike by Russia regardless of religion. And in this he merely followed the Constitution of the United States, which insists that ATT citizens be equal before the law, regardless of religious or other belief. Mr. Taft, as it. happens, is a Christian, and, as it happens, he is also a scholar, inasmuch as his youth was devoted to study at one of the best colleges, and inasmuch aa his mature years have been de voted to rending and study and interpretation of the laws as a Judge. But those that discuss American candidates or American offi cials should discuss them AS MEN AND AS CITIZENS, not as Christians or Jews ot Buddhists or agnostics. Thomas Jefferson was not a Christian, as everybody knows Ho was not a believer in any revealed religion. But he w T as a good enough man to write the Deolanation of Independence and to make one of our best presidents. Benjamin Franklin wns not » Christian or a believer in any re vealed religion. But he was a good enough man to do some import ant work for this nation of orrre Thomas A. Edison is not a believing Christian—but it Is lucky for thia country that he was born here. The many thousands of Jews that bring good citizenship and hard work and knowledge of affairs to this country are not Christians. Some of them are of the faith older than Christianity which gave birth to Christianity. And many of them are.agnostics. All of them and all citizens that do their duty at the polls anti in their dealings with their fellow citizens are alike respectable and desirable inhabitants of this country. If Governor Osborne chooses to drop his friend Roosevelt on the first excuse and hastily scramble on the wagon which Mr Wil son is driving, let him say frankly that he does it because he be liaves that Wilson will cross the lino first and ho elected. Let him not add to his treachery toward Roosevelt the unpleas ant vice of hypocrisy and fill his statements with cant and insincere eulogy of Wilson as a ‘‘Christian.” It is a short step from praising Mr Wilson’s Christianity to praising his Protestantism, and then his special BRAND of Protes tantism to the exclusion of all other religions and all other kinds of Protestantism. Leave out religion. Governor Osborne. wh< n you talk polities. Be guided by Cardinal Gibbons, who has denounced as equally vi cious those that drag politics into religion or dtag religion into politics. If a man is honest, SAY so. If he is able, SAY so. .t h- r record of public achievement and public service, SAY so. But leave his religion and his wife and his children out of po . liticai talk. That is the best plan in America, The Atlanta Georgian NOW I LAY ME By HAL COFFMAN. ■ ■_ Bk; ft .-re 7 Os ■ ■’ |E| ? ' ;C-Z I! j ri; 77 F ~7 > X i fMi' 1 77- 7 • MILA'I/ 'MI h (1111 : 1 Mb t Ji «L/ oft Mas'll Now I lay me down to sleep. Now I lay me down to sleep I pray I hee. Lord, my soul to keep ’ — Any place where I may creep”— Run a thousand lisping picas Well the motjier can not see At a thousand mothers knees. The lad who whispered at her knop. WINIFRED BLACK WRITES ON—- Telling a Friend the Truth _ '\EAR WINTERED BLACK ; J I have a. friend, a good woman, a sweet woman and a clever x woman. Her husband is unfaithful to her. and I think I ought to tell her about it. it seems to me so tragic for her to waste her unselfish devotion upon one so un worthy of her. My mother says I will be no true friend to my friend if I so much as whisper the truth to her. What would you do--stand idly by and see a good woman throw her life away upon an un worthy husband, or open her eyes to the truth, and then help her tp get over it all? SINi'ERE" What shah you do" That de pends upon the friend, and upon you. Is your friend a real woman or is she a little creature who will just weep and storm and upbraid and let It go at that'.' Is she a person who hyis any kind of life of her own that she would like to live? Is she giving that life up because she is blindly de voted to «i man who deceives her? Has she pride, self-respect, self reliance. truth, courage, honor, or Is she just a little nonentity who would live with aux man and be w hat she calls "a good wife to him" as long as he gave her a wed ding ring ind called her Mrs. S.micbod\ or ol her * What Will Happen To the Children? Has she children ind what will happen to them if she divorcee her husband' ire you willing to help her take care of them'.' What if the story you told he' should turn out to be unirm " Ar<» you sure about it',’ I» the man really in love with the affinity .' Will he stay in love with her do you think" What sort of a fallow Is he anyway worth while in any other way at all? Maybe you could help him out of a miserable muddle if you spoke to him instead of to his wife. You say you an a fro nd of both per haps he’s tiled of the affair al ready. and jus' wants an excuse to 'cl: his w ift all I’oout it and be • irgp. en. THURSDzW, JULY 18. 1912. Bv WINIFRED BLACK. What would I want you to do for me in such a ease as that? I would want you to tell me and to tell me quick. 