Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1911-08-06
SILLY EXPLANATION THAT DOES
NOT EXPLAIN.


Through its Washington correspond
emit Ralph Smith, the Atlanta Journal
serves its confiding readers with some
remarkable dope concerning the tie
vote on the farmers free list measure
and, with the skill of necromancy that
the lamented Hermann would have en-
WED. converts the defeat of the Demo-
cratic measure into a veritable victory
for Senator-elect Hoke Smith.
As the Journal would seek to make
its readers believe, and doubtless many
of them, governed by their wishes rath-
e. than by their judgment, will accept
the explanation, it was to the very best
interests of the country that Senator
Smith was not in his seat in the SEN
ate when the farmers free list bill
came up on its passage. Because Of
his absence, resulting in the defeat OF
! the measure prepared by the DemOC-
|cratic congressman in their caucus, the
icountry has been given better meas
ure as amended by the Republican IN
surgents. A vote of thanks is there
fore due Hoke Smith because he was
not on hand to sustain and support the
| Democratic measure.
In other wards, the Journal seeks to
convince the state that the Democratic
caucus did not know what was best
for the party interests or for the coun-
try at large, that it prepared, adopted
and supported a farmers free list bill
that was not what it should have been,
that Senator Smiths absence FORUM
ately brought about the defeat Of the
Democratic caucus measure, and that
the measure as amended by the Re
publicans was an Improvement on the
Democratic measure.
To save Senator Smith the Journal
and its Washington correspondent
would seek to convince the country
that the Democratic caucus is not
capable of preparing a bill that really
meets the necessities and serves the
best interests of the country, and that
the defeat of the measure-through
the fortunate absence of Stay-at-home
Senator Smith Of Georgia-was a YER
table GOd-send to the nation. Such
being the case the glory and honor and
political prestige accompanying the
Legislation for the relief of the farmers
must go to La Toilette and his fol-
/ lowers. If the amendment measure
| is so much better than the original
! Democratic measure as the Journal
would have its readers believe the
/ democratic caucus stands convicted of
Iincompetency to grasp the situation
and prepare legislation that will really
promote the nations interests.
With the Journal it is anything to
save Senator Smith from just criticism.
It's correspondent. the same Ralph
Smith whose campaign dispatches j.
the tour around the state were 50
grossly unreliable, also dopes the
Journal readers into believing-if they
wish to-that if Senator Smith had
been on hand another Democratic SEN
ator, name not given, would have join
ed Senator Bailey, the only Democrat
to vote against the Democratic caucus
measure, and that there would still
| have been a tie. How the Journal can
expect its intelligent readers to swal-
low such CUFF it is difficult to see. True,
there are many of them so biased IN
Judgment that nothing is too incredible
for them to gulp down without a grim
ace. But there must be many to whom
the utter absurdity of such pleas in de-
fence of Senator Smith must be ap-
parent.
An explanation that is so silly on
tae face of it does more harm than
good If the Journal and its special
correspondent cannot devise some bet
tor excuses than these they had better
let it alone and let the clouds blow
over as best they may.