Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1905-11-18

f1v.''r"7 Any Impartial, disintern5fc4
o'ee"rvor must so admit and as evidence
of the truth of nv Statements I call at
tention to the fact that those who are now
most active for the adoption of such loo
islatiOn We're most violently opposed 10
it whom they were free to follow their
honest judgment without the chilling
embarrassment Of selfish political com
binatOn with the enemies Of the demo-
cratic party.
The verv basic principle of this pro-
posed legislation. the educational qua1f-
cation, offers the magnet that will draw
the negroes of Georgia ont Of the cotton
patch into tho negro colleges. 1t wi,
mean an increase of negro votes over the
votes of the tlliterate white man, or else
win mean the inaugura tion Of system
of illegal evasions which will be fraught
witch danger to the state
More than that tit will mean the actual
disfranchisemeut of thousands of white
men in Georgia and especially of men
in the country communities where edu-
cational advantages have not been so
greet in the cities.
The ready purse of the northern phil
anthropist opens the door of the negro
COLLEGE 10 all who wish to enter. Make
the ballot the prize of education and in
ten years time the negro graduate will
faunt that ballot in the face of every
poor white boy in Georgia whom poverty
or misfortune has deprived OF education.
Under the present primary system the
regro. absolutely shorn of political power
by legal methods, has accepted the sftu-
alton. Under the present plan. the prin-
ciples of democracy have been admins
tered by democrats placed in office by
democratic voters in unbroken succession
since the war
Therefore. as a citizen of Georgia and
a democrat / echo the sentiment that,
as to acknowledgements
LETS LET WE'LL ENOUGH
ALONE"
The Matter of Freight Rates.
Unfortunately for the commercial in
terests of Georgia, friction has arisen
between the railroads and the shippers
in certain sections of the state. Taken
as a rule, it has been shown that the
local or intra state rates, which are un-
der the jurisdiction of the Georgia rail-
road commission, are less than those of
our sister states of Alabama and South
Carolina Certain determinations still
exist, however, and they must be, and
will be. rectifed Even in the past year
the railroad commission has reduced rates
to an amount that will net nearly
S ,o0o, 600 a year in saving to the ship
pers. The work of revision is steadily
going on, and it will continue until abso-
lutte justice is done as between the rail-
roads and the shippers.
In the establishment of the interstate
rates upon certain commodities and be-
tween certain points, the railroads have
In ipc
unfair and inexcusable discrimination
against the Georgia shipper-a discrimi-
nation which is hurtful to the welfare
and commercial progress of the entire
state. This is a federal matter with
which the interstate commerce commits
sion has to deal, and which the state rail-
road commission cannot control. I have
for years urged that the power of the
interstate commission be enlarged so as
to give it full control of interstate rates
I recognize the difficulty attendant
upon the operation of large properties
in such a manner as to avoid all friction.
and realize that it is difficult to inaug-
urate a general system of rates without
inequality and injustice to particular To-
calities, but the best interests of the
people and of the railroads can only be
served by the prompt and practical rem
edy OF Such inequalities as soon as they
are made manifest.
Under ordinary conditions, competition
. affords sure measure of protection
against unreasonable rates, and the con-
stitution of Georgia. recognizing this
principle, expressly prohibited the elm
ination of competition by the eonsoli-
dation Of competing lines of railroad
This wise provision of the constitution
has been restricted by construction.
Shrewd lawyers demonstrated that COM
petition really did not mean competition.
This provision of the constitution having
been impaired to that extent, the public
must look for protection against exor-
bitant and discriminating rates to the
tribunals created for that purpose under
the provisions of the same constitution.
and which have not been hampered OF
impaired by judicial construction
Confidence in Georgia's Courts.
have every confidence in the honest
administration of the law by the va
rious courts established throughout the
state, and by the railroad commission Of
Georgia. and Lbelieye- that the ri1a-s =