1 dont-t want to waste my life "pretending." I'd rather live alone on a desert island with the buzzards for company than to pour out my heart to one who deceived me- I'd rather scrub floors for a living than to take one pennj from a man whp couldn't tell me the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Yes! 1 can sec how a woman might hesitate before she left a man who is the father of her chil dren. not only for the children's sake, but for her own. Women get lazy; they get self ish; they get material as they grow older. I know women who were once decent, self respecting beings The Baby’s Lament By WILLIAM W. WHITLOCK. MttTHER'S so bust with speak ing. With making addresses to clubs. With guiding young women who're seeking The ballot (gee whiz, but they’re ■ flubs!). She seldom if ever comes near me. But leave? me to cry myself sick. To holler and blubber, to watch and to rubber Until I'm as bad as old Nick, Father's so busy with voting (Straw ballots they are, by the w ay i. With reading, digesting, connoting What al! of the andidat- s say. He hasn't a moment to spare me. But lets me lie here in my cub. Grow weary with squallingand howl ing and bawling Until I've a pain in my rib. 1 wish that my parents would grant me Some notice, no matter how slight; To see them alone would enchant me. To know them for certain by sight. I've heard them discussed by the servants. And so I am sure they exist; B’l’ why need thej sho\? me aside. ■ an't they love me ' 1 d give all the .' arid to be kissed! w ho live now with men and pretend to love them, and they hate the very ground those men walk on and live a He from one dreadful day’s end to the other. I might be one of those women, I might prefer ease, quiet, com fortable deceit to honest misery and desperate courage, but I'd want, the chance to choose. The old-fashioned woman didn't want the chance. "Don’t tell me," she sobbed. "1 don’t want to know." Os course, she didn't want to know—why should she? What could she do? The modern woman? That's dif ferent. quite different. The mod ' ern woman has the whole affair quite in her own hands; she isn't helpless, not the least little bit in the world. If she's any sort of woman at all the courts will stand by her to the very end. She can have her children, her income, and her self-respect—just by asking for _ them before any decent judge in this country. Think It Over And Do Your Best. Yes. it is a responsibility. 1 don’t advise you to tell the woman and I don't advise you not to tell her. Think it over, put yourself in her place with he> disposition. and then do what you think is best. Os course, there are many who agree with your mother. Perhaps thex arc right. I can't say. but real ly nowaday.- worn, n are expected to have a right to know these tilings and m t according to their consciences about them. .lust ask that good mother of yours if even her generation really respected the woman who shut her eyes to her husband's, "goings on" just because it was the easiest way out of an uncomfortable situation. I know women who never see anything, never know, never hear, never dream, from various motives, none of them particularly high minded ones. I wonder if'thev ate really the Ideal sort of women aftet all? It Is all a great puzzle. Isn’t it ' I wish I knew what othet women honestly think about it. Won't - mie of you write and honestly THE HOME PAPER The Education of the Voter WHO ARE THE CITIZENS? Citizens Are of Five Classes, Including Men. Women and Children: and They Have, as Citizens, at Least Six Specific Duties to Perform. Bv THOMAS TAPPER. IN the strict meaning of the word, a citizen is one who enjoys the rights and privileges of the city where he lives. But as we use the word in reference to the republic it means the rights and privileges that belong to you as the resident of the city, state and natictn. In this sense, the word is used much as we use the word man. He has rights and privileges as- an In dividual. When we call him a fam ily man we add to his rights and privileges a group of factors called responsibilities and duties. Every individual that walks the streets may think he is a free agent, but he has rights, privileges, responsibilities and duties toward (1) himself. (2) his family. (3) his neighbors, (4) his city or town, (5) the state. (6) the republic at large. And they do not stop even here. The constitution did not make it clear exactly what is meant by the word "citizen.” and the twelfth ar ticle of amendment was introduced and adopted to settle the matter. Five Classes Are Entitled to Citizenship. To begin with, citizenship be longs not to men aione, but to wom en and children. It Includes these classes: 1. All people born in the United States, except children born to the families of representatives of for eign governments and to people at enmity with the republic. 2. Children who are born in a foreign country, if, at the time of birth, their parents are citizens of the United States. 3. Women of foreign birth mar ried to United States citizens. 4. Indians who have left their tribes, giving up their tribe rela tionships and paying taxes to the government. 5. Naturalized foreigners. Thousands of people come to the United States annually from for eign countries with the intention of making their homes here. On arrival, such people are called aliens. This word means another, inferring another country or fa therland. These people’have not the rights and privileges of citzens, but they may acquire many of them by resi dence and declaration of alle giance. If an alien resident here desires to continue a citizen of the coun try in which he was born he may do so. Or he may renounce his allegiance to the mother country and become a citizen of the United States. This is accomplished by natural ization. How An Alien May Become Naturalized. In order to become a naturalized citizen the alien must go before a judge and state his intention of renouncing his allegiance to his mother country, and state his de sire to become a citizen of the United States. After a certain time he goes to court again and declares his re- Letters From the People ATLANTA STANDS HIGH. Editor The Georgian: We people of the South are, gen erally speaking, under the impres sion that schools and hospitals of cities like Philadelphia and New York are superior to our own. They are, I will admit, further ad vanced In technical and. perhaps, laboratory research, but when it comes to practical, rational, scien tific medicine and surgery. Atlanta schools equal any of the East and are superior to many. Comparing our present enlarged Grady hospital with others of simi lar size. 1 wish to say that Atlanta has an institution of which she may well be proud. It is modefn in every respect Atlanta is the most popular city of the South. People constantly ask me about ijur Auditorium, of which they have heard much. Also, about our hospitals and institutions of learn ing. In reply to questions regard ing foreigners coming to Georgia. I reply that the state welcomes all good people. The' daily papers of Atlanta are among the best we have in this country. I can not get along with out reading Th< Georgian and other papers of Atlanta DR SIMON L. KATZOFF. New York City. nouncement of allegiance to any foreign country. He must swear to defend the Constitution of the United States. This oath should Inspire him to read his Constitu tional policy. He must be able to speak English, to write, to answer som" questions showing his under standing of the simple principle? of government. He Is then ad mitted to citizenship. He is now one of the family, with equal rights and privileges with all others, and he can hold any office except that of president or vice president. Citizenship Is denied to Chinese and Japanese. It is also denied to anarchists and to al] avowed or suspected enemies of constitutional government. 11. To attain the dignity of citizen ship in the United States is to re ceive assurance of rights and priv lieges that are numerous and val uable. Every citizen becomes the recipient of benefits both from the state in which he resides and from the nation. As a citizen you can do all these things and many more. 1. Possess, and protect your property. 2. Pursue your ambition fearless ly. if it be a lawful ambition 3 Adopt and practice the religion of your choice. 4. Have freedom of speech (be ing responsible for what you say). 5. The right of jury trial, 6. The assurance of securltj to yourself, your family and posses sions. 7. The assurance that you shall not be Imprisoned for debt, unless fraud be involved. 8. The right freely to assemble with other citizens and petition for the redress of grievances. (This is the initiative or the recall, ac cording to the nature of the griev. ance.) These are a few of the distinct rights and privileges that are the reward of citizenship. You will not fail to notice that every one of them INCLUDES a duty and a responsibility. B’or every privilege you enjoy is the privilege of ever.v other citizen. AND YOU CAN NOT PUT LET OR HINDRANCE IN HIS WAY. Six Specific Duties a Citizen Should Perform. Some specific duties of citizen ship are these: 1. Respecting the rightsand priv ileges of others. 2. Performing civic, duties honor ably. and without yielding to the temptation of private gain. 3. The payment of debts. 4. The respect of another man s religion. 5. The same respect for another man’s reputation that you demand for your own. 6. The willingness to defend the country that protects you In time of peace. Most men are long on demanding their rights. A true citizen should be just a.° anxious to know his duty and ,n do it. THE PROHIBITION LAW Editor The Georgian: I believe that a majority of the people, of Georgia oppose the pres ent prohibition law because the state is In much worse condition now than when we had local op tion. Under the old local option law there were only nineteen we’ counties in the state. Under th present prohibition law every coun ty in Georgia is more or less During the days of local option if a blind tiger was caught he was given the limit of the law. Now It seems almost impossible to get suf ficient proof to convict a blind ti ger. This prohibition law was thrust upon the people of Georgia by a lot of cheap politicians who wer* working in the Interest of the rail roads and express companies, whose revenues have been in creased enormously by the passag 'd the act. It was shown in the last gubernatorial campaign tha' more than 4.000,000 gallons of whis ky were shipped into this state each year. The transportation charge* must have been 50 cents per gal lon, therefore the roads and express companies received $2,000,000. '■ am in favor of prohibition if can have real prohibition, but tbs present law not only does not ac complish good, but, on the con trary. constitutes a menace to the state. THOMAS W SHIERL«v» Fayetteville Ga.