The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1898-04-07
COL. GAMBLERS SPEECH IN FULL.
Complete Text of the Speech Made by
Him at Rome Yesterday.

Him at Rome Yesterday.
Rome Ga, March 26.-(SpeciaL )-Follow-
Ing Is the full text of Colonel Allen D.
Gamblers speech, delivered here today:
Fellow Citizens-I appear before you at
the invitation of my friends in Floyd coun-
ty and in accordance with a long-estab b.
lished custom of our state and country
1t is the theory of our government that
every voter is endowed with a certain
amount Of sovereignty and that the ag-
gregate sovereignty In all the voters con-
stitutes the sovereignty Of the state. Thus
each voter Is an integral part Of the gov
eminent, Yields part of its power and
shares part of its responsibilities. Hence
1t Is Is duty to study public questions and
inform himself as to the character. integ-
rity and ability of those who go before The
people for their suffrage. In the earlier
and better days OF the republic, when news
papers were scarce and about the only
means of learning the views and of form
ing a correct estimate of the character
and ability of public men was personal
contact, it was the universal custom Of
those who were candidates for Office to 60
before the people, speak to them and
discuss those questions upon which the
people were called to pass
Wanted-A Man Of the People.
1t is in obedience to this ancient custom
that 1 appear before this large and intolli-
gent audience today. 1t is known to every
one of you that 1 am candidate FOR the
democratic nomination for governor OF
Georgia and that L desire the vote CT each
Of you for that high office. You, there
fore. have a right to demand of me a
clear, unequivocal statement Of my po-
sition on all public questions now interest
ing the people of the state.
Your governor ought to be q man In
perfect accord with the people for whom
he Is called to execute the law. He ought
to be of the people and in full sympathy
with them In all their demands, poth state
and federal. A member of the British
house of peers, however great his eb.lity
could not possibly be a good governor for
Georgia; because he would not be in sym
pathy with the people, could not know
their wants and could not realize their
condition and their necessities. The fact
that man Is a rich man, or a great
lawyer, or a great preacher, or a great
orator Is no evidence that he would make
a good governor A good governor must
be Of the people, must know them must
love them and be honest and sincere in
all his dealings with them-honest not
only In his every day life and in his bust
ness transactions. but honest and sincere
In his public utterances and actions. In
this campaign and throughout my admin
istration, II elected, I propose to live I'D
to this standard.
T would rather 60 down In defeat
In the advocacy Of the right and truth
than to triumph in defending the
wrong.
Fellow citizens. you will, I trust, pardon
me when I say I am no self-constituted
candidate for gpvernor OF Georgia For
months after my name was first suggested
as a suitable man for tnis exalted po-
sition, repealed the idea, both in he
press and out Of It, and stated time Ind
again that was not candidate, did not
care to assume the responsibilities of the
chief magistracy of the state. But the
sentiment among the people and the press
of the state continued to grow, and not
until became satisfied that very large
portion of the rank and file Of my party
and of the white men of the s-ate, the
men who bear the burdens and give char
acter to the state, really desired 1t. did
get my own consent to become a candidate.
for I have never been an ONCE seeker and
newer before asked for q party ncmina~