Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1911-11-10

I best that money will supply in nine
months school system that will be with
in the reach of every poor white boy and
girl in the state OF Georgia
on TEACHERS PAY.
I am here TO say that you cannot do
cannot either get or keep rural teachers
without prompt payment of their sala-
ries. You cannot place the benefits or
your schools within the reach of those
who most need them without free scnooi
books. I advocate prompt payment or the
teachers and in the absence of legisHa-
ton which will secure this result. II I
am elected governor and there is no,
enough money with which TO pay the
states salary list in full, will pro-
rate the available funds among all TO
whom salaries are due. and my warrants
( on the treasury viii give their prorate
share to the teachers along with the
judges and state house Officers. / will
not pay other officers on the civil list
\ in full and make the teachers wait. The
furnishing OF school books by the state
will not only effectuate a great economy
but prevent the frequent changing or
text books which is a heavy and useless
tax especially upon those parents VINO
patronize the rural schools
I have made myself quite familiar
Georgia Normal and Industrial college
as at present conducted under the wise
leadership OF Professor Parks. He -
the right man in the right place He Is
doing a work for Georgia than which no
man has ever dsne greater. and yet "a
each session Of this great Georgia instr
tuition the applications of hundreds of
worthy girls are refused and Georgia
with unmctherly unconcern shuts the
doors of this great school in the faces
OF her daughters because she has not
room to shelter them nor means provid-
/ ed for their needs. / protest againsr
CLOSING of the doors of hope to any or
the daughters Of our great state, ano
do not believe that Georgia, a loving
mother as she is, can turn a dun and
deafened ear to the cries for relief that
come from humble homes in every Sec
fion of the state from the mountains to
the seaboard.
ENDORSES RAILROAD COMMISSION
indorse the present railroad com.
mission law, and am opposed to any
reduction in the number of commits
/ sioners Changes in the law may be
necessary growing out of changed con-
ditious.. but there should be no lessen
ing Of the powers of the commission,
and no diminution of its membership.
The state can and must exercise The
right to regulate anu in a measure
control all of its. creatures, in so far
as they affect the interest of others,
and it cannot permit any corporate
association, however, worthy its objest
originally, to be diverted from the
purpose for which it was created, o.
suffer it to enguIf the interest of IT'S
stockholders and of the public in the
maelstrom OF politics. The sovereign
people, who through their representa-
uves, or otherwise. in accordance with
law, nave granted valuable franchises
and rights of way TO corporations en-
gagged as common carriers, have the
right 10 exercise the power Of regula-
ton over the conduct of the business
OF these corporations to the end that
charges, eitser for freight or PASSENGER
/ transportation shall not be unreason-
able nor discriminatory
Every corporation engaged in public
utility service should feel assured or
guarantee of fair and just treatment
In the conduct of its legitimate bus
iness-nO more, no less-and in the
exercise of the business functions for
which IL was created. 1t should know
that its every legal right win be pro-
tected. and its every illegal effort re-
The powers of the railroad commits
sion should not be Diminished. nor
should the efficiency of the commits
sion be weakened by decreasing the
number OF that body. ] think we can
sarely trust a commission elected bS
the people with the enacting of such
Regulations and providing such faciI,-
Ties as will afford to the public. com
Tort safety and convenience, and allow
reasonable return upon the capital
ON LOCAL OPTION.
In spite of all the adverse criticisv,
and Misrepresentation wbtch ~ -to1n
hurled at me. my unequivocaI declare
ton In favor of local option, as the wisest
ana sounoest plan by which we can con-
trol ana diminish the use of intoxicants
IN TINS state, needs no defense or anol-
ogy. And by local option / mean nre-
cisely and exactly this; that every county
In Georgia shall settle for Itself by a ma
1ority vote OF its own people whether or
not Intoxicating liquors of any kind shall
De SOFA wlthrn its borders. and they
shall decide for themselves severaIIv .as
TO the matter and under what feepIa-
ions the traffic in intoxicating LIQUORS
snail be conducted. II at all. In declaring
Tor local option / am standing consist
entity by record of 30 years since local
option was first proposed IN Georgia as
means Of preventing the evils of in
temperance and diminishing the use OF
intoxicants. With me the question Is
not one of liquor but of human liberty. !
can IN a measure understand how a pro-
hibitionist or an anti-prohihitionist who is
not Democrat can be opposed to local
option, but 1 cannot see how any Geor-
gian, who is a Democrat indeed, and as
such is true to the traditions and fun
damental principles of the Democratic
party from its birth, can oppose local
option as TO any subject which effects
the individual rights Of the citizen as 10
his personal habits and home life AS
related to the sale of liquors a local op-
ZIONIST may be either a prohibitionist or
an anti-pro..ibitionist. but he is always
Democrat because he accords to the
man who may differ with him the same
right TO a voice and share in the gov
eminent as he claims for himself. But
the man, be he prohibitionist or anti
prohibitionist, who would seal the mouths
of his fellow-citizens forever and de-
prive freeborn white man of the right
Of at least giving his consent to a-law
which would abridge any of the natural
rights Of freeman, is not. in my opin-
ion, a Democrat.
LOCAL OPTION DEMOCRATIC.
Democracy from its very derivation
means the power or rule of the people.
am aware, a studied effort has been
made to place new and unheard of