The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-12-26
BEWARE HUMBUGS
IN ALL POLITICS
APPLY mo HUMBUG" TEST.
REV. DR. WILLIAMS SAYS GIVE
SOUTH GEORGIA A CHANCE.


the Same To-day as He Was Cen
turtles AgO-SparriPg for Points OF
Nantage-The Coming POIiticaf
Campaign in Georgia and What
This Section Is Entitled to.
Rev. A. NJ. Williams, formerly pas
tor of Trinity Methodist Church,
preached a sermon at Epworth Meth
odist Church. last night. dealing with
present political conditions in this
country, and especially in Georgia. The
i subject of the sermon was Pure Poll
tics" and in the course of his talk
he made several remarks concerning
the political controversy started by
the letters of Hon. w. w. Osborne.
The text of the sermon was taken
from IL Sam. xv:5 "Absolom said
moreover, Oh that I were Judge in
the land. that every man which hath
any suit or cause might come unto
me and l would do him Justice"
Among other things DR.. Williams said:
''The same old story of the ms and
outs. The politician of to-day and
Absolom of the past are strikingly
alike. We have changed centuries,
! continents and civilizations, but the
same old human nature is here. Gov
ernments are altered, interests are en-
larged, issues are different, but man
is the same.
Everything is wrong. and 1 am the
man to right it. Absolom usurps
David's place in the hearts of the old
Israelites and so the modern politician
spars for the place of vantage in the
coming campaign. Then there were
individuals and now there are corpora
tiOns, but always was the politician to
be found.
The Right of Franchise.
among the most important interests
of the people is the government of the
land. In legislation, administration and
| adjudication all the people are affected
in all their complicated relations. The
| selection of men to care for these in
terests and the decision on measures to
advance them constitutes our politics.
! No worthy man or patriotic citizen
can without censure fail to take great
interest in these matters Among the
| responsibilities of modern life none is
greater than the exercise of the fran
chise.
when men retire from the consid-
GRAFTON of politics on the plea that they
are too corrupt they evade divinely APP
| pointed duty. The aspiration of every
! true man should be to become an ac-
tive upright, intelligent citizen.
The discussion pending between two
! young Georgians is calculated to pro-
| mote this character if the people re-
ceive them in the right spirit. They
are both brainy and well able to care
! for themselves in debate. A little
warmth will do no harm. Iron is only
plastic at white heat and in the fires
| of political controversy better citizen
ship will be forged.
Beware of Humbugs.
"One thing needful in intelligent
citizenship is to beware of humbug.
| The motto of one of the leading me-
ropolitan journals during the last ma
| tlOnal campaign was no humbug' 1
hope every Georgian who has to pass
! on these matters will adopt the same
motto and vigorously apply it to both
| disputants.
The no humbug' test should be APP
| piled to the selection of leaders. The
one test the Christian citizen should
apply to every candidate: is he
worthy morally, intellectually in ex-
| perience, in conviction to promote the
best interests of all the people?' Side
issues will come in. We will natural
ly consider the question of personal
| friendships. Everything else being
| equal it is proper for a man to sup
port his friend. When the public well
fare is clearly on one side and friend
/ ship on the other, the dearest ties
/ must be sacrificed.
Sectional reasons will force them
selves to the front. 1t is common
sense to seek wholesome distribu-
ton of the honors and burdens of
| government all over the state. Take
| the governorship, for instance, if South
| Georgia can offer a man as good as
| the best for that high trust it is about
| time for it to have recognition. OF
this ability to furnish the man there
can be no doubt. Not one, but sew
eral through this section are
prominently qualified. Indeed,
soma have been advocated whose
abilities and successes exceed that Of
any man who has filled the place since
the war. Give South Georgia a show
ing.
But even so clear a case as that
would not justify support of a man
allied with harmful associations and
| spreading corrupt political methods
throughout the state. If South Georgia
wins, let her win by giving not only
the best man, but the purest political
methods.
Test of Platform.
"The no humbug' test should apply
to platform. The relations of corpora
tons to the government and the peo-
pie is of growing Importance. More
In the future ii will be the issue on
which the people will have to pass ma
tionaly and in the state There is
room for much humbug as we'll as some
corruption in it's treatment Corpora
tons have as many rights as the pri-
vate citizen and no more
THE effort to fill the legislative and
judicial Offices with corporation en-
ployes properly excites alarm. The or
ganization and support of a body of
shrewd. high-p priced officers without
clearly defined duties naturally creates
suspicion.
professional lobbyism is illegal aud
deserves at the hand Of the people I'M
mistakable rebuke. In legislation af-
fecting corporations they have a right
to be heard, as any other citizen, and
their experiences should help to wise
conclusions. To go farther and grant
! them favors out of the reach OF the
plain commoner is to enter the lower
world Of corruption.
The Corporations
"On the other hand, corporations
have rights, and these rights are the
veal OF the common people. When
Mnaticism, demagoguery, radcalism
threatens, II is only natural that they
should seek 90 protect themselves. The
humbug produces that situation.
Al NOT IaIfatra a.. N.I4sf..