The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1907-08-30
SIDED WITH PEOPLE.
For This Reason Hon. Jos. II. Brown
Ayers That Governor Smith De- zs ass
posed Him as Commissioner.


seph M. Brown received notice of his
dismissal at the hands Of Governor
Smith, he was in his Office at the cap.
itol answering a number OF requests
for his recent pamphlet showing that
reduced freight rates have been &C.
companied by an increase in the price
Of all articles upon which reductions
were secured. When asked about the
order Of the governor and his plans,
Commissioner Brown stated that he
had recently received numerous re-
quests for this pamphlet, not only
from Georgia, but from Alabama, and
eight or ten other states.
q have had no intimation from the
governor as to his purpose" Commits
sioner Brown said, and hence can
only Judge from the logic of past
events as to what his reasons were.
ITO begin with, when l came on
the board in August, 1904, there was
pending before it petition from the
Atlanta freight bureau, asking the
commission to put in the well known
port rate. There was also pending a
Petition for reductions in interstate
rates, which was Of vastly more i'm.
portance to all cities and sections Of
the state than the question OF rates
between Atlanta and the ports alone
The more important petition was la
ken up first and resulted in the agree
ment secured in February, 1905, which
was followed by the announce ment OF
the reductions made in May following.
Then the port rate question was
taken up, and Governor Smith, then
as an attorney, appeared before the
board and strongly urged that it be
granted. Decisions OF the United States
supreme court, SO far as l could read
them, put it out Of the power Of the
board to grant the reductions asked
in this petition; hence I, with another
member of the board, felt that we hao
to deny it.
"a few weeks after that time, Mr..
Smith made public speeches, in which
he announced that, if elected govern
or. he would suspend me.
After We reduced freight rates, /
noticed that the prices Of everything
on which rates were reduced had ad,
vanced l got from the United States
bureal of labor Office figures showing
The prices before the rates were re-
duced. and also the prices in Decem.
ber 1906, and | showed in a pamphlet
which l Issued that this reduction Of
100000 in the freight rates had
been all absorbed by manufacturers
and jobbers, and that farmers and the
other laboring people Of Georgia not
only received no share Of the reduc-
ton in rates which had been promised
chem, but that Governor Smiths for
mer clients and other manufacturers
and jobbers throughout the state were
absorbing the reductions and then rails
ing the prices until they were higher
than before the rates were reduced. |
naturally assume that Governor
Smiths feeling of loyalty to his for
mer clients, the manufacturers and the
jobbers has caused him to take the
action toward me which has just been
made public
Asked as to whether he would take
any steps to contest the action of the
governor in ordering his suspension,
Mr.. Brown replied:
Being an official Of the state, ap-
pointed by the proper power and cloth
ed with certain duties of momentous
interest to the people of Georgia,
deem that I would be recreant to my
duty il l consented to the proposed
subyersion of their rights equally with
my own In brief, the question for
the people to determine, is whether
the prejudice or whim Of the govern
Or shall, or shall not supplant the
constitution and the statute laws OF
the state"
Commissioner Brown stated that he
would be at his Office in the capitol,
as usual, and as to his future conduct
would be guided by whatever his coun-
sci advised.