The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1908-03-26
]. M. BROWN FOR GOVERNOR.


petitions and spoken requests rep
resenting many thousands of peo-
pie, large majority of whom are
farmers, laboring men, manufac-
turers and business men, TO allow
the use of my name as candidate
for Governor of Georgia, subject
to the primary of June 4, as COM
pliance with involves possibly a
change III the practices and plans
of a lifetime, ! have RETAINED from
announcing a decision, hoping
that some other candidate would
come to the front. But, as that
hope has not been realized, / have
been forced to the conclusion that
it ls my duty to obey the call
which my fellow-citizens have
made.
| In determining the question of
the advisability of making the
race, / carefully considered the
claim of certain adherents of the
present administration, that the
fixed policy of the State is to give
the incumbent Of the Governors
office second term as matter of
course, since the adoption of the
constitution of 1877.
That instrument limits the term
to two years, and precedent can
not amend it 30 as to stretch a
term into four years. And if it
could, the best interests of the
people demand it's revocation when
the administration involved, Ell
ther through design or lack of
knowledge, has wrought disaster
to the prosperity of the people.
Government should not only be
"of the people" but "for the peo-
ple."
Furthermore, in his published
statement that he would not enter
the race for United States senator,
the present Governor did not base
his declination on the ground that
he was under an obligation of
honor to sorve the second term.
That declination was upon an en-
tirely other reason. Hence, if he
be free to ignore it, how can it be
binding on the Democratic party
as to his? If he has the option to
accept it or not, the party has the
option to tender it or not.
But i'll his speech at Decatur,
March 9th, he enumerated among
other official plans he has for the
future the enactment of the So
called "port rates" These rates,
if made effective, means the ruin
of the industries of Georgia, and,
as q corollary the destruction of
the nearby markets for farmers of
our own State, it Is therefore i'm.
perative to Georgia that this plan
should be made impossible for full
fillment since the mere threat of
it and kindred declarations has
wrought serious disaster to our
people.
If elected, ! shall give the peo-
pie an administration character
lied by the strictest economy, and
shall favor the following:
l. A return to the payment in
one sum of Confederate pensions,
such as prevailed before the advent
of the present administration
2. The reduction of taxation as
quickly and to as great an extent
as can be made practicable.
3. The regulation of the rail
roads. This should be done with
fairness, but with Judgment, hold
ing equally in mind the right of
the public who travel and ship, of
the stockholders who own the
properties, and of the lives and
fair wages of the employees,
4. The proper support of all pub
lie institutions.
5. AS liberal appropriations for
common schools as the public f.
nances Will allow
6. Changes in the Railroad Com
mission law, viz: First, the repeal
of those parts which give the Com
mission jurisdiction over such To-
cal institutions as telephones, gas
and electric lighting plants, cot
ton congresses, and street rail-
ways. Secondly, to insert the re-
quirement that one of the COM
sioners shall be a rate expert, and
to repeal that section providing
for rate expert not q commits
sioner; thus saving $4,000 per an
mum in that office. Thirdly, to
compel railroads to properly light
and heat passenger stations, and
to require demurrage rules.
Z. The establishment of De-
partment of Labor.
s. The strict enforcement of the
present prohibition law. If the
people In the coming election
choose members of the general as