Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1910-08-13
HOkE SMITH AND
TfE MEN WHO LABOR
Pendl0tOn Puts Some
Straight Questions.
Massacres Claims That
w orking men Are
Under Amy Obligation
to Former Governor.
(F'r0m Open Letter from c. R. PendIs-
ton to eX-Goy. Smith in Macon
Telegraph.

tUA ~ CA-GUfs oAlLL Ii 41dG0u
Telegraph.
Il IS stated that you will attack
Governor Brown for sending troops
TO the Durham mines to quell a riot.
Compare Browns record regarding
the military with yours. Governor;
you were a member Of Clevelands cao-
met wien federal troops were sent
into Illinois to break the Pullman
strike. over the protest of the gov
ernor OF that state. Didn't you ad-
wise that move? Didn't your paper,
the Atlanta Journal, commend it in
strong language? You owned the jour
nal then. Don't wiggle.
Furthermore. Governor, didn't you
use the following language in your
inaugural address in June. 1907:
TIE man who breaks the law TO
punish a criminal is himself a Grim
inal and I ask the people Of the
state to help me to preserve law and
order. There is no place in Georgia
for riots and mobs.
Never Enacted Any Beneficial Laws.
By the way. Governor. can you poils
to a single piece of legislation advo-
Gated by YOU in any one Of your sew
eraI messages to the general assem-
bly, advocating any important labor
legislation? Do you favor depart
ment Of labor? Ii you do, why didn't
You suggest il to your legislature
Do you favor the Strengthening and
enforcement OF the child labor laws.
the enactment and enforcement Of laws
TO protect wOrkmen who have to han,
die dangerous machinery? Then why
have you not enacted them?
As matter OF fact, Governor. the
only recommendations you ever made
for the. benefit Of labor were mild sug-
gesdons regarding contributory neg
ligence and employers liability meas
ures. But as a lawyer with much ex-
perience with that kind Of practice.
don't YOU know that such laws woulI
place one dollar in the pocket of dam
age suit lawyers fer every dollar they
would give to injured or deceased
workmen or teeir families?
Unjust Pounding OF Railroads Pounds
the Horkingman.
Coming down 10 brass tacks. Coy
ernor what have you ever done for
laboring men, except take their suits
on big contingent fees
Yes. there is something you have
done for. or rather TO labor.
For the fiscal year ending June 80.
1907 the railroad companies spent
$92,C52,750.S7 in operating expenses.
For tie fiscal year ending June 30
1908, the railroads spent in operatfns
expenses $29, s69 .9S5.72. For the fiscal
year ending June 30, 1909. the rail-
roads spent in operating expenses
$2S.391, 8IZ46.
Where Georgia Labor Lost Out.
Thus during the first year of yo1r
administration, $2,082, 765.I5 less was
paid to the workmen and for mate
rial here in Georgia by the railroads
OF the state. During the second year.
S5.t6e,935.+1 less was spent for TIL,
same purposes. At least two-thirds
of the loss was to labor Those VINO
worked received smaller pay. bun
thousands were laid off and could fn5
no work to do
When you pound the railroads un.
Justly you pound the man on tie en-.
CINE, in the cab, on the track crew.
m ere than the wealthy owner. Yoa
pinch the railroads and they pinch taa
"orkmen, by reducing wages. LAYING
off men; they pinch the public. b.
stopping Improvements. lowering the
S an lard OF service. In other words
Governor, the figures demonstrate
pretty well that the railroads vii,
get theirs" 1t is sometimes pretty
hard for the fireman and conductor
TO get theirs. Did you make it anv
easier for them? What rate did Won
reduce TO compensate for this five and
three-quarters Of million dollars
Which should have been spent in Geor-
gia, mostly for labor?
Saved Public Money Without Raising
He'll.
Governor don't you know the rail
road commission during the period that
Joseph II. Brown was a part thereof
made or brought about freight reduc-
lions which meant a saving of more
han $2oo0,000 annually to the people
d Georgia; adding the passenger rate
'eduction, they meant a saving Of some
5@,ooo.o00 a year? This was done
without Injurious agitation ell-rais-
ng' and down with the railroads"
intelligently, by advice of q |
ate expert with due regard to the
ailroads and public, and without loss
o the people who sell labor or ma
erial to the railroad companies. Stll
-ou fired Railroad Commissioner
Brown because he wrote a lie ter to
-ou which you did not open. Which |
vas most imDortant-the above saw,
ngs to the public or a fancied al
ront to you?