The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1907-1917, 1911-08-10

thinks that we have forgotten how McLendon,
a few weeks before the Legislature met was
agltatlng this very matter Smiths sudden
zeal was not due to his own initiative, but to
the squirting of McLendon.
Shall we get results? We shall see. The
present Attorney General was the State Sena-
tor on whose motions the "Hardeman Resolu-
tons" were killed in the Legislature of 1907
Those resolutions were drafted by the late
James W. Green under my instruction and
dlctatlon. Their purpose was to break up the
illegal relations which existed. between the
Southern Railroad System and the Central of
Georgia. Senator Fielder opposed and killed
them-and the relation between the two rail
road systems remain illegal, as it was in 1907
Judge Hines himself was most comp1acent
to the railroads In the matter of the mileage
books to the drummers; and is therefore re-
sponslble for the vexations and loss of time
that the drummers, and the travelling public
generally, have had to endure because of that
ackass rule
Another thing that the Judge omitted was
the fact that the present Railroad Commits
slon-McLendOn having been kicked out
unanimously voted to allow the Coast Line r.
IL. system to advance the passenger rates, on
! It's Georgia Railroad section, although the
Coast Line, as aoh0le, showed huge net earn
lngs, far above the line of reasonable net
profits.
Governor Smith assigned as one of his reas-
ons for lynching McLendon, that he feared
Mae eoouzd dzzow the Georgia Roizroad to ad-
U021ce passenger rates.
When Smiths own Commission actually did
this, neither Smith nor his journalistic Fido-
the Atlanta J0urnnl-had a word of criticism
to utter. Done by McLendon, it would have
been crime against the people; done by Muir
ply Gambler and the others, it was bIameess.
Now, let us consider how far the record
bears out Judge Hines, in regard to Smiths
Jealous attempts to enforce fret CHIT rate re-
ductlOnS
The issue is so VITAL and the evidence
against Smith SO conclusive that [ quote at
some length from his "Macon Platform" of
1906:
REIMBURSEMENT OF FREIGHT RATES DE-
MANDED
1--WE demand an immediate leveling of ntra-
state rates to the basis of yielding than
reasonable return upon the money invested, and
the abofishment of all determinations against
the people of this state, in favor of the people of
other states
1--WE demand the immediate repeal of all pre-
ferentia rates above the standard tariff which the
main railroad systems of Georgia permitted
TO charge.
1--WE demand that the railroad commission of
Georgia shall take immediate steps upon these i'm
portant matters to place the shippers and
consumers of this state upon equal footing with
their competitors elsewhere.
1--WE call especial attention to the immediate nee
essity for a reduction of rates from seaports
to and from all interior points We are sit
uated upon the seabOard Our coast opens to us
the waterways of the world This is an inest-
mable natural advantage of which we are de-
priVed by the excessive rates enacted to and from
the ports to the Interior The destruction of all
competition between railroads in Georgia. by the
ownership in few individuals of all these great
properties enables the railroad corporations APP
parently without let or hindrance to place Geor-