The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-03-27

selves and their allies all important offices
in the state, and thus depriving the people
of that free choice to which they are en-
titled in the selection of those who are to
impose taxes upon them and make and
execute the laws for them. So gross has
become this evil that some OF our cleo
tons, especially those by the legislature,
have degenerated into mere travesty on
popular rights, and the people are demand
ing and the legislature has submitted an
amendment of the constitution giving back
to them the election of their judicial Off
GERS.
With respect to corporations he said:
Another grave question which now con-
fronts the people of the state is the rela-
tons of the corporations to the people. 1t
cannot be denied that there have been in
stances in the past in which corporate
power has been employed to Cypress the
people, and on the other hand, provoked
by these wrongs, juries have sometimes
shown disposition to retaliate by render
ing unjust and eXorbitant Verdicts against
the corporations. Corporations, too. rail-
road, banking and insurance companies.
nave, as have also individuals, often tried
TO evade the law and to build UP monopo-
lies by which they could enrich their
stockholders at the expense of the people
These evils were of gradual growth. and
for them no remeaaes had been found
prior to 1877. The first legislature that as
sembled after the adoption of the consti-
tuition OF 1877 enacted a law to create
railroad commission TO regulate and con
troll the railroads of the state and pre-
vent eXtortion and unjust discrimina lion
was a member of the committee in
the senate which drafted and
reported that bill and secured
its passage. 1t is the law to-day and is
considered of the roi
sion laws in the Union and has served as a
model in many other states L was re-
sponsible for the constitution which made
TINS law possible, and aided in drafting
ana enacting the law which has already
saved many millions to the people of the
state and will save many more. NV gem
tai friend, Mr. Berner cries aloud and
says; Mr. Gambler you must stand upon
the constitution. You must take an OATH
a solemn oath, in the presence of your
people assembled to witness your inau-
guration and you take a solemn oath in
the presence of heaven and earth that you
will obey the constitution. Will you take
the OATH Mr. Gambler? If you do take
it, will you keep it?''
l reply to this question, yes! 1 will take
1t and keep it, too This is easy for me
to do because this is my constitution.
am responsible for it and the railroad COM
mission law by which he swears to stand
is my handiwork, and I will stand by 1t
as the mother stands by her babe. 1 am
the father of this law; he is not even its
stepfather, but only Its self-constituted
guardian"
He said on the subject of taxation that he
| was in favor of pensions and public
schools, and that he proposed to cut down
the tax rate by stopping leaks. On this
point he said: 81 am aware that your
Governor cannot alone accomplish all
these reforms, but he can do something by
his influence and the veto the people have
so wisely given him. Retrenchment must
| begin in the legislature, and I warn you,
| my countryment, to see to it that you send
to the legislature none but men who know
| your burdens and are willing to tighten
| them, not men who for the sake of polit-
ical preferment would bind heavier burth-
ems upon you and bankrupt at once you
| and the state"
| Speaking of personal matters he said
! that as soon as Gov. Atkinson got back
from Mexico it was decided that he (Col.
| Candle) must have opposition and his op-
ponents set about bringing out candidates
! in different parts of the state. Col. Can
dler also had something to say about
Judge Atkinson retaining his place as rail-
road commissioner while a candidate for
| the gubernatorial nomination. OF Mr..
| Bob Berner he said: 1.-The utter blindness
of Brother Bob and his organs Is made
! mighty manifest in his speeches. and In
his home organ, the Forsyth Chronicle,
whose editor, Mr.. Stone, ran against Mr..
| Berner for the Senate two years ago,
charging that he was unfit for the place
because he had both arms around the neck
of the money power
Speaking of the newspapers he said: "A
| Fev IN the stafa most
of them in a decent, manly, legitimate
way, but a few, very few, in an unfair,
underhanded way. They strike like q
| blind adder at every noise, and scruple at
nothing No insinuation is too false or tco
! absurd to be Endorsed and reiterated by
them and no blow too foul to be daalt by
| them provided it is calculated to damage
me- They cry aloud against bushwhack-
ing, and yet are continually bushwhack-
ing. They pose as models of virtue and
fairness in Journalism, and yet never strike
| except below the belt. They are few In
number. but are exceedingly boisterous,
| and YOU would think from the noise they
make they were a host They remind enc
of the fellow who agreed to deliver to the
| restaurant keeper on certain day a
thousand bull frogs. The day came and
| the frog seller came also, but not with a
wa gon-load of frogs, as expected, but with
| a.
| frogs two little ones and big one. When
reminded that he had agreed to deliver
not three, but a thousand frogs, he said:
yes. l know did and | thought l had
them in the pond from the noise they
made, but when drew of
the water there were but
three two little ones and big one So
If is with these irate dailies. They make
so much noise that you would think them
a thousand, but like the frogs there are
! hut three of them--all little ones-one In
Rome one in Augusta and one in Savan-
! nah. 1t is a remarkable fact that the
! mon who edit and control these three
! newspapers have just returned from a
! tour TO Mexico as the guests of our pres
| ont chief executive and at the expense OF
| railroads owned in Wall street."
| In closing, he said: mo man in the his
tory of Georgia politics has perhaps ever
been so mercilessly assailed and so cruelty
naligned. The only count in the bill OF
1 Indictment against me is that L have
| preached the gospel of fair elections and
| clean politics, and have condemned meth
! ODDS which are endangering the sanctity
! Of our homes and the purity of our wives
and daughters. This is the issue they have
tried to force. Let them force il if they
| will.
| II will go to the brave men and to the