Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-07-26
Especial Dispatch to The Journal.)


! EATONTON, Ga, July 22-The Putnam
| County Ho!-e Smith club was organized
/ here on the 18th amid great enthusiasm
and Judge Thomas G. Lawson, former
congressman and one OF the states ablest
men, delivered an address to the club In
! which he eloquently set forth the princi-
| Piles which are at stake in the present
campaign. Judge Lawson was roundy
cheered by his hearers and it was evil
dent that his remarks which were vigor-
: Gus and to the point met with their APP
I prevail and that Putnam county has
J splendid Hoke Smith organization. Judge
Lawson said in part:
Gentlemen: 1 thank you for the oppor-
tunity of serving you as president of the
| Hoke Smith club OF Putnam county, In
q cause which / most heartily espouse.
This is the third time In which we have
united I'm the support of a great leader,
one who is great in intellect, great In
the essential elements of personal char
acter, great in conservative and pro-
gressive spirit. great as the champion OF
right and the antagonist OF wrong IA
practical man of affairs who has done
more by official aid, by earnest zeal In
counsel, and by pecuniary contributions
/ from his private purse. toward advancing
the education of the people, and promot-
ing the material welfare Of the state
than any one OF his predecessors in Of
fee, and who is perhaps doing as much
as any citizen in the state in this benef-
icent work.
THE "PEACE-BREAKER
We are not deferred by the clamor that
we are peace-breakers, and that we are
arousing the people from a soothing and
gentle slumber that is refreshing to their
souls The officeholder and his friends
do not want to be disturbed, they DO not
want 10 confront an awakened people.
they are averse to giving an account OF
their stewardship, and hence their clamor
for peace, peace, peace. The prayer OF
the devil for 90 centuries has been, Let
us have peace" The answer of the Christ
is. 81 came not to send peace on the
earth. but a sword" High moral, politi-
cal and religious principles cannot endure
without agitation and discussion. This
Is the only method by which truth, JUS
tice and the right can be vindlcateo anu
enthroned Stagnation Is death.
rejoice that the people delight In po-
utical discussions. The unprejudiced
mind delights in the search after truth.
Inquiry, investigation, agitation, discus
sion, the contact of mind with nina, the
friction produced by the attrition OF Varl-
ant opinions impart life and health ana
strength to political principles. Agitation
and discussion keep in healthy no" the
very life blood of our liberties. AS the
people assemble and discuss their beliefs
in log cabins, in the streets. in the forum
in legislative halls, and everywhere, they
become wiser and better citizens and safer
custodians of all political rights
What has Smiths administration &C
Icomplished for the people or georgia
First, II has eliminated from the oooy
polite the ignorant, irresponsible anu
vicious negro vote. Ihere Is ho hee" ~
dwell on that.
81 N like manner
the Illegal and fraudulent ballot through
the operation of a we'll devised reglstra-
ton law. Alleging that the voter is re-
ouired to register too long in advance OF
the election. Governor Brown recon-
mends the alteration of the law. l ap-
prove the law in it's main features as an
eminently wise and proper one. Being
new law IL will doubtless produce some
friction and dissatisfaction on Its nrst
trial: defects may be found in 1t that need
correcting; a few people may neglect 10
register under II, and thereby deprive
themselves of the right to vote at the
insuinx election. but these instances will
become fewer and fewer as the people be-
come accustomed to its requirements
Many people neglected to register I'M
der the old law, but the blame was not
put on the law. When voter neglects 10
register In proper time the fault is not In
the law but in himsel. The Intent OF the
law is, that the name OF every elector ana
the place OF his residence shall be known
six months before hand. so that every one
may have time to examine the reglstra-
ton list for the purpose OF CORRECTION or
Of challenging the Illegal voter at the
polls. and prevent the force OF an honest
ballot being destroyed by an illegal and
fraudulent one Under the amended con-
stitution the voter is required to pay his
taxes six months before the election
whereat he proposes to vote, and the reg
istration law imposes no additional hard
ships.
The law presupposes that the payment
OF taxes and the act of registration shall
be coincident And why not? No answer
has been given TO this question except the
silly one that the voter may forget or
neglect to register in the months allowed
him. IL a man forgets the day Of cleo
ton. or neglects his duty in court" or
forgets the day on which his note ma
lures in bank the law makes no provision
for his relief. In all essential matters the
law demands the exercise of diligence on
the part OF the citizen and often penalties
MIN for the lack of 1t. Why should Diff
ferent rule apply as to registration? VINO
can say that II the time were changed the
voter would be more diligent? Why
should the law be so framed as to en-
courage negligence? That people should
be taught and trained in the performance
of high public functions that negligence
is not a vice is a pernicious doctrine.
Diligence and vigilance are political vir-
tues of inest,mable value in democratic
government, they cannot be too constant
ly nor too strongly ipculcated, and to re-
lax their obligation is to weaken the
foundation of our political institution In
stead Of abusing the law In order to ex-I
cite the prejudices OF thoughtless people
they should be taught that its purpose Is
to secure pure elections, TO cut out the
illegal and fraudulent voter who may be
induced to register just prior to an cleo
tlon when II is too late to trace him, that
! Il is an easy matter to import such vo-
ers into large cities. and thus corrupt the
elections; that an honest vote should not
be nullified by a corrupt one; that such
defects as may appear in the law when
tried can be and will be corrected and
that II is the duty. well as the interest
of every patriotic citizen TO suffer some
Inconvenience, IL need be, in order TO eff
feet a purpose so desirable.
TRUTH PERVERTED. -.. !
But IL has been proclaimed from one
end of the state to the other that the
law has disfranchised a large number