Newspaper Page Text
actual start of the growing season
was fully a month late. The present
crop has, therefore, had to contend
with the serious handicap of a tardy
start. .Since the early days of June
the weather has been favorable and
good progress has been made, both in
growth and in tlie shape of recovery
from the early drawbacks.
The question now paramount is to
what extent the crop has regained the
time lost at starting. The general
belief is that the crop is still back
ward, even though it be admitted
that wonderful progress has been
made since favorable weathef condi
tions set in. Aside from this back
wardness, however, the crop is re
ported to be looking vigorous, to be
growing steadily and fruiting well.
An impartial observer would prob
ably form the opinion that the final
outturn of the present crop will de
pend very largely upon the weather
from now on, and particularly upon
the date of killing frost. Should the
weather prove good "and frost be de
layed sufficiently, there should be no
obstacle to a fairly good yield. An
early frost, however, would undoubt
edly prove more serious to the chan
ces of the crop this season than would
be the case in ordinary years.
The belief in a short crop is so
confident at this time that even spin
ners and consumers are impressed
with the idea, yet it would be wise
to consider the possibility of a good
yield, which, even if not probable,
is still possible. The cotton trade
is in the happy condition of not hav
ing to fear a material reduction in
prices. Even if the crop should
prove as large as the last one, it
would be all needed at good prices
There is, of course, small prospect,
or no prospect at all, that the cron
will equal the record crop of the
past year, yet it might still prove
a good average crop, and every bale
of such cotton vail be demanded to
meet the world’s requirements. High
prices are a strong temptation to the
farmer and merchant, but it is, never
theless, a fact that a full yield mark
eted at paying prices is infinitely
preferable to a short yield at fancv
prices, because a far greater number
of people share in the profits and the
general cotton trade of the world i
less disturbed and disorganized
The Agricultural Department at
Washington will today issue its Au
gust report on the condition of the
cotton crop. This report will be
pased upon replies from correspon
dents throughout the South of an av
erage date of July 25. Just what the
report will show is, of course, an
unknown quantity, although it is safe
to assume that a much lower average
than last year will be revealed, as
well as a lower result than the ten
year average. In the condition av
erage, however, the lateness of the
crop and its backwardness will figure
largely, hence it would not be entire
ly safe to figure out the ultimate
yield on the basis of the government’s
August condition average, as a late
fall would do a gieat deal towards
making good present backwardness.
Whatever interpretation may be
placed on t’ue figures made public by
the government todav, it cannot bur
be admitted that the cotton crop ha<
reached August 1 with a greater de
gree of uncertainty prevailing as to
its ultimate results than is usual at
this date,—New Orleans Picayune.
WATSON’S WEEKLY JEFFERSONIAN.
FARMERS’ UNION SONG.
At the feast of the»gambler,
And five hundred of his kind,
As they cut and slash our prices,
At the bidding of their mind,
And at night while they revell’d
In their royal palace hall,
They were seized with consternation
At the Union’s work, that’s all.
Refrain.
’Tis the hand of the man on the
plow,
’Tis the hand of the man on the
plow,
Shall the Union cause now flourish
Or be compelled to perish,
While that hand is resting
On the plow!
See the boys of the Union,
Now above a million strong,
They’re rebuking the gambler
For his mighty deeds of wrong,
They will give him his position—
It must come to one and all,
For the speculator’s spotted
By the Union, that is all.
(Refrain).
See the brave Union boys,
That would dare to do the right,
Which the Union gives to brothers
’Tis the secret of their might,
In their home in the country
.While they eat their fatty bread
They are piling consternation
On the speculator’s head.
(Refrain).
So your deeds are recorded,
’Tis the Union writing now,
You had better quit your gambling
And record an honest vow,
For the day is approaching
It must come to one and all,
When the gambler’s occupation
Will be batted like the ball.
—Clinch County News.
COCA COLA HABIT.
A little while and liquor will be
put from our fair state. Thousands
have fallen victims to its venom.
But ere the people rid themselves
of this evil, something still deadlier
springs in its place.
Some weeks ago Mr. Asa G. Can
dler gave ninety-five thousands of
dollars toward Christianity, and the
people. But he robbed the lives of
a thousand babes, ruined the physi
cal constitution of a thousand girls,
and blighted the ambitions of a thou
sand boys in doing it.
Mr. Candler is at the head of coca
cola manufacturing. Coca cola is
a poison that kills without pain; it
ensnares and isn’t a snare; in fact,
it is the most hellish piece of ma
chinery ever adopted by the devil.
It mocks memory, ruins reason, and
incites deviltry; it bursts business
men, and takes away a professional’s
practice; it destroys womanhood,
blights manhood, and debauches
childhood; it makes men and women
weak.
More people are addicted to coca
cola than cigarettes and opium com
bined. And it is just as deadly. In
our judgment, one who drinks coca
cola is lower than a man who smokes
cigarettes, as far as the habits are
concerned.
We condemn coca cola, whiskey
and cigarettes, but sympathize with
and fiends.
Here’s sympathy for the coca cola
fiend. —Clinch County News.
AN O?IN LLTTLR.
Bliss Building, Washington, D. C.,
July 11, 1907.
Thomas E. Watson, Esq., Atlanta,
Ga.
Dear Sir: Enclosed is copy of a
letter to the editor of the Register,
of Mobile. He has seen fit to not
publish it, because it corrects his
mis-statements concerning Thom
as Jefferson’s attitude toward the
people’s rule. The initiative and ref
erendum, which the Register is fight
ing, is bound to come and we hope
that your paper will permit us to
tell its patrons that the Register re
fuses to give both sides of the ini
tiative and referendum issue.
Yours for progress,
GEO. H. SHIBLEY.
Editor The Register, Mobile, Ala.:
Permit me to supplement your quo
tation from Thomas Jefferson con
cerning representative government.
In a letter to John Taylor in 1816
he wrote:
“Your book, ‘An Enquiry into the
Principles of Our Gogemment,’set
tles unanswerably the right of in
structing representatives and their
duty to obey.”
Thus Thomas Jefferson recognized
that while representatives are neces
sary they should be the people’s
agents and not their rulers.
The Federalists thought otherwise.
They endeavored to prevent the peo
ple from instructing their represen
tatives. During 1787 they framed
and submitted a constitution in which
there were no limitations on the pow
er of Congress. Before a majority
vote could be secured for it the Fed
eralist leaders in several states were
forced to promise that if the conven
tions would adopt the proposed sys
tem of government they would work
in the First Congress to secure the
submission of amendments. Tn this
way enough votes were secured, and
in the First Congress twelve amend
ments were submitted, ten of which
were adopted. Thus the limitations
upon Congress were secured. Among
these limitations are the Ninth and
Tenth Amendments reserving to the
people and to the States the powers
not delegated to the United States.’
Among these reserved rights is that
of instructing representatives. Thus
the voters retained their sovereign
ty.
It remained for the voters to en
force instructions, as they had done
from 1776 till the rise of the auto
cratic Federalist party. Usually the
Federalists refused to obey instruc
tions, and in 1798 they came into
power in -the House, owing to the
revulsion of feeling against the ex
cesses in the French Revolution. The
Federalists were in full control and
they committed such excesses that
the people turned them out of office’.
This was in the year 1800. Those
elected were pledged to obey instruc
tions. Thomas Jefferson in his in
augural address declared for “Abso.
lute acquiescence in the decisions of
the majority—the*vital principles of
republics.”
So effective was the majority rub,
government that in 1817 the Federal
ist party died nationally. Every one
in public life admitted that the will
of the majority should prevail.
But with the rise of the convention
system the people ceased to instruct
at will at towm meetings in the rural *
sections of the North, and elsewhere
at mass meetings. They ceased to do
this because the convention system
was more effective. Delegates obeyed
instructions and the majority ruled 4 .
But aftei a while the convention
system itself was changed by provid
ing that delegates should be elected
by delegates, and that these should
elect other delegates in order to
stifle the people’s will. Thus ma
chine rule was established.
How shall the people regain the
right to vote direct on public ques
tions as in the days of Washington,
Jefferson, Madison and Monroe?
Instructions at town meetings and
mass meetings is an antiquated sys
tem. In Texas the Democratic par
ty has established the advisory ini
tiative within the organization. A
system is established whereby five
per cent of the voters of the parly
can propose questions which are sub
mitted at the primaries. In Illinois
there is a different system of advisoi v
initiative. The people vote at elec
tion time. Last year in Delaware
the people voted on the following
proposal by the legislature: “Sha’l
the Legislature establish the advisory
{initiative and advisory referen
dum?”
And last year, too, in Massachu
setts a majority in both houses were
pledged to establish the advisory in
itiative.
Nationally 75 Democrats in the
House and 35 Republicans are
pledged to vote for a Federal stat
ute establishing the advisory refer
endum for acts of Congress and mea
sures passed by either House, and
the advisory initiative for the follow
ing questions:
Interstate commerce, civil service,
immigration, trial by jury or any
modification of the law of injunction,
eight-hour day in government con
tract work, and the submission of
constitutional amendments for th*
initiative and referendum, election of
United States Senators by the peo
ple, and election of fourth-class
postmasters by the patrons of each
office.
Thus there is a national movement
for the restoration of a system where
by the voters shall possess an option
to instruct national representatives.
This is in line with the system which
existed in Jefferson’s day. Four of
Alabama’s Congressmen favor the
proposed change, namely, George W.
Taylor, of Demopolis, Aristo A. Wi
ley, of Montgomery, J. T. Heflin, of
Lafayette, and R. P. Hobson, of
Greensboro.
Yours for People’s Rule,
GEORGE H. SHIBLEY,
President National Federation for
People’s Rule.
A Knoxville paper says,
Landis exhibits most commendable
zeal in twisting the octopus’ tail.”
He must be a particularly able man
if he can locate the tail of an octo
pus without any trouble.
“Senator Beveridge differs from
Bryan in that be has never lost a
night shirt,” says the Atlanta Con
stitution. But be resembles Bryan
in that he has never lost a chance
to talk,
- —— -• —* ■«- ■ Hl .
PAGE SEVEN