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PAGE TWELVE A LAST WORD ON THE R. F. D. SNUB. MR. LINDSAY’S INSULT TO THE GOVERNOR. (Continued from Page Nine.) Writing a private letter to Watson he calls him “daddy,” and classes Watson’s “lofty ideals” with his own. Was this manly? Was it right? In his private letter, written to smooth mat ters over with Watson, he is cheerfully willing to give the credit which he denies in public. Why did he not imitate the gentlemanly ex ample of Senator Clay? The Senator knows who is justly entitled to the credit, and he manfully gave his testimonial, in a public card. Mr. Lindsay knows who is entitled to the credit, for he says so in the private letter. Yet in his public card he refuses to make the same acknowledgment which Senator Clay, as a gentleman, felt to be Watson’s due. Why was Mr. Lindsay so ready to say in a private letter that he knew who was “the founder of our system,” after telling the public, in a card, that he did not know? Why the difference between the public state ment and the private one? There was another serious conflict between the published card, and the private letter. In the card, he bases his excuse wholly upon the idea that he believed the invitation would not be accepted. In the letter, he touches very light ly on this, and dwells at length upon the press of business, and the sickness of his brother. His private assurance to Watson is that he meant to send the invitation, but was so hur ried, etc., that he overlooked the matter. Yet, one more letter—just one—when he was writing to Lon Livingston and the others, would have carried to “the founder of our system” a token of recognition and apprecia tion that would have rejoiced his soul. For this one letter—just that one—Mr. Lind say could not spare the time. It will be eas’er for him to denounce Wat son again for “dastardly” conduct, than to ex plain iyhy the letter to Watson was the letter which he had no time to write. There is a strange jumble of inconsistencies in Mr. Lindsay’s various excuses. In the let ter to Mr. Watson, he dwells upon his broth er’s sickness, and the rush of business, etc. In his letter to the Constitution he first puts his failure to send the invitation, as he had promised, upon the ground that Mr. Watson had been unable to accept the invitation to the District Meeting in Augusta. Then, toward the end of the letter, he seems to intimate that he broke his promise to George Wilson and other carriers, because he thought Mr. Watson would “inject politics into our organi sation.” If Mr. Watson was dreaded oh that account, why urge him to attend the District Conven tion? The contradictions in which Mr. Lindsay has involved himself; the suspicious manner in which he made the promise to his brother car riers and then broke it; his failure to explain why he found time to write so many other invitations and could not find time to send the one which he had promised specially to send— leave Mr. Lindsay in bad shape. He has not freed himself from the suspicion of having been made a tool of by the Living ston ring. Through one of the carriers Mr. Watson was given notice that he would receive an invita tion to the National Convention. He did not fish for an invitation. He had no axe to grind. He had no grand-stand play to make. But his friends among the carriers thought that when their National Convention met in the state capital of Georgia the Georgian whose work laid the corner stone of the great R. F. D. serv ice ought to be complimented with an invita tion to attend. Kind friends of Mr. Watson volunteered WATSON’S WEEKLY JEFFERSONIAN. in the matter, and before he knew what was afoot the State Convention had passed the Res olution which a McDuffie county boy had of fered. A letter from George Wilson brought to Mr. Watson his first knowledge of what had been done. Mr. Wilson wrote of the promise of Mr. Lindsay in reference to the National Convention, consequently, the invita tion was expected. Even though Mr. Lindsay had known it could not be accepted, he owed it to the carriers to send it. ✓ In his letter to the Constitution, Mr. Lind say says, in effect, that the Georgia carriers are going to give him an endorsement when the State Convention meets in Albany on July 4, 1908. Maybe so. Mr. Lindsay claims, in effect, that the Geor gia boys who ride the R. F. D. routes ap prove his course in putting a public slight on Mr. Watson. We doubt it. Mr. Paul Lind say says, in effect, that the Georgia boys who ride these routes have no more regard for recognized courtesies and proprieties than he himself has. In the name of an honorable body of men, we deny it.’ Mr. Paul Lindsay says, in effect, that these Georgia boys who ride the Rural Routes are just as ready to do dirty work for Lon Liv ingston as he, himself, is. In their name and as their friend, we challenge the statement. Mr. Paul Lindsay says, in effect, that a gross discourtesy and impropriety, which Sen ator Clay was manly enough to promptly rec ognize and disfavor, will be ratified enthusias tically when the Albany Convention meets next July. Let us hope not. Inasmuch as Mr. Paul Lindsay has, in ef fect, issued orders that the delegates who at tend the Albany Convention shall come pledg ed to another public affront to Mr. Watson, the sequel will be watched with interest. He may be able to commit these gentlemen to the Livingston scheme of publicly insulting Mr. Watson, but we won’t believe it until it happens. Between now and next July many things will come to pass, and Mr. Lindsay may succeed in making the carriers forget that he went far out of his way to do hurt to one who had never injured him, and who might at least expect to be treated by R. F. D. officials with com mon civility. There is one very significant passage in Mr. Lindsay’s letter which gives him completely away and exposes him as the willing tool of designing men. It is this: “though you may be Governor of Georgia by proxy,” etc. This vicious side-swipe at Governor Hoke Smith gives Lindsay away. What did the Governor have to do with it? Why lug him in? It is known of all men that ever since the election last October, all the arts that political craft could practice have been used to break up the alliance between Watson and Smith. The “old gang” dread that alliance as the felon dreads the gibbet. The old gang know what’s in store for them. They know that if the good understanding between Watson and Smith is preserved all htll can’t save the “gang” from utter rout and ruin. Hence, the cunning ones of the old gang have done everything that ingenuity could suggest to make Smith believe that Watson’s personal ambition would clash with his, and to make Watson believe that Smith meant to go back on his pledges. All these devices having failed, utterly, the cunning ones are trying a new tack. They are raising the cry that Smith is a mere dummy, and that Watson is the real Gov ernor. This is done to embarrass both gen tlemen. It is done in the hope of sowing jealousy and dissension between them. Now, Mr. Paul Lindsay has dropped hk mask. By saying that Mr. Watson is Governor of Georgia by proxy, he grossly insults as inde pendent a Chief Executive as Georgia has had since the days of Troup. What affront was ever more flagrant, more uncalled for? Was there any occasion for Mr. Lindsay, when excusing his conduct toward Mr. Wat son, to say in effect that Hoke Smith is noth ing but a dummy Governor? What had Governor Smith done to Mr. Paul Lindsay or to the R. F. D. carriers that the President of Carriers’ organization should wan tonly insult him? « At their state convention, Governor Smith was their guest, and one of their speakers. In every possible manner, Governor Sjnith has shown his consideration for the R. F. D. carriers. In return, he gets a slap in the face. For courtesy, he gets insult. Doing his level best with a difficult situation and utterly differing from Mr. Watson on such important matters as the increase of the Railroad Commissioners and the matter of accepting service as Govern or when a railroad attacks the state —this Gov ernor who stoutly maintains —as it is his right to do—his own convictions, is scornfully designated as Mr. Watson’s dummy, Mr. Wat son’s proxy. How much of an association will the R. F. D. carriers have left after Mr. Paul Lindsay gets through insulting the best friends of the carriers? Yes, Lindsay let the cat out of the bag when he made that venomous side-swipe at the Governor. He shows that he is in league with the old gang—the enemies of Watson and the Gov ernor. When Lindsay snubbed Watson he was serv ing Livingston—the pet Congressman of the Railroad Lobby. When he made his moccasin stroke at the Governor, his aim was to leave a poisoned wound in Smith. He gave himself away, and the R. F. D. men can now recognize in their President a man who wants to stir up strife between the two faithful allies who have wrenched this state from corporation control. We cannot believe that the R. F. D. carriers are so hostile to the reform administration that they will approve this astonishing and unpro voked insult which Lindsay has given Gov ernor Smith. When their President reveals himself as a tool of the Old Gang, trying to sow discord among the Reformers, the R. F. D. carriers will probably size up the situation about right, and will have little hesitation in expressing their disapproval. By calling Governor Smith a tied-fast proxy —with no will of his own—Mr. Lindsay has publicly given to the Governor of his state an affront which will be deeply resented by every Hoke Smith man in Georgia. By listening to the emissaries of Lon Liv ingston and putting a public slight on Mr. Watson, every Watson man in the state is af fronted. By colluding with the Ransy Sniffles gang —who have been trying to divide the Reform forces—Mr. Lindsay has excited the disgust and indignation of all true patriots who wish to see the allies remain steadfastly together until their glorious work has been finished. Lindsay may snub Watson, and Lindsay may insult the Governor, and Lindsay may act the sorry part of Ransy Sniffles, but the two allies will remain allies until every pledge made to the people of Georgia has been re deemed. P. S. Mr. Lindsay shows his ill will, as he shows his lack of information, by charging Mr. Watson with being the drunken Congress man who used the words, “Where am I at?” Most of the children of the country know bar ter.