Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1910-07-06
IMPROPER pRTyuFGFs Tus
CURSE OF THE LAND.

Governor Hughes believes that the
country's greatest danger is not SO
much the gross corruption so fire.
quently found among politicians and
office holders, the giving and accepting
of brides with legislation as the OBJ
ject in view, as it is the reaching out
persistently of various interests for
special privileges. In taking this view
OF the conditions and perils that con-
front the country Governor Hughes is
merely echoing the sentiments of the
leaders of the Democratic party who
for years have been sounding the slo-
gan of resistance to the efforts OF
capital in its various forms to fortify
itself more and more in the citadel OF
special privileges. Inasmuch as the
grantors of special privileges have
been the Republican and not the Dem
ocratic party, the New York COVER
nor's views are, in fact, condemna-
ton of his own party. The fact that
Governor Hughes so openly expresses
opposition to continued expansion OF
privileges to the few shows that the
principles of Democracy are reaching
into the ranks of the interrupted
leaders of the opposition and that
eventually good men of both parties
will be allied in bringing to an END
the reign of highly protected manu-
facturers and the spoliation of the
country by trusts and cogy>9es ot
various forms. @a's
In his speech at Harvard college
Gov. Hughes had this to say:
Placed by general consent in a diff
ferent category, but breeding corrup-
ton and spreading insidious in
fluences, are the efforts to secure ant
to hold improper privileges. The VIC
lFories of democracy have been won
against privileges. And the constant
struggle must be to keep our institu-
tons free from the blight of favorit-
ism and Of special grants at the eX-
pense of the general welfare To one
occupied with public affairs it FREE
quently seems as though the security
Of the common interests-which one
would suppose would be the first and
essential considerations the most
difficult to maintain. The constant en-
deavOr, prosecuted with regrettable
measure of success, to place men in
public office who are not corrupt in
the ordinary sense, but can be relied
upon to serve some particular interest
to which they owe primary allegiance,
has honeycombed administration and
made our statutes, to large extent, a
patchwork of special favors. Much of
this sort of thing is done without a
sense of Wrongdoing. If there be aught
of democratic spirit in those who thus
contrive against the community, self
interest bushes it's too feeble protest.
Under these conditions there are
those chosen as the representative Of
the people to deliberate and decide ac-
Icording to their honest judgment as to
what may be in the public interest or
in accord with the announced policy
of the party to which they belong, who
merely ask what their masters want.
They are there without independence,
without manhood, to give what is de-
manded to avert what is opposed. This
practice of prostituting the agencies
|Of democracy, and of using the nece3-
sary instrumentalities of free govern
ment against itself, is far more serious
than any open attack upon our COVER
mental system. Without fidelity in
representation the institutions CT
free government are a mockery, and
Ito secure fidelity in representation is
Of fundamental concern.