Watson's weekly Jeffersonian., 1907-08-15
PAGE NINE

with the cutie fish obscurists who hid themselves
in the confusion Of their making hoping to
convey the impression to superficial observers that
he was aigning himself with the straightforward
demands of the people, while in reality lending aid
and comfort to the enemy by magnifying the amend
ments which destroyed the force and effect of RENE
dial legislation
The Constitution, in of its justly famous first
page editorials which appears this morning makes
a studied effort to convey the impression that the
governor of the state and the present legislature have
reached the parting of the and that the former
will castigate' the "recalcitrant" members unless
they surrender to HIM.
Tie speciousness Of such an argument is evident
to any man who is familiar with the situation and
yet it cannot be regarded as surprising when 1t
comes from its present source 1t is calculated to
awaken amusement and perhaps compassion, but not
alarm.
For the benefit of The Atlanta Constitution and
all others who may be concerned 1t may be stated
once and for all that the recalcitrant" members who
have failed and refused to enact the remedial meas
ures demanded by the Democratic platform are pIac-
ing themselves, NOT IN OPPOSITION TO GOVERN
OR HOKE SMITH, NOT IN ANTAGONIST TO THE
ADMINISTRATION" BUT TO THE GREAT BODY
OF THE PEOPLE OF GEORGIA
Governor Smith chosen merely to execute
the wishes OF the people as embodied in the Demo
cratic platform of the state endorsed by an over
whelming majority of the voters of the state of
Georgia The measures set forth in that political
creed represent the convictions the wishes and the
demands of the people which he, as the chief ex-
ecutive of the state, chosen to execute when
they had been enacted into law. The members of the
general assembly sent here by the vote of
the people with a special mandate to enact those
laws, AND WHEN THE DAY OF RECKONING
COMES IT WILL BE A SETTLEMENT NOT BE-
TWEEN THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE AND
THE PEOPLE WHO ELECTED HIM BUT BE-
TWEEN THE GREAT BODY OF THE PEOPLE
OF GEORGIA AND THE MEMBERS OF THE LEG
IsLATURE TO WHOM THEY HAVE CONFTDED A
HIGH AND IMPORTANT STEWARDSHIP. :. -.
The demands of the platform are clear and spe-
cifc, They are not open to debate or speculation.
They have been determined upon beforehand after
mature consideration and long discussion. They
do not involve question of the personality of the
chief executive of administration" 1T is A
DIRECT ISSUE BETWEEN THE LEGISLATURE
AND THE PEOPLE, AND IF THE FORMER ARE
UNFAITHFUL TO THE TRUST REPOSED IN
THEM 1T WILL BE FOR THE PEOPLE TO LAY
ON THE ROD OF CORRECTION.
1t is easy enough to understand that in tanning the
flames of dissenson the wish, on the part of The
Constitution, is father to the thought With the
time-serving adaptabiity which is part of its very
fibre The Constitution has been making a steady
effort to run with the hare and hold with the
hounds 1t has given a nominal editorial support
to the reforme measures introduced in the general
assembly, and at the time has pursued
course in it's inspired news-column editorials calcu
lated to encourage the "recalcitrants" and TO nul
fly the remedial measures which the real representa-
tives of the people have introduced. With all the
old familiar tricks exposed and dscredited so long
long ago. the hand is the hand Of Esau but the voice
is the voice of Jacob
The people of Georgia see through all this trans
parent sham as easily they have done in the
past The cunningly devised plan to create dissen-
sion between the general assembly and the gov
ernor of Georgia. the effort to dscredit what 1t Is
pleased to term the administration" is so evident