Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1905-08-18
SALTY REPLY TO HokE SMITH


Commissioner, has furnished the
newspapers of Georgia a strong
pertinent letter in reply to the
personal attacks made upon him
by Hoke Smith, candidate fcrl
Governor.
The Times-Recorder reproduces
herewith some of the salient points |
of Mr.. Browns letter.
Now, there is BIZ question of |
law involved in this pet hobby of
yours. When I first became a |
man | studied law: but the failure
(which happily proved temporary
of my eyesight forced me to seek
an occupation of a different nature,
and, after a time, I drifted into
railroading. There is. hence, a
good deal of law which / have for
gotten. But there is some which
[ recall, which I think you have
forgotten, hence | quote:
1.-The congress shall have power
to regulate commerce with foreign
nations and among the several
states, and with the Indian tribes. .
Constitution ofthe United States,
Section VIII.
In your speech at Camilla you
distinctly stated that, if you be-
came governor, you would suspend
me from Office; and the reason you
gave was that I, as a railroad com
missioner of Georgia, would not
meet your views in attempting to
usurp powers which the constitu-
ton OF the United States has I'M
equivocally delegated to congress.
The difference between your status
and mine at present is that | am
under oath and you are not. But,
two or three years ago, when Meth
er of us was holding state office,
we were more nearly on the same
plane.
In conversation with me then,
you will no doubt readily recall,
you said to me: ~ weuld like to
| be governor of Georgia for just one
hour. | would appoint you rail
road commissioner, and would then
be willing to resign. TO be able
to make that appointment is the
sole motive | have in wanting to
be governor.
| And then you added some words
of high compliment which it would
not be good taste for me to repeat.
Now, / have been made railroad
commissioner. In course of nv
duties [ have felt compelled, in
obedience to the constitution of the
United States and of the laws of
this state, to decide one case coun-
ter to your desires, and you at once
declare that if you become COVER
nor you will suspend me from
office. Therefore, it is natural to
presume that if the supreme court
Judges decide pet case against
| your wishes you will require the
general assembly to impeach them
and that the same fate will be suf-
fered by the circuit court judges:
and the ordinaries and the county
court judges and the justices OF
peace will be removed lin fact, every
officer in Georgia who, acting un-
der his oath, presumes to differ
with you.
But as a ''port rate" for Atlanta
was your ultimatum, one which
you have now changed to "port
rates for Georgia cities" / will,
in another letter, give you some
figures showing that the figures
which you say You (if you are cleo
ted are going TO suspend me fol
mot voting to make effective, from
Savannah to Atlanta are lower
than from Charleston to South
: Carolina cities and from Mo
bile to Montgomery and Biz.
: mingham [ shall then ask you
, to tell me why Atlanta should
plead the baby act and require,
not the same rates, but lower rates,
in order to be able to compete with
those Alabama and South Carolina
: cities on business from the east.
And shall probably submit some
other figures which were the sub
ject of a famous decision of the
supreme court of the United States
and shall ask you to tell me can
Oily if you are prepared to over
, rule that court.
And in the meantime / renew
my challenge to you to- disprove
my statement, based on the tables
of figures appended to my opinion
on the ''port rate" case, that the
sport rate, " if put in on the basis
asked, would have wrought disas-
ter instead of benefit to Atlanta
manufacturers. You and your
personal organ, The Atlanta Jour
nal, have persistently steered clear
of those tables. Very truly yours,
JOSEPH M. BROWN,
Commissioner.