The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1898-04-07


nave. as have also individuals. often triad
20 esaos the law and to build up monopo-
nes ny "nicn they could enrich their stock
holders at the expense Of the ueonle Tbesa
evils were of gradual growth. and for thsr,,
no remedies had been found prior To 1s77
IN the days Of reconstruction. when
nonor ana virtue were at a discount ana
ignorance and bigotry and tenalty and
fanattcism were enthroned in ceoroia
when the master was decit,zenizAA a,a 49,
slave was lawmaker, and elections vera
presided over by armed soldiers OF alien
birth. constitution framed bv carna,
pagers and ratified by scalawags ana
negroes was foisted upon an unwilling
people. This instrument made no ade-
Ouate provision for the regulation OF cor
porations. In 1S54 I, with this hand dra ftea
and introduced bill providing for : con-
Vention OF the people Of the state to shaka
on this bastard organic law put upon ms
oy negroes, aliens and enemies. and suh-
sutute one OF our own making. One of the
onIel GROUNDS on which urged the call OF
= convention was the necessity of incorpor-
ating in the organic law q provision em
towering the Legislature to regulate and
control corporations and prevent monop
ny. SAID: The time Ii fast approach
ns Wnen. II the people do not take control
" inc corporations, the corporations will
take control Of the people. I do not want
% in]ure or cripple the corporations. but
Ahey must not be allowed to extort on the
people nor to discriminate between per-
sons ana places" For three successive
sessions. aided by such men as A. r.
LaWton, Patrick Walsh. John B. Cor
Ion and Robert Toombs, pressed my
measure and finally In 1876 it became a
law u A convention Of native Georgia
white men was held and constitution
made by Georgians for Georgia was adopt
ed and ratified by the people and the last
vestige of the carpet Dagger and the I'M
savory scalawag was wiped out and the
virtue and intelligence of the state re-
sumed control
Helped Establish Railroad Commission
The first legislature that assembled af-
ter the adoption of the constitution Of 1877
enacted a law to create railroad COM
mission to regulate and control the rail-
roads of the state and prevent extortion
and unjust discrimination. I was mem
Der of the committee in the senate which
drafted and reported that bill and secured
its passage. 1t Is the law today and is
considered one OF the best railroad commits
sion laws in the union and has served as a
model in many other states. I was re-
sponsible for the constitution which made
this law possible. and aided In drafting
and enacting the law which has already
saved many millions to the people of the
state and will save many more. My gem
lal friend, Mr.. Berner, cries aloud and
says: MT. Gambler, you must stand upon
the constitution. You must take an cath
a solemn oath. in the presence of your
people assembled to witness your inaugu-
ration, and you take solemn oath in the
presence Of heaven and earth that you
will obey the constitution. VIII you take
the oath. Mr.. Candler2 II you do take
1t, will you keep it7'
IreDiy to this question, yesI will take IL
and keep IL, TOO. This Is easy fer me TO do be-
cause this IL nay consttntiOn. am RESPONSE.
BILE for Ii and the railroad commission law nv
which he swears to stand IL my handiworlxs
and will stand by IL as the mother stands nv
her babe. am the father of this law he is
not even its stepfnther but only its seIf-const
tuEed guardian.
Yes, Brother Berner, will take the oath
and will keep 1t and enforce the law
because 1t Is my law and 1 believe it is
righteous law. Can you do more?
Under the same constitution, II was for
the first time made possible TO enact a law
to regulate and control insurance compa-
Mes Soon such law was enacted Great
ing the ONCE of insurance commissioner.
clothed with ample power to regulate and
control these corporations and prevent ex-
tortion and monopoly. But for the con-
stitution, for which was primarily re-
sponsible. this law would have been i'm
possible.
In 1886, while . member Of congress from
Georgia, l prepared and introduced a bill
to repeal the law taxing out Of existence
the issues OF state banks.
This law I believe to be unconstitutional
and know that 1t was enacted to create
and foster the national bank monopoly.
To destroy this monopoly introduced ana
advocated this bill; but the republicans,
who are the friends Of special privileges.
were too strong for me, and defeated my
measure. and the national banks still en-
Joy their monopoly, to the great detriment
Of the people and In violation of that an
Client democratic doctrine Of equal and ex-
act justice to all and special privileges to
none"
My whole legislative career for fif-
zen years in our state legislature and
n congress Is marked by uncomprom1s-
ng hostility to monopoly in its every
'orm, and yet am not an enemy to
'orporatios. ALI corporations are not
nonopohes. They are necessary to the
development and progress of the state
md the convenience Of the people.
would not destroy or Cypress them.
They are the most potent agency In
developing and building up the state,
md do for each individual what he
annot do for himself Corporate capt.
al is entitled to the same rights, priv
leges and immunities as Individual
apital, and no more. IF were gov
rnor Of Georgia would protect them
n the enjoyment Of all their legal
lights Just as far as I would protect
natural person and no further.
SO long as they remain in their proper
phere and attempt no evasion of the
aw would protect them with oil the
,ower OF the government but should they
Lttempt to evade or defeat the law, l
would punish them with all the power Of
he government, even to the extent Of for
citing their charters. If any citizen wants
more than this he must vote for another
for governor; IL any corporation
Expects less he will be greatly d.sap-
)ointed
ui%aI 0ras4dar,-T awa+ior