The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1911-02-23

| - ooeioA DSCteIHenC. Iney must all
De working together to build up, and
II Tor any good reason their ener-
giles are ever devoted to destruction
1T should be done with purpose to
destroy real evil in order to build
something better and more useful to
society. This can hardly be said OF
Ben Davis, the editor Of the Atlanta
independent, and the good he is try.
Ing to persuade the ignorant Negroes
or Georgia that he Is doing. The best
white people of the State OF Georgia
40 not believe in him any more than
the better class or Negroes.
Everybody with the least common
sense knows what a bad thing .whis-
Key is. No race Of people has ~suf-
Tered more from it's use than the
Negro. The most Of his crime and
Idegradation has been laid at the
door of bad liquor as much as at the
doors of poverty and ignorance. In
Georgia, the white people kept the
races separate when selling whiskey
which was lawful thing to do.
"hen the terrible riot Of few years
back occurred, the crimes supposed
10 nave been committed by the Ne
groes were laid at the door of whis-
Key by the best white people and
Negroes Of the community. After the
riot the prohibition law of Georgia
was passed and is now in force The
suggestion and passing of it were a
complete triumph Of the forces of
law and order, The best white peo-
pie and the officers Of the law are
constantly seeking to have It strong
~ enforced The best forces of the
Negro churches and schools Of Geor-
gla are cooperating with the best
white people and the officers of the
law. While these forces are at work
IN their effort to conquer crime and
evil, Ben Davis is vain enough
concerted enough and sufficiently ar
rogant to set himself to teach the
pest whites and blacks of the State
now to deal with the Negro in all
the phases of his life in Georgia. He
folds his arms across his fighting
breast and knits his brow while de-
llVerng a classic on "Double-deaI-
Ing" and the Common liar" preach
ers with whom he has had a personal
quarrel. Then he sits down to his
editorial desk and writes a lengthy
argument While doing this with
one. hand he is taking in the COPY
for the advertisements Of the whis-
Key dealers outlawed by the prohi-
Dition law Of the State of Georgia
with the other. ASK the revenue
of1cer, Roses Purity Rye" and
"Oppenheims Pure Whiskey at a.
Low Price" have Been more familiar
head-liners than real news articles
In the paper that Ben Davis calls the
Official Organ of the Georgia Odd
Fellows. The best white people of
Georgia who used their energy for
the passing Of the Prohibition law.
are perhaps wondering about the
"Double-Dealing of Ben Davis" as
much as he IS. worrying about the
trickery of the Republican, Church
and Society politicians whom he is
always trying to outtrick.
If the righteous Indignation Of the
best white people of the State Of
Georgia is ever again aroused over
the Whiskey question and the Negro,
we predict they will make q bee-line
for the office of Ben Davis, "The
Fighting Editor" Of the Atlanta In
dependent, ID. G. S. of the Ga. Odd
Fellows" "Chief Justice of the other
crowd of Odd Fellows outside of
Georgia, "The Muck-raker of the
Georgia Preachers" and "Moses of
the Masses Of the Empire State of
the South"
His attacks On Henry A. Rucker
must have had personal animus be-
hind them, for we have the informa-
ton that it was during the admins
tration Of Rucker that indictments
were returned against Davis for
some irregularities while he was en-
ployed in the Internal Revenue De-
Gartment of Georgia. He carried his
fulminations against Rucker to such
point that many people really be-
lieve he was guilty of the wrong
doing, whether he has been proved
SO or not. Self-presevation is the
first law. Nobody bIames Ben for
trying to save himself, for no sane
man would leave stone unturned
to keep himself out Of federal
prison. If he was guilty he defeated
Justice; if he was innocent, Rucker
deserved the lacing he was given by
'The Fighting One" Nobody knows
but Ben and the others who know
the truth about his conduct as a
gauger In the Internal Revenue
Service.
He did the community no service
in his pratings about the last mar
riage of BiShon T11rncr Tho old