Fitzgerald enterprise. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1895-1912, 1907-07-13
Pull for Fitzgerald or Pull Out.
Judge Dave Roberts on the Referendum.


Judge Dave Roberts is well known to the
readers of The Telegraph Talking with repre-
sentative of The Telegraph yesterday, he said:
ET am gratfed to see the editor of The Tele
graph is calling attention of the people to the evils
lurking in the proposition to make the referendum
plank of the Democratic platform of 1908.
The South cannot afford to permit its being
done. We have two races in the south, and to al
low direct legislation by all the people would place
us at disadvantage.
Indeed it would be surrender for all con
tend for. In fact, direct legislation upon national
questions is an aggression upon long established
rights. 1t would result in a change of the organic
structure of the Government rms
We of the south will never get rid of the
Fifteenth amendment under a referendum On
the contrary the referendum would fix it on us
fOrever-cnfOrce it.
'EAnd under it the large states like New York
Pennsylvania, Ohio. Illinois and a few others
could combine any line of policy and dictate
the legislation of the country.
1t will not do to surrender state rights in
any regard to outsiders. We should guard with
jealousy what rights we have in matters of home
rule We have a race problem. The North and
West have it not. Our Southern ideas and views
would be over whemed under the plan of q direct
vote by all the people at large
Even as it is, our Southern civilization is in
danger And / have been exceedingly gratifed to
read for months past those editorials in the Tcle
graph impressing the Importance of preserving
what State rights the war left us. Those rights
will be in jeopardy if we permit our civilization to
be referred to a popular vote. The Democratic
IF muS rninc tha ndun,
it's application to national politics.
''Otherwise the South is doomed" Judge
Roberts spoke with emph isis for he is man who
thinks He understands the nature of our system
of Government and wants no change in its organic
structurs This referendum" ordirect legislation
by popular vote, had its birth, = Judge Roberts,
declared sin the aut0cratc methods of the Repub-
lican speakers of tile House of Repres entatives
who from the days of Gar Reed to Cannon incu
sive, have perverted representative government.
They have smothered legislation and made
themselves autocrats.
This must be corrected and better do this than
substitute the referendum under which the South,
a minority, will lose what right ofself government
she now has.-NIacon Telegraph.
IAN 10 Fitzgerald u
1t is stated and possibly true that the railroads
connecting with the A. B. & A. System have in
stituted sort of boycott because that road re
fused to resist the order of the railroad commission
reducing its freight tariff.
We do not know what the effect of the boy
colt will be- but propose that the friends of the
road take cognzance of the flct and protect the in
terest of the road that is doing for the states
development than all the other roads in it.
We are under peculiar obglton TO the At
lanta, Birmingham aud Atlantic people Ftzger-
aid is indebted t. them for large share of her ~
cent great prosperity. Other places on the line
In fact the whole section traversed by the road