People's party paper. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1891-1898, 1896-11-27
Our State POlitics.

The action of the Democratic ma
jority in ire present general assembly
has demonstrated TO all Gsorgians
who believe that public office is o
public trust and not private snap,
who believe that promotions should
be made becaue OF honcstg, ability
and faithfulneas and not as a reward
for blind partisanahip, that all cleo
tions must be taken from the legisla.
ture and relegated baok to the people
where they properly belong.
Under existing conditions, nc
modest, clean man, 10 matter how
great his worth, how high his oharac-
Ter, how distinguished his ability,
stands ghost OF 4 chance before The
legislature. Every Office ID matter
OF barter and trad. You vote for
my man and l will vote for yours is
the rule, only tho mora marked by
the few honorable exceptions. Never
again will we see such men as John
son and Jenkins grace the Georgia
bench, nor such men as Hill, Cobb.
ToombS and Berrien rffao. luatrs
upon the STATEN tho National Senate
until the ring which dominates the
dominant party in Georgia is broken
and crushed out OF existence. The
most distinguished jarist or lawyer
i'll the State cannot be elected circuit
judge or solicitor unless ne stoops to
blrter votes with other candidates
without regard to fitness for office
but with an eye single 10 the number
of votes each man can deliver. II
matters nothing whether man is the
choice of the people in his cwn cir
cult or whether he commands their
respect and confidence. Ii he can
deliver votes from other sections Of
the State, where the people know
nothing and care nothing about the
matter, they are just as good because
they count Just the same.
Such men as Lewis, Robertson.
Norwood, duBignon, Garrard and
Hammond have no show for the
Senate against such trading polite.
isns as Clay and Atkinson. 1t seems
to be the settled purpose OF the ring
thst the Democratic party shall con
tinue to control the politics of the
State and for the ring TO rule the
Democratic party.
Two years ago it was thought that
the Fleming election law assured
Democratic supremacy for long
time to come, but as the people have
become familiar with the worEiocs
of that law and are learning to guard
against the frauds possible under its
provisions, new bill still more par.
tisan has been introduced in the
present house and when the Fielder
law fails to grind out the required
majority it will doubtless ba amended
or changed to meet the requirements
of the occasion. Hencaif cllioe hold,
ing in Georgia is to be raised again
to its former position Of dignity and
honor, we must look to honest, pa
triotic Democrats to restore the old
conditions rather than to mon ROW
identified with other parties.
Years ago when the Tweed ring
dominated the New York machine
and every public ofice had become
veritable Augean stable of fraud,
rascslity and corruption, although
they seemed to be impregnabIy in
trsnched in office, brave, honest
Democrats like Samuel J. Tilden
laid aside all partisanship for time,
united with the Republicans in put
ting out a clean ticket and swept
these knaves who had dishonored the
name of Democracy out of Office and
into the penitentiary.
Is there honesty enough, courage
enough and loyalty TO the honor and
interests of Georgia enough in the
ranks of Georgia Democracy to cause
them to rise in the might of a just
indignation to crush the ring and
rslegate the ringsters into oblivion ?
D. N. s.