Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1912-03-22
Why Judge Samuel B. Adams Cannot Support Wood
row Wilson.

No man in Georgia stands higher at
the bar than Judge Samuel B. Adams,
of Savannah, former Justice of the
Supreme Court of Georgia, and for
many years recognized as one of the
leading attorneys of the South. Not
only does Judge Adams stand high in
professional life, but in the religious
life of the state he has long been rec
ognized as a leader OF Methodism, as
an exponent of a high standard Of pri
vate and public life. The carefully
considered utterances of such man
muct carry weight with other thinking
men. His recent letter to the Savan-
nah Morning News, telling why he can
not support Woodrow Wilson for pres
dent, carries conviction in every sen
tence 1t is a document worthy OF
perusal by every voter, not only in
Georgia but throughout the South, eX-
posing, as it does, the fallacies and
dangers of the tissues" recently adopt
ed by Gov Wilson to the utter annihil-
alton of the convictions and teachings
of all his life prior to the plunge into
politics two years ago. The Times-Re-
corder regrets that lack of space pre-
vents the republication of the entire
document But the following extract
furnishes ample food for thought to
those who are inclined to carelessly
fall into line behind the Wilson ban
ner and hurrah for the "iniative,"
referendum" and recall" without
seriously considering what they really
mean and to what they would actually
lead if made governing principle Of
the state or nation.
Judge Adams says in part:
"A quotation from the Appeal to
Reason edited by Eugene " Debs,
appearing in an editorial in advance
of the confession of the McNamaras,
suggestively puts the advantage of the
recall principle. They were used in
relation to the coming California cleo
ton. quote: The fight at the polls
this fall will center around the adop-
ton of the iniative, referendum and
recall amendments to the constitution.
Under the provisions of the recall am
endment the judges of the Supreme
Court of California can be recalled
These are men who will decide the
fate of the kidnapped workers! Don't
you see what it means, comrades, to
have in the hands of an intelligent, mil
liant working class the political pow
er to recall the present capitalist
judges and put on the bench our own
men? Was there ever such an oppor-
tunity for effective work? No, not
since Socialism first raised its crimson
banner on the shores of Morgan's
country! The election for Governor
and state officers of California does
not occur until 1914. But with the
recall at our command, we can put our
own men in office without waiting for
a regular election!'
Mr. Wilson's advocates may answer
that Debs was writing of the recall uf
judges and Mr.. Wilson halts when
confronted with this application OF
the principle. But Debs could, with
equal force, have supported measure
for the recall of Governors, as to
which he and Mr.. Wilson are agreed,
Upon the ground that, in the event of
the conviction of the McNamaras, he
and his comrades could insist upon
their pardon by the Governor, or re-
call him, and, under the system of re-
call, could have had in office an execu-
tive who would do their bidding.
Indeed, Debs himself is consistent
and logical like Roosevelt, because he
does not confine the blessings of re-
call to the judges, but proclaims, in
his editorial, with the recall at QUE
command, we can put our own men in
office without waiting for a regular
election In the light of the subse-
quent confession of the McNamaras.
this editorial, in the Appeal to Rea-
son, is very interesting reading and is
a remarkable Endorsement of Mr. Will
.on's principle of recall.
1t would be asv to cite instances
where if the power to recall had ex-
listed to the extent advocated by Mr..
Wilson most ,,,icnbaViOi,c CORRESPONDENCE