Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1912-08-09

Hon. Hooper Alexander Thursday
morning issued the formal platform up
on which he IS making his race for gov
ernor. The two principal pianks are .
more rigid enforcement Of the prohibi-
ton laws with the abolition OF all locker
clubs and the extension Of the Western
and Atlantic railorad to the sea.
Mr.. Alexander also advocates a per-
manent registration law and laws limit
ing the amount Of money 4 candidate
shall spend In his campaign. The platform
follows IN fun:
To the People Of Georgia: An as
pirant for the governorship should cam
didiy tell the people his views, and the
policy he viii pursue II chosen
CONDEMNS STILL HUNTING
He ought not to seek the office by
mere personal solicitation and what are
called ''still-hunt' methods, and be
ought not to expend large sums Of mon
ey in his campaign. Such expenditures
are morally wrong and politically dam
gerous.
Any man should be free to discuss
and criticise the candidates position
and platform and his public and ofFlcial
record. upon the sole condition that he
be fair and respectful. and no candidate
should shrink from such discussion.
The best way to conduct this inquiry
Is face TO face before the voters. though
sometimes candidates abuse this right
and seek to degrade the discussion into
mere spersonalism. In such cases the
wrong doer will suffer most II the other
man preserves his own dignity and
properly regards and respects his audi
ence.
The proper way for the voters to do f.
to assume that the man who is non
willing TO make prompt public declar-
alton Of his own principles has not con-
hdencee in their correctness, and refuse
TO vote for him
HITS AT MONEY IN POLITICS.
Where the candidate seeks Office on
such inordhate expenditure Of money as
would preclude the average man from
entering the contest his position
amounts simply 70 claiming that none
but the very rich are eligible to the
ONCE, and average men should refuse to
vote against a candidate who uses 4
and certainly correct the acute evil Of
the inordinste use Of money in politics
as the knowledge that the people viii
vote against ia candidate who uses il
that way.
Circumstances fully understood BY
the state impeIled me to the conviction
on August 1 that I should be a candi-
date for governor, and I now present
you my views as promptly as has been
consistent with due regard to private
business engaging my attention and
which had to be disposed of. and to my
public duties which still demand my
time.
rxcrssrvr, TIP ANyspoRT ALTON
RATES
The greatest economic evil that trou-
bles this state lies in excessive and dis
freight charges The gen
erai public has little knowledge Of the
character and extent Of this evil, and
even the shippers who suffer from #
at the point of collection are generally
aware of their own particular griev-
anees only.
To illustrates: 1t costs more to carry
freight by rail from Savannah TO Griffin
than it does to carry it on under exact
~ the same conditions from Savan-
nah to Atlanta It costs more to carry
1t from Savannah to Macon. zoo miles,
than to carry it in the same
train from Savannah through Macon
nearly 500 miles. to Nashville. 1t costs
more TO bring 1t from the Ohio river
crossings to Valdosta. Thonnasville and
Quitman than to take it through these
points to Jacksonville Flour goes
from St Louis to Glasgow. in Scotland.
for less than it costs to Atlanta
The instances given are not excep-
tional Like abuses apply to every
town in Georgia and to every article OF
freight. and the evil is Iwo-fold- The
aggregate Of the excess in those chargA
es against the people Of this state, ana
which in its last analysis is merely
tax levied by the carriers on the pso-
PIE. can not be accurately stated, pur
in my judgment It is two or three times
as much as the total cost Of running
the state government That is the abb
solute wrong of the freight rate ques-
ton The relative wrong Is even more
disastrous. for the unfavorable condi.
tons imposed on Georgia merchants.
and shippers by these