The Marietta journal and courier. (Marietta, Ga.) 1909-1918, 1915-07-16
THE s0UTH'S SALVATION LIES IN
THIS.

Some people had rather "hit Hoke
Smith every time he shows his head
than to do something for the good
of their state and country.
The Chronicle has INDUCED in this
pastime, itself, but never for the fun
or the politics-of it; on the con-
trary, we have felt free to agree with
him whenever we though he was
right and to disagree with him when
ever we thought he was wrong.
Now, we are not going to say what
we started out to say--that major
ity of the Georgia senators must have
been actuated, somewhat by this de-
sire, simply, to "hit Hoke whack, F"
when they reconsidered that senate
resolution calling on President Viii
son to compel Great Britain to lift
her embargo on our trade with neu-
trail countries-but we are going to
say that the senate made itself rather
ridiculous by its performance, one
way or the other.
But that fact would seem to go
without saying, for when legisla-
tive body solemnly passes a resolr-
ton on so serious an international
subject as the British embargo on
neutral trade, it might be assumed
that it knows what it is doing-and
means what it says.
When, however, it turns right
around, the very next day, and re-
considers and undoes what it did, the
public can only smile-and scent
politics. Either that, or the public
must assume that the senate is with
oft mind of it's own.
But let's see what the senate said
in its original resolution, and, then,
let's see what is the matter with it.
Here it is:
This disregard of the plain rights
of citizens of the United States has
greatly injured our entire country,
and especially has it injured the pro-
ducers of cotton in Georgia, and the
other southern states, by depriving
them, contrary to the laws of nations,
of a certain market of three million
bales, or more, annually, of their cot
ton crop"
Does the above state the truth, or
not? If so, why shouldn't it be said
and why should anybody want to
take it back?
AS a matter of fact, it might have
gone even further; for the solemn
fact is, if this British embargo is not
lifted before another cotton crop is
thrown on the market, the South will
be in a worse fix than it has been
since the Civil War. There is no es-
Gaping this fact.
And that is just what Senator
Hoke Smith and others are trying to
prevent-trying to forestall possible,
if not probable, bankruptcy for the
South. No fair-minded man can
read Senator Smiths address to the
Georgia legislature, as published in
yesterdays Chronicle, without agree
ing with him on at least two pro-
positions:
First, that with possible cotton
crop of twelve million or thirteen
million bales thrown on the market
this fall-and nowhere to sell it, ex-
cept at home and to Great Britain
more than a third of that crop viii
be drug on the market while none Of
it will sell for much more than hall
what it ought to bring.
Second, that cotton is not contra
band, and even if it were, Great Bri
tain would have no earthly right t.
say we shall not sell it to a country
with which she is not at war; thu:
interfering with the natural tradt
relations between two or more al
mittedly neutral countries.
And there is a third proposition
with which The Chronicle, at least
most heartily agrees with Senator
Smith - in fact, we have beer
contending for it for months
which is, that if Great Britain re
| fuses to recognize this right of our,
to trade with neutral countries, we
forthwith, refuse to recognize Grea
Britain's right to buy arms and am
munition in the United States. Fol
this latter will soon bring Great Bri
tian to her senses and permit oul
products to flow forth through the
length and breadth of the world.
How long will it be before more
of our own people wake up to tho
soundness of this proposition? Viii
they wait until another great crop Of
cotton is thrown on the market-ani