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10 FINLEY ROASTED IN HIS OWN HOT AIR ® w w w ••• • ••• • • •♦•#•♦•#•♦•••♦••••• 0 ♦ 1 1 J ' i ;3B> fl| ♦ ♦ n ’ BR •>>' •. M * I BMHPSifIi • ♦ i . ♦ ■HUMHHHfIBI » 1 FREJ9EEXELVT W. W. FINLEY, • J Wh« Wu the Chief Speaker at * *><•>« Annual Banquet of tha | ♦ Chaniber of Commerce. • ♦ I *4h**a** **•*•**■••••**•■•■•■ a ■«■•*••• ■«*•>•••*•>* A sufficient time has elapsed for all who were present at the chamber of commerce dinner on Tuesday night and those who subsequently read the speech of President Finley to deliber ate over it and pass an impartial judg ment upon it. The opportunity presented itself on that occasion for a clear, straightfor ward expression of the reciprocal rights and duties of the railroads and the people. Instead of that the speak er confined himself, as usual, to a wearisome and meaningless repetition of glittering generalities. We felt justified in assuming in ad vance that much would be said of “harmony and co-operation,” and w r e were not disappointed. In order that we may arrive at a correct understanding of the situation let us see what is the real meaning of this “co-operation” between the railroads and the people. It is the duty of the shipper to contribute to the business of the railroads, and that he has done this is shown by the fact that during the decade ending with 1904 the net earnings of the railroads had increased 82 per cent. In com merce and industry the country as a whole has prospered as never before in its history and the railroads have naturally been the beneficiaries of this prosperity. And what have the railroads done by'way of “co-operation”? Have they met the people in a spirit of harmony and good will? Have they extended their mileage and increased their equipment and reduced their tariffs in proportion to the volume of business done? Have they made such conces sion to the shippers as would indicate a real desire for “harmony and co-op eration,” or have they pursued a course of selfish aggrandizement at the ex pense of the shippers? In all fairness and seriousness we do not feel that they have been fair to the people. On the contrary we feel and we know, from undisputed evi dence, that such is not the case. It has been a one-sided co-operation. The railroads have been crying, like the daughters of the horse-leech, “Pay, pay,” but they have not paused in a spirit of real harmony and co-operation to say, “In these years of plenty we have prospered through your indus try and skill; the percentage of our net earnings has increased four score; WATSON’S WEEKLY JEFFERSONIAN. A STINGING EDITORIAL PRINTED IN THE ATLANTA JOURNAL we will make you partners in our good fortune; we will reduce our tolls in proportion to our prosperity in or der that you may share equitably in the fruit of your toil; we will make harmony and co-operation something more than the dreams of altruists or the vague promises with which self-interest deludes a confiding pub lic.” Have the railroads of the south pur sued any such policy as this? In all candor, we think not. On the contrary what have they done? Their outbursts of gratitude have merely been a lively sense of favors yet to come. They have per sistently and constantly trifled with the people until appeals for “harmony and co-operation” become a hollow mockery. Let us examine the record. Railroad interests have dominated legislation in Georgia until they hold the state in the hollow of their hand. Under the protection and friendly consideration which they have been enabled to secure they have built up a vast system which literally stifles competition and tends to perpetuate its oppression. Instead of obeying the law as the individual citizen must obey it, they openly, flagrantly and continuously violate the law. They make a travesty of the statutes and the constitution of the state from which the railroads draw their life blood, and so far from showing any spirit of repentance, any disposition to go their way and sin no more, they lose no opportunity to exercise their des potism in forbidding others to come to our relief. The prevailing prosperity and our geographical position alike entitle us to a reduction in the rates which are exacted of the shippers of Georgia. In the spirit of good fellowship or even of common justice, are these conces sions granted? Their answer is to deny us even a readjustment of rates which would enable us to compete with our sister states under the natural law r s of trade. Is this “harmony and co-operation” or is it the species of fraternity which prevails between the sion and the co-operation of total There has never been a time when the people of Georgia were not willing to harmonize and co-operate, but in spite of alluring promises they have been offered the harmony of compul boa-constrictor and the lamb? surrender. They have had neither part nor lot in the terms and conditions which have been imposed upon them. They have been plundered on the highway and asked to give thanks; they have seen the solemn provisions of their constitution trampled upon and their protests met with the cynical in quiry, “What are you going to do about it?” THEY SEE THE SOUTH ERN RAILROAD TODAY IN ABSO LUTE AND UNDISPUTED CONTROL OF THE CENTRAL OF GEORGIA RAILWAY, A COMPETING SYSTEM WHICH IS THEREBY RENDERED HARMLESS AND NON-COMPETI TIVE, IN UNBLUSHING DEFIANCE OF THE ORGANIC LAW OF THIS STATE. These are the cold, plain, simple facts. Nothing could be further from our thought than a personal arraignment of the distinguished gentlemen who re- cently sat at that banquet board. They are men of culture and refine ment. In all the social amenities of life they are above reproach. As in dividual citizens they are law abiding and public spirited. Why is it that in their official ca pacity they obstinately refuse to rec ognize the rights of the people and the plain provisions of the law? Why is it that they indulge in glittering generalities w’hich are absolutely meaningless so long as these funda mental wrongs exist? Why should they solemnly juggle words about “har mony and co-operation” when the very existence of the system they control is founded on despotism and defiance of law? A unique situation presented itself Tuesday night. Around that hospitable table sat the men who largely control the destinies of this state. The ex ecutive officers of the leading rail roads centering here were face to face with the leading representatives of our industrial and commercial interests. If the facts as we have presented them are not correctly stated why would they not, as a tribute to the intelli gence of the public, give the facts? IF IT IS NOT TRUE THAT THE SOUTHERN RAILROAD DOMINATES AND CONTROLS THE CENTRAL OF GEORGIA RAILWAY—IF IT IS NOT TRUE THAT FREIGHT RATES IN GEORGIA, AS A RESULT OF IN TERSATE AND INTRASTATE DIS CRIMINATIONS, ARE AT LEAST THIRTY PER CENT HIGHER THAN THE AVERAGE FOR ALL THE SUR ROUNDING STATES, WHY WOULD THEY NOT STAND UP IN THEIR PLACES AND TELL US WHAT ARE THE FACTS? For if these facts are true as stated it is idle to talk to us of “harmony and co-operation.” They but palter with us in a double sense; they “give the word of promise to the ear and break it to the hope.” They place themselves in the atti tude of trifling with the most vital question of the hour. We want some straightforward FACTS, not soothing syrup for a fret ful child. WE WANT TO KNOW HOW LONG YOUR ROAD, MR. FIN LEY, IS TO CONTINE OPERATING THE CENTRAL OF GEORGIA RAIL WAY UNDER THE SHALLOW AR TIFICE OF A “HOLDING COMMIT TEE,” THE CHIEF MEMBER OF WHICH WAS INVITED TO SIT AT YOUR ELBOW TUESDAY NIGHT AND TO DELIVER A RAILROAD SPEECH, in the presence of four hun dred representative citizens of Geor gia. Every man within the sound of your voice wanted to know when this dis crimination against Georgia in favor of other states in the matter of freight rates is to cease. They wanted to know why Georgia, situated alongside of the Atlantic ocean, with magnifi cent harbors, is denied reasonable rates to the Interior. They want to know when dividends on fictitious values are to give place to an expenditure for betterments, in order that some security may be thrown around the people and the carnival of death which has made your road notorious may have an end. Those who are co-operating with you by literally glutting your system with traffic want to know when you propose to enlarge your equipment so as to handle this enormous business. They want to know why the Atlanta, Birm ingham & Atlantic railroad was not al lowed to enter Atlanta, in accordance with previous arrangements, over the Central of Georgia railway. If your memory was not fresh on that point, perhaps President J. F. Hanson,- of the Central, could have supplied you with the data. These are the questions which the people of Atlanta and of Georgia wish ed to hear you discuss, Mr. Finley. They are not airily academic. They are practical questions. They come home to our daily needs and fears. THEY LIE AT THE ROOT OF THIS UNFORTUNATE CONTROVERSY, AND OUR DIFFERENCES CANNOT BE ADJUSTED UNTIL THESE QUESTIONS ARE ANSWERED. It was a magnificent opportunity, Mr. Finley. Did you rise to it? Did you, for that special occasion, when the representatives of the railroads and the representatives of the people were mingling in fraternal good-will, and the latter, at least, were anxious to come to a correct understanding of conditions present and prospective, lay aside that pleasuing homily on “co-operation” and MAKE US A, SPEECH —A REAL speech, Mr. Finley, full of meat and marrow, and tell us when we are to be released from the body of this death? You did not, Mr. Finley. You gave us the same specious arguments, the same old selfish appeals. When you come again it is hoped that you will give us a real speech. When you do this and follow it up with good works to confirm your change of heart you • will receive an ovation such as you have never received before. “Harmony and co-operation,” now and hereafter, will suffuse you like the playful waters of a perfumed sea. WATSON’S INDEPENDENCE. (From The Cosmopolitan.) In these times when the great vested interests are assiduously reaching out to influence or subsidize our public men and many of our orators and pulpiteers, there are happily some dis tiguished exceptions. Thomas E. Wat son is one of these. In a long career of public usefulness, devoted to cham pioning the perpetuity of democratic institutions, he has abundantly proved this. His ability and influence have made him a shining object of insidu ous temptations to betray the cause of the people, but he could never be bought. It is our pleasure to record that Mr. Watson has started and is now conducting in Atlanta, Ga., a new mag azine called “Watson’s Jeffersonian Magazine.” Our readers will doubtless recall Mr. Watson’s connection, as ed itor, with “Tom Watson’s Magazine.” Mr. Watson found that the capitalists in control of that publication constant ly hampered him in his aim to bring out the truth as he saw it. He, there fore, abandoned the post, and the mag azine became defunct. Wiser with this experience, Mr. Wat son has established his new magazine on a basis which will give him absolute independence of expression. This, above all things, is what he most val ues. He owns the magazine entirely himself, and no one will be asked to put a dollar of investment in it. Those who buy and read it will be sure to get the truth as Mr. Watson sees, be lieves, and understands it