Newspaper Page Text
But that is all past now, and we sinipiy re
fer to it because some narrow-minded bigots
who run absurd little newspapers have been
criticising Governor Smith for appointing
Hines.
We venture to say that nine-tenths of the
genuine Democrats are glad that the State is
* at length to have in her service so good an
officer.
•i n at
Mr. Bryan in 1892.
Elsewhere will be found an extract taken
from Mr. Bryan’s paper, The Commoner.
Our readers will note the letter of Governor
Boyd, informing Mr. Bryan that the National
Democratic Committee desired the Nebraska
Democrats to vote for General James B.
Weaver. They will also notice the article
published in the N. Y. World, and-Mr. Bryan's
comment thereon.
The Weaver named in the instructions to
Mr. Bryan is our gallant old Populist stand
ard bearer who was rotten-egged in Macon
Ga., that same year, 1892, and who found At
lanta seething with excitement that he
called off his meeting, for fear there would
be a bloody riot.
That is New York’s method of manipulating
party machinery. That was the New Yorl
way in 1892; and the same Wall Street crowd
adopted the same tactics when they bought
the nomination for Parker in 1904.
And Mr. Bryan’s defense of himself for bow
ing his regal head to Wall Street in 1892, is
much more satisfactory than .any that he will
ever be able to make for his submission in
1904.
•tn n
Trouble Tor Alabama.
Are not our good friends of The Farmers’
Union Guide making a serious mistake in or
ganizing the ffegroes?
It seems so to us.
Farmers’ Union meetings are secret meet
ings: DO WE WANT TO STRENGTHEN
THE SECRET ORGANIZATION
AGAINST THE WHITES, WHICH THE
NEGROES ALREADY HAVE?
Instead of encouraging the negroes to or
ganize another Secret Order, we had better be
breaking up some that threaten us now. Those
who have studied the situation realize that
much of the trouble we have with negro labor
comes from behind the closed doors of their
Secret Societies.
Why make it possible for negro leaders to
get in their devilish work, through the popular
form of Farmers* Unions? Who wants these
negroes organized, anyway? Who is it that
started any such dangerous movement? Why
is Alabama the only state where “negro organ
izers” are advertised for? And why is the
Guide the only paper which seenls to be mak
ing a specialty of this risky business?
We ask the questions in good faith. We
would like to hear the Guide’s side of it.
We believe that the men who are publishing
the Guide are true-hearted men, and we do not
mean to do them any injustice. At the same
time, we think they are making a huge mis
take. Let the negroes get the full benefit of
all the improved conditions which the Farm
ers’ Union will bring about, but don’t organ
ize them.
H «t *
The Independence League.
’I
That’s a funny name to give to a concern
that belongs —body, boots and breeches —to
W. R. Hearst.
If you want to enlist under Mr. Hearst, for
better or for worse, until Death do us part,
run right along and join the Independence
League.
Pf all Leagues, it is the least Independent.
WATSON’S WKBKLY JEFFBRSONIAN.
Dishonest Announcements.
Is it right to advertise a speaker who is
known to have declined the invitation?
Is it not a species of dishonesty to do so?
Evidently, such an advertisement of “an
attraction,” is intended to attract. If people
are drawn to a certain place by the advertise
ment of a certain attraction—when those who
do the advertising know that the goods can
not be delivered—how can such conduct be
defended?
I have suffered much from this kind of treat
ment. People who go to these places because
of these advertisements, do not always know
that the announcement of my expected pres
ence was unauthorized; therefore when some
explanation is made that “Mr. Watson has dis
appointed us,” the crowd may get the idea
that Mr. Watson is not a man .of his word,
la this way, I have been made to suffer, un
justly. Time and again this summer I have
been advertised to speak by ptop.le who had
my letters and telegrams of declination. Thus,
I have been made to appear to break engage
ments, throughout the country, from South
Carolina to Texas. The truth is, I have been so
hard at work on the two Jeffersonians that
only two invitations could be accepted—both
of them coming from these whom i could not
afford to from the tountry people
of McDuffie county, and the other from my
friend, Major McGregor.
Both of these appointments were kept.
If there ever was a positive promise, made
by me to speak at a certain time and place,
that was not redeemed, it has escaped my rec
ollection.
Do not pay the slightest attention to any
advertisement of my appointments, unless
you see it in the Jeffersonian.
it at ar
Absurd Jones and 'Ridiculous Pritchard.
These two Federal Judges are bringing the
Judiciary into contempt.
They may know a good deal about decisions,
but they know nothing of jurisprudence.
Os historic origins and the larger principles
of law, they are as ignorant as a pair of mules.
They confuse Security of Title with the Right
to Net Profits, forgetting that the Law safe
guards the one, without taking the least no
tice of the other.
They evade and violate the nth Amend
ment •to the Constitution by saying that a
Railroad company does not sue a state when
by Injunction it restrains Governor, Attorney-
General, Corporation Commission, and all oth
er officials of the State Government from car
rying on the state administration.
Such absurd judges as Jones of Alabama,
and such ridiculous corporation lawyers as
Pritchard, are but hastening the day when the
people will put an end to the private owner
ship of Public Utilities.
« at at
Notice to Exchanges.
All weekly papers exchanging with either
one of the Watson publications are requested
to change the address from Atlanta to Thom
son.
n H it
THE TROUBLE WITH THE TELEGRAPH.
It’s very amusing to read the Macon Telegraph
these days. From time to time in good humor and
temper we trust, The Herald has called attention'to
its editorial discussions, for instance the famous
“Sword in Each Hand,” editorial of the Telegraph
in which it stated that inasmuch as there was no
longer a democratic paper published in Atlanta the
Telegraph was prepared to lay down the pen for the
sword and continue the fight for democracy in Geor
gia.
As we remarked at the time, doesn’t such a prop
osition have a jarring sound in Georgia democracy?
We had *a recent primary in Georgia politics and the
Telegraph was about all that was left to one side of
the contention as to the Georgia democracy’s plat-
form, purposes and candidiates. The state democrat
ic convention met in Macon, the people all over the
state attended that love feast of the people and the
convention and platform of the democratic party in
Georgia took on new life and held out the hope that
the old party in Georgia was at last going to enact
into law, put on the statute books and make a part
of party life and loyalty, the reforms that the people
of Georgia have been demanding for years and which
in the primary they had declared so overwhelming
ly for, in the candidacy of Hoke Smith, as almost
to amount to a revolution in Georgia.
And yet claiming to be a loyal democrat, which
it is not, the Telegraph has continuously since the
primary, since the convention, since the party plat
form and pledges, since the meeting of the state leg
islature, whose members were elected as democrats —
with all these lights and fafets before it, done all that
it could to make democracy in Georgia ineffective,
has done all that it could to block the will of the
people as expressed in the primary and in the state
convention and in the platform and pledges of the
party.
The Herald does not object to the opposition of
the Telegraph in things democratic. But let’s make
it an honest, open, staightforward fight, one that
the Telegraph made for instance for sound money
within the party lines. But the Telegraph seems
to be unable to handle democratic doctrine these
days unless it is attacking some one. Its foolish
idea of building up the party, is to run everybody out
of the party that doesn’t agree with the Telegraph.
Take for instance the very pertinent query of wheth
er the Jeffersonian democracy of Mr. Thos. E. Wat
son suits the people of Georgia better than the
brand that the uses, has used for many
years. Personally we have no hesitation in speaking
for ourselves, we prefer the Jeffersonian brand, most
of the democrats of Georgia seem also to prefer it.
At any rate they—the democrats of Georgia—largely
co-operated with Mr. Watson, Mr. Smith and Mr.
Hardwick, The Herald, the Journal, a host
of others, at the polls • in the recent pri
mary. There never was such an overwhelming
victory in Georgia as the movement within the
democratic party which resulted in the election of
Hoke Smith, the last state convention and the Macon
platiorm.
Not for a moment do we doubt the Telegraph’s
democracy but it does seem fair to say that with the
exception of the Telegraph itself no other democrats
in the state seem to care largely for it just at present.
It must really be hard work pushing that particular
article on the people of Georgia at this particular
season and we imagine that it is going to be harder
still for the future.
If the Telegraph wishes to continue to play the
role of mentor, school teacher and common scold
in the democratic party in Georgia, it ought at least
to have the common school requirement for the job.
It is teaching just now without the new text books.
For the Telegraph to talk to the democratic hosts
of Georgia, to try to teach the democratic children
it ought at least to acquaint itself with and be loyal
to party principles and pledges ,as declared by the
people of the state and formulated into party plat
forms and purposes.
The Telegraph thinks doubtless its position is a
safe and sane and sound one as far as a democracy in
Georgia is concerned. In reality there is nothing in
common between the Telegraph and the democracy
in Georgia. The Telegraph itself admits this in one
breath and in the next declares it will fight for the de
mocracy with a crowd, etc. The Telegraph is in acrid
opposition to everything that stands for democracy
in Georgia . It glories in its ability to scold and
berate and yet the old Telegraph still sticks to a
name that means nothing to it, as far as party
strength and loyalty and adherence is concerned.
Surely a curious contrast and an amusing spectacle.
The Telegraph claims to be the only democratic
daily in Georgia and yet there is no more persistent,
active, vicious opponent to the party platform, the
party pledges and its party leaders who are trying
to make effective the promises of the party to the
people. If the Telegraph will only cease claiming
to be democratic, its articles and editorials against
everything democratic in the state, will lose none of
their effectiveness and it will have more time to wield
the sword against democracy, because it will need
less time to keep its mask on straight while it claims
to be fighting for democracy. —Augusta Herald.
■t at r
WELL DONE, THE GOVERNOR.
No one thing that Governor Smith has done up to
this point in his administration gives The Georgian
greater satisfaction than the tender of the special
(Continued on Page Twelve.)
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