Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-04-03
SENSATIONAL
IS GUERRY'S
SPEECH
HE DECLARES RAILROADS ARE
"FIXING" MERCHANTS AND
POLITICIANS FOR TERRELL
BY GIVING THEM PASSES.

BY GIVING THEM PASSES.
Hon. Dupont Query addressed a num-
Der of voters at the courthouse in Deca-
tur for more than two hours Monday. Mr..
Guerry made some sensational charges in
his speech He said that the railroads
were not only furnishing free passes to
state officials. but those officials were
furnishing the railroads with lists of mer-
chants and farmers throughout the state
and that those merchants and farmers
were given passes, that they came to At
lanta, where they were cared for by the
railroad companies and before they de-
parted for their homes were pledged to
support Terrell.
He further charged that the railroads
were furnishing passes to the hirelng pol
iticians who were travelling over the state
to fix the different counties. Mr.. Query
denounced lobbyism the present method
of taxation, said Terrell was a barroom
prohibitionist instead of a Frank Potts
local optionist, that Terrell was hiding
behind his alleged dignity that the news
papers throughout the state were full of
bluff and buster, that the lobbyists were
all for Terrell as were all the scurvy poll
ticians.
The remarks of Mr.. Query were exceed
ingly hot at times. He was introduced
by Mr.. Hooper Alexander. Mr.. Query
nearly $50 when he concluded. Only
about so people were present when Mr..
Query began. but as the speech progress
ed more came in and at l o'clock 125 peo-
pie. including the ladies. formed the audi
ence. Mr.. Guerry was literally applauded
throughout his speech.
Bluff and Buster.
1T desire to call your attention to the
great bluff and buster that is going on
among the great dailies and small week.
lies and scurvy politicians" said Mr..
Query.
He called attention to Mr.. Terrers
method of getting votes by personal let
tiers and conversation. and the papers had
predicted that Terrell had all the legisla-
ture pledged to him. Besides when Ter
rell announced his manager had claimed
100 counties with more probable. This
Mr.. Guerry said was what he called
bluff and buster. Many men contend
ed Mr.. Guerry never voted until they
went to the polls and found out how the
majority would vote. This he said was
why bluff and buster was made. ANY
man who votes like that" said Mr. Guer-
ry, sis not worthy of the ballot"
Mr.. Query said all the offices had been
promised by the measley little politicians, !
but they were yet to be carried out.
There is ring all over Georgia. and
there is a ringster in every community.
In New York there was a little ring Of
big men, while in Georgia there is a big
ring of little men.
"All the Offices have been promised.
Whether vacancies occur by resignation
or providential causes arrangements
have already been made. Some of our
justices of our supreme court are get
ting old and infirm and preparations have
been made for their successors long be-
fore the preparations for their funerals"
Scores Executive Committee.
Mr.. Query took up the action of the
executive committee Of Saturday and said
the primary was a snapshot affair and
was ordered on June 5th during the busy
season, when everybody except ringsters
was busy. o
THE politicians" he said. ''had not only
behind them barrels of liquor. barrels Of
money, the ring and most of the news
papers. The only way 1 can get before the
people is through public addresses to the
people and through such papers as the
DeKalb New Era"
According to Mr. Guerry. there are a,
number of what might be called vest
pocket counties, but he was sure DeKalb
was not one of the kind, fits nearness to
Atlanta having no effect The little ring
politicians, said Mr.. Guerry, were all one
way, and on that account many of the
people We're just the other way.
Next Mr.. Guerry took up his platform.
their old, stereotyped platforms. He said
the time had come when a new platform
was necessary. and unless some man got
up one and gave it to the people, they
would never get one.
Mr. Query said he was at a great dis
advantage, that while he was going
around trying to say something to the
people. Terrell was exerting all his efforts
and energies to saying nothing. He stated
that nobody could read one of TerrelFs
speeches and find out where he had said
anything on any question.
Read His Platform.
Mr.. Query then read his platform,
which is well known in Georgia.
He said while Terrell favored a constitu-
tional liInita ton of taxes he made no ref
erence to figures He. said Terrell favored
the exemption of educational endowments
provided the endowments interfered with
the interest of nobody else. Terrell
grabbed out for the educational endow-
ment vote with one hand and with the
other he pulled for that of the bankers and
real estate men.
Another great plank in TerrelTs plat
form was to use $4,000 a year from the
fertilizer fund for establishing institutes
for farmers. Mr.. Query said that amount
was not sufficient, that all that could be
done with that $4,000 was to waste II. In
fact, he didn't believe Terrell meant that.
OF anything else for that matter
Mr.. Guerry then made a charge that
when there was a deficit in the treasury
the newspapers. as was usually the case
tried to divert attention from the real
facts by charging the legislature with ex-
travagant appropriations. He said the
real cause of the deficit was due to tax
lodging.
Jumped on Railroads.
The railroads next came in for a roast.
While the farmers and merchants were
paying tax on a three-fourths value of
their property the railroads were dodging
theirs. He quoted at length from "Poor's
Manual and from the reports of the
comptroller general and the comptroller
general of other states. He compared the
returns of the Southern railway in Geor-
gia and Tennessee. saying the returns for
Georgia was $4,000 per mile and in Ten
nessee was $4,000 per mile.
He said that IL during the last five years
taxes had been collected diligently and
impartially, the governor would not have
found it necessary to borrow 100000 or to
raise the tax rate to pay teachers who
had worked so hard for their money i
Mr.. GueTry said he paid no attention to
being called a uld-be-railroad wrecker.
He said he favored corporations, especial
ly railroad corporations. He wanted