The Savannah morning news., 1904-10-17
"PURE ELECTIONS"
AGAIN HIS THEME
TO THE NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS."
AND HIS EDITORIAL, REV. A. NJ.
WILLIAMS REPLIES AT LENGTH.

styles Col. StOvaIIs Editorial "a
Rheumatic Attack"-An Apology
for Violations of the Ballot Laws.
The Australian Ballot Promised
SuppOrt-Has Always stood for
Pure Elections. He Says-The Pro-
per Times to CFiticisc-NiSOrOusIy
Supported Bill Prohibiting Child
Labor and offered to Take the
stump.
From the subject Pure Elections"
Rev. DR.. A. NJ. Williams last night
replied in detail TO a recent editorial
by Col. P. A. Stovall. The reply was
contained in the prelude to the regu-
lar sermon.
DUTY to pure elections and civic
righteousness" said DR.. Williams, re
quires me to renew the discussion of
last Sunday night. The fraud in the
late election is inadequately treated
by our editor-le legislator. A rehearsal
of the discussion is necessary to keep
the issue clearly before the public.
charge: The election of the editor
legislator and the other candidates in
a ballot box smirched with corruption,
by a vote nine-tenths of which is
fraudulent.
Expectation: A ringing reputation
of the wrong, a demand for investiga-
ton and punishment of the deilers of
the ballot, or a refusal to accept Of
fee with such a faint upon it. Expec-
tation based on his devotion to consti-
tutional liberty and right as displayed
in his vigorous attacks on the Presi-
dent of the nation. 1t was reasonable
to expect equal Indignation when the
foundation of all constitutions and
law was being violated
Result: Disappointment. Instead of
bread on which out emaciated state
might feed for purer life, he only gave
a stone in arraignment of my fancied
omissions of political duty
A Rheumatic Attack.
"Our editor-legisator is a most
charming personality, universally low
ed and greatly admired. Endowed
with high intellectual gifts, unusually
skillful in the use of our mother tongue,
amiable in manner, he ought to lead
our section to a better civic life. A
tendency to spend his force on men of
straw rather than the real immediate
foes of public purity, upon distant ills
rather than those at our doors, has dis
sipated his influence. Too often he has
appeared more the apologist of danger
Gus tendencies than the stalwart de-
nouncer of real evil.
His rheumatic attack on me on
Monday last is in point. He arraigns
me instead of the violators of the polls.
For the rascals he has ifs, evasions,
and apology. For me he ransacks his
political armory for darts to destroy.
If his article signifies anything, more
than a smart under a misconceived
sting, it means that it is more vile for
a preacher to denounce corruption in
the polls than it is for managers to
stuff the ballot box.
Confederation of Charges.
1.-THE NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. charges me
with criticizing the campaign of the
state and national Democratic party
Does he mean to declare that ballot
box stuffing in Chatham county is the
campaign of the state and national
Democratic party?' That was what /
attacked. That was the only issue 1
made. incidentally l did ask him to be
consistent and apply the dogma of
Constitutionalism, which is a favorite
form of attack on the President, to a
home question. l expressed no criti-
cism on the dogma itself. Hear it, we
people, the great, loyal. Democratic,
leader declares criticism of the ballot
box stuffing an attack on the state and
national Democratic campaign.
Pursuing his man of straw, he ap-
peals to me to proclaim from my pulpit
party politics. In his effort to discount
my demand for honesty he asks why
I have not been heard in denunciation
of Republicanism. The answer is such
work would be superogation. All here
are of one mind. Attack on Roosevelt
is on the popular side. Our editor
legislator can be relied upon to wax
violent.
THE unpopular President is in Wash
ington, so my critic can be trusted to
keep the fire going. The rascals of the
postoffice scandal are a thousand miles
away and the editor will not spare the
loud cry. When / strike a blow l pre-
fer the victim to be within reaching
distance. The fervor unnecessarily
spent in the air battle against Repub-
licanism in Georgia put into cleansing
abuses in Savannah, might not be
popular but surely would be more
patriotic.
The Australian. Ballot.
Another defense of ballot-box stuff
fing in Chatham county is based on
the declaration that / have not preach
ed in favor of the Australian ballot
That depends. With the details of
legislation the pulpit cannot deal with
certainty If the Australian ballot
means pure ballot. the charge
against me is not only false, but ride
ulous. The very sermon that upset the
editor-legislator's ink-horn was a sim
pie, earnest plea for purity in the ball
lot-boX.
True. most of my utterances have
demanded the execution Of laws al
ready on the statute book The per-
sistent failure to execute law already
enacted did not lead me to hope for
a reform in simply writing another
statute on the book II "the Aus
tralian ballot" is automatic and my
critic will insure its uniform faithful
execution, / will resign my pastorate
and devote all my time to seeking to
secure its passage.
Il fear, however, this new law, sup
ported in the mild, evasive manner Of
our editor-legislator, would work no
radical change A ballot law enacted
by men acquiescent In stuhing the
box with ten times the vote cast might
indicate slight remorse, but not that
repentance which needeth not to be
repented Of A radical protest against
the deflement of our late election by
refusal to accept Office thus tainted
would do more for pure elections than
a thousand intricate methods of vot-
ing II would bring the evil to an
issue and would impress the public
mind with the earnestness of the poll