Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1906-03-22

NOuSESSS from CnlS DlSLr1CL. You nave
already learned that l can be Of ser.
vice to you; and 1 assure you that
your interests, as well as those of
every other part of the Third Con.
gressional District, will be ever before
me. | believe I can be OF service to
the people Of this District; and, should
be elected, 1 pledge myself to dis.
charge the duties of this Office with
an eye single to the welfare Of my
District, to the honor Of my State and
to the happiness and prosperity Of my
country.
There are at present three candi-
dates seeking the Democratic nomina,
ton for Congress from this District.
On the 18th Of January l made my
announcement and enumerated few
or the principles which | would ad-
vocate should l be elected. On Feb
ruary the 4th Mr.. Lewis has followed
my example, and announced a plat
form upon which he seeks your
suffrage. Mr.. Hughes has not yet
made public announcement of the is
sues which he represents, and there
fore my remarks to you here today
Will be directed chiefly towards a crit
1c1sm of the platform of Mr.. Lewis.
Please understand that l do not de-
sire to take advantage of Mr.. Lewis
absence here today, for l will give
him ample opportunity to refute these
charges in joint debate throughout
the District during the campaign.
Mr.. Lewis is a public servant; his
record is public property, and | sim
ply desire to avail myself of the rights
and prerogatives of every freeborn
American citizen to criticise that rec
ord. In my platform l stated to you
that [ would favor the maintenance of
white supremacy beyond peradven.
ture, by repeal of the Fifteenth
Amendment to our National Constitu-
ton, and a suitable modification Of
the Fourteenth Amendment, whereby
the representation in Congress Of the
states so affected should not be re-
duced. Three weeks after l had
placed myself on record in this par
ticular, Mr.. Lewis steps boldly to the
front, and loudly proclaims that he
also Is in favor of the repeal of the
Fifteenth Amendment, but says alb
solutely nothing in regard to the Four
unaware that a repeal of the Fifteenth
Amendment, without a suitable mOdi-
ficatiOn of the Fourteenth, would re-
duce the representation of the South
ern States in Congress by practically
One-half; and in his haste to set into
the disfranchisement band-wagOn, he
climbs hurriedly up, pulls the Fifteenth
Amendment in with him, but leaves
Mr.. Lewis has represented this Dis
trict in Congress, during which time
he has had ample opportunity to ad-
vocate this measure; but until l saw
Mr.. Lewis was silent upon the issue.
He has never introduced a resolution
for the repeal of either of these
amendments. Mr.. Kitchens, of North
Carolina, Mr.. Underwood and Mr..
Hardwick have all introduced resolu-
tons to this effect, and have worked
earnestly to bring about the desired
results; but only after my announce
ment in favor Of these resolutions was
a statement reluctantly wrung from
Mr.. Lewis upon the issue.
| also announced that would favor
the regulation of insurance companies
and railroad rates by the government,
and the prevention of secret rebates,
and the oppression of the people Of
certain localities through unjust treat
ment of non-competitive companies.
Following the example set by me, Mr..
Lewis again steps to the front with
his announcement that he favors
identically the same principles. For
ten years he has been silent upon this
subject; but Immediately after my an
nouncement that l would favor these
measures he became suddenly active
In the National Congress, and even
went so far as to call aloud: Mr.
Speaker, desire to have my remarks
continued in the appendix to the
Journal" He has also mailed through
out this District a lengthy speech
purporting to have been delivered by
him in Congress; but, gentlemen, this
speech was never spoken by him upon
the floor of the House; for the Record
shows that his remarks were made in
about three-quarters of minute, and
practically limited to request that
his views upon the subject be printed
at public cost You have doubtless
read many speeches sent you upon
various subjects by Mr.. Lewis pur-
porting to have been delivered upon
the floor. / have one here today upon
the Tariff Act In which he says: II
feel that | would be recreant to the
trust imposed in me by a confiding
people if I did not enter my solemn
protest upon the passage of this meas.
ure, which will further burden an al,
ready downtrodden people with great