The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-12-25
TAPP'S INQUIRY
OF OSBORNE
AS TO HIS AFFILIATIONS
WITH CORPORATE INTERESTS AL
LEGGED TO DOMINATE THE STATE.

With Various Corporations and
Incidentally Mentioning Some Is
sues Which He Says Must he SOlv-
pOrate, DamnabIe and Corrupt
Political Regime"
Atlanta, Dec. 24.-Sidney c. Tapp of
Atlanta, who had charge of Hon. Du
Pont Guerry's headquarters here dur
ing the race for Governor two years
ago, and who is a well-known lawyer
of this city. has written the following
letter regarding the statement of Hon.
w. w. Osborne, of Savannah, as to the
influence of corporations in state poll
tics:
Atlanta, Dec PA have thoughtful
ly read the article by Hon. w. w.
Osborne, of Savannah, that appeared
in the recent press of the state. AS
one of those who has contended that
this state was under the domination
of corporate rule and has fought to
free it from the existing conditions,
am willing to concede every PROPOSE
ton contended for by Mr.. Osborne. 1t
has been stated that Mr.. Osborne has
been the attorney for a good many
Of these corporations in Chatham coun-
ty. The Atlantic Coast Line system,
the Plant System, the Seaboard Air
Line system, the Central of Georgia
Railway, the Southern Railway, the
Western Union Telegraph Company
the Southern Express Company and
Of fl,or,
county have attorneys and legal repre-
| sentatives and political representatives
to care for their interests.
Mr.. OsbOrne's Corporation AHIia-
tiOns.
would like to ask Mr.. Osborne how
many of these institutions and which
ones of them he now represents. Is he
the legal attorney or the political 'ad-
visor for any of them, if so, what ones
and how many? I do not judge him
| make no allegations as to his con-
nections with these corporations l
simply ask the question for information.
If he is not now the attorney for them,
how many has he represented in the
PAST, and what ones has he represented,
and when did he represent them2 l ask
these questions as a matter of informa-
| ton. If he has been associated with
these institutions in the past or is now
| associated with them, he should GER
| tainly be good authority as to their
political conduct, and his allegation
in his article to the press should be
| received with good deal of considera-
ton by the people of the state. If
he is not now associated with these in
situations and has no connection with
them in managing their legal and politi-
10 IN, tl,.,A 4
! become most valuable factor in serv-
ing the people to free the state from
the present corporate domination. But
| the people of Georgia would be graft
| fled to have him answer these ques-
| tions and to know his connection with
these institutions before they would
receive him as orthodox in the political
faith that the state should be freed
and liberated from the ring rule and
domination of these institutions.
Says the People Want to Know.
I for one recognize Mr.. Osborne's
ability and HIS generalship as a politi-
cal leader, and far be it from me to
question his motives or the sincerity
of his political faith, and l only hope
that his affiliations are such that he
can join with those who have been
fighting to free the state from corpo-
rate domination, and I have. therefore,
asked these questions in good faith,
because l believe the people of the
state are entitled to the information.
He says: IT am not over-stating the
present conditions when I say that no
man can run for office without corpo-
rate approval" There are some of us
who have long since learned the truth
of the charges made by Mr.. Osborne.
1t is no new information to us.
We have long since learned that
narr1a fcs fla =
poration ridden and political cursed
state south of the Mason and Dixon
line. We have long since learned that
no man in Georgia could hitherto be
elected as chief executive without the
approval of the railroads and their al
lied influences.
Corporate Influences Dominate.
We have hitherto learned that the
corporate influences has gone into ev-
cry highway and every byway into
every village, every hamlet, every town
and every city in electing legislators,
judges and other state officials. We
have hitherto learned, through the
damnable and corrupting influences of
free passism, that any law that these
institutions opposed could not be pass
ed by the Legislature. We have hither-
to learned that every young man who
had honorable political ambition dared
not oppose these institutions or they
would strike him down. We have
hitherto learned that this common
wealth is in the political grasp of these
institutions, and that they have owned
it and controlled 1t politically
Issues That Must BE Solved.
There are some issues that must be
solved to rid the state Of this corporate.
damnable and corrupt political regime.
Shall the Southern Railway and other
foreign railroads operating their prop
critics in this state. receiving the pro-
lection Of the law and the courts of
this state. be required to put their
charters on file. and become citizens
Of this state, so as 70 become amena-
bic to the courts of this state? Shall
the Western Union Telegraph Compa-
ny, the Postal Telegraph Company and
the Southern Express Company be re-
quired TO do likewise? Shall the cor
rupting influences of free passism be
prohibited TO public officials and be
made crime in Georgia? Strike this