Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-08-15

and in the presence of the people whose
votes he solicits, leaves me free to chal-
Ienge openly his right and his claim tc
the Office we both are seeking.
There are three candidates for COVER
nor. besides myself. The first is M
honored fried OF long standing Cover
nor Harris. 1 have no assault TO make on
him. l wouldn't say a word of criticism
against him to be elected to this or any
other Office. But the governor is an old
man. II he is reelected governor. h1
will be, 1 think, with possibly one ex-
ception the oldest man who ever held the
office In this state.
II Governor Harris lacks decision, IL
is in his age. If he lacks virility, ii is his
age, because he has. as all OF us know
We will have when age puts the silver
IN our hair, and the wrinkles in our face,
and the hesitation in our steps, and the
hating in our memory-an weakness
es which accompany old age.
DR.. Hartman is also running for gov
ernor as he has a perfect right to do
He has been running long enough To
have become an expert in the art OF
running. 1 greatly fear, however. that
in this case the old proverb of practice
makes perfect will be reversed, and
that the more he runs the more slowly
he progresses.
The good doctor insists that he should
be elected governor because he Is nc
politician, while the rest of US are. In
view of the fact that the doctor claims
credit for a large part of the legisla-
ton Of the state for the past ten years
or more, during which time he has been
busily engaged in holding a place in the
general assembly or running for one
ha W
ernor. il Is with rather poor grace that
he declares that /, at least, am poll
tician-I, who was never, in life OF
nearly half a century, candidate Tor
a political office before.
On one of the issues in this campaign
DIR. Hardman and / emphatically differ
He insists that the governors term
should be four years. l insist, on the
contrary. that there is no man in Geor-
gia great enough, or good enough, or
wise enough, to hