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PAGE TWELVE WELL DONE, THE GOVERNOR. (Continued from Page Nine.) attorneyship of the railroad commission to Judge James K. Hines. It is a timely and merited recognition of that great company of Populists who having recorded in three campaigns their protest against the corporation drift of our modern democracy, and having en grafted many of the best and wisest of their Jeffer sonian principles upon the platforms of the democrat ic party, have come back in good faith and in self respect to the house of their fathers to remain. The appointment of Judge Hines is an act not less of personal appreciation for loyal support, but as well of that high and comprehensive statesman ship that builds parties above prejudice and beyond the narrow lines of faction. We congratulate the governor upon the tender. There were never any better and truer citizens of Georgia than those who made up the old Populist party. They were honest and conscientious farmers, of the bone and sinew of the state, genuinely per suaded of the necessity of reforms which they feared could not be attained within the existing lines of the Hon, Seaborn Wright on the Locker Question, To the People of Georgia:— The number of letters coming to me from prohibitionists over Georgia, • asking for an explanation of what they are pleased to call the “locker tax,’ 1 convinces me that an organized effort by the liquor interests is being made to deceive the people as to this tax; and that a full explanation oi the tax is necessary. While it is a question of law, I will try to make the explanation so plain that no one. need be longer in doubt as to the wisdom and necessity for the tax. 1. The tax of SSOO on clubs was put in the General Tax Act the last day of the session of the legislature, to CURE a DEFECT in the prohibi tion bill itself passed some weeks be fore. 2. This defect in the prohibition bill was in the first section of the bill, and the Avords were as follows: “No intoxicating liquors shall be given away to induce trade at any place of business or kept or furnish ed at any other PUBLIC PLACE.” 3. Intoxicating liquors CAN be KEPT in any place not forbidden by the prohibition bill, and as the pro hibition bill forbids the keeping of it in PUBLIC PLACES ONLY, it follows that it be kept in any • place that is NOT A PUBLIC PLACE. 4. Is a club a public place? If it is, then regardless of the SSOO tax, it cannot be kept in a club room or “locker.” A proviso to the SSOO tax EXPRESSLY says that “nothing in this section shall be con strued to license or permit any in toxicant or liquors in any place now prohibited by law or which shall here after be prohibited by law.” If, however, a club is NOT A PUB LIC PLACE, then liquor can be kept under the terms of the prohibition bill itself, in a club room or locker. 5. The question arose, with the friends of prohibition in the legisla ture, after the passage of the prohi bition bill, and when it was too late to amend the prohibition bill as to what was best to be done. Our only chance was to amend the - tax act, which had not then passed the house, and put as high a tax on WATSON’S WEEKLY JEFFERSONIAN. democratic organization. They fought their battle fairly, bravely, capably, and they won. They carried Georgia with them and were for a season the domi nant party in the state. They were Georgians to the core, and not an un worthy act mars the record of their brief career of power, which resulted in the partial acceptance by the democracy survives to vindicate and perpetuate its which they contended, while every subsequent year has given them more abundant vindication in the adoption of their creeds by the great party of thq people which Jefferson founded for the people. No Populist need ever blush for the history and achievements of his party so long as our definite democracy survives to vindilcate and perpetuate principles,. And Judge James K. Hines was one of the ablest the cleanest and the best beloved of the leaders of these honest Georgians. He was their candidate at one time for governor. He was at all times their loyal and eloquent advocate, and the asperities of politics never discovered a stain upon his character When Governor Smith launched the great cam paign that carried the Incarnation of that definite de- clubs or “lockers,” as possible. Not to license its keeping in clubs or “lockers,” but to PREVENT its keeping in clubs or “lockers,” which the prohibition bill did not do. 6. If a club is NOT A PUBLIC PLACE, then any dozen men more or less under the prohibition law, could have rented a room and kept in it a “locker system” without costing them a cent —but since the club tax was placed on such rooms, they must pay SSOO for the privilege of simplv keeping their liquor in a “locker.” 7. T drew the club tax for SIO,OOO originally. This would have abso lutely cured the defect in the prohi bition bill. This SIO,OOO amendment I gave to Mr. Sheffield, of Decatur county, and it was offered in the house and VOTED DOWN. Then the S3OO tax was offered, and every prohibitionist in the house, then pres ent, voted for it. This gave the sen ate the right to amend it, which it did, striking out the S3OO and insert ing SIO,OOO as originally offered by Mr. Sheffield. It came back to the house, and the house again against my earnest appeal, voted down the SIO,OOO senate amendment. Confer ence committees were appointed from the senate and the house, and they finally agreed to the SSOO tax the last hour of the session. 8. This SSOO tax cannot be con strued or twisted to mean a LI CENSE to keep liquor in lockers. Tv does NOT, IN ANY SENSE. CHANGE. ALTER OR NULLIFY THE PROHIBITION .LAW. Its adoption was the best thing possible to do until the meeting of the present legislature next June, when, if the courts hold against us, as to clubs being public places, we can amend the prohibition bill, and positively forbid the keeping of liquors in clubs. 9. As a rule, no legislation is per fect at the beginning. In the light of the experience we will have had from January, 1908, to June 1908. when the legislature meets again, va rious amendments to the prohibition hill may be found necessary to per fect it. We hope then to pass the bill of Mr. Mundy, of Polk, making it a felony to leU liquor in the state; also the bill of Mr. Persons, of Mun roe, making the holding of a United States license prim a faeae evidence of guilt; also the bill by Judge Cov ington making aIL railroads and ex press companies keep a record of li quors delivered in Georgia, * subject to the inspection of the grand jury. 10. This tax on clubs is no new tax. For many years it has been in the general tax acts. At first it was S2OO, and two years ago—in a fight led by Judge Covington and myself— it was raised to S3OO. It was simply renewed this year. As a matter of fact there never has been a law in Georgia against lockers, and club members keeping liquor in them, EVEN IN DRY COUNTIES. The old club tax alone stood in the way. 11. The following is an exact copy of the locker tax, and speaks plainly for itself: 11 Under every club, eorporation or association of persons who shall keep or permit to be kept, in any room or place, or any room or place con nected therewith, directly or indi rectly, in which membaos of such club, association or corporation frequent or assemble, any intoxicating liquors, the sum of SSOO. “PROVIDED, NOTHING IN THIS SECTCION SHALL BE CON STRUED TO LICENSE OR PER MIT ANY INTOXICANTS, IN ANY PLACE NOW PROHIBITED BY LAW OR WHICH SHALL HERE AFTER BE PROHIBITED- BY LAW.’’ 12. A word in conclusion: I care nothing for the curves of my enemies. I have been hurt at times by the un just criticism of them I have tried honestly to serve. But regardless of curses or approval I usually do what I think is right, let the consequences be what they may, and I expect to continue to do so. If a man is hon est with himself and the people, things come right in the end. Laying aside my personality in this matter, I beg of prohibitionists in Georgia to cease grumbling over minor matters: shut their ears to the specious arguments of the enemies of tlieir law, and for the good of the common cause press forward to the one great issue of the enforcement of our law. SEABORN WRIGHT. P. S.—l call attention to the fact that no correct copy of the prohibi- • ■ > 'v f \ 4 moracy for which James K. Hines and Thomas E. Watson pleaded in large part> under the banner of Populism, both Hines and Watson felt that they could without a trace of inconsistency fall in line behind this real champion of the people. And they did with power and eloquence give ring and currency to the Hoke Smith campaign, fighting in the ranks like men. It is well that the governor should tender to James K. Hines the legal counselorship of the great railroad commission which he has builded to estab lish the equality of the people. He could not find a truer democrat, in the genuine sense, to fill this station.* > He could not reward a cleaner and more yirtuous citizen. He could not honor a more incorruptible patriot. And he could not do a wiser thing than to tonic the whole rank of his own party by this injection of the good name and the high talents of an organiza tion that has been from the beginning an inspiration and a helper to the better democracy of this larger day. Well done, Governor Smith. Welcome, Counselor Hines. —The Atlanta Georgian. tion bill has yet been published by any paper in Georgia. In every pub lication I have seen, the word “pub lic” has been left out of the first section; and this, I believe, has caus ed the wide-spread misapprehension of the “locker tax.” S. W. NOTICE! When in need of Corn, Hay or Feed Stuff, write J. R. REYNOLDS, Louisburg, Tenn. . • /# SSUPCPJUR TOAL.L, Because it Is SO per cent briefer, more legible, and can be learned in one-half the time. We will prove these claims or give yon a course free in any of the old systems. All com mercial branches taught by experts. Write for catalogu WAYCROSS BUS INESS COLLEGE, Waycross, Ga. APPLER OATS Appier Oats, crop 1007, $1 per bush el, f. o. b. Griffin, Ga. In ordering use egress or P. O. money order. Address Martin V. Calvin, Director Georgia Experiment Station, Experiment, Ga. (Mention Watson’s Weekly Jefferso nian.) Splendid Premium For 3 subscribers and $3.00 you get, for your Premium, A STORY AND A STUDY OF THE OLD SOUTH, BETHANY which was the name of the ancient church where Thomson now flourishes. Mr. Watson’s descriptions of condi tions preceding the Civil War, and during the war have been pronounced by old folks as truer to life than those found in any other book. His statement of the case for the South is considered by many the fair est and strongest that has been made. Toombs, Hill, Stephens, Yancey and Jefferson Davis appear in life-like man ner in the book. Bethany is bound in cloth and is il lustrated. Address, THOS. E. WATSON. Thomson, Ga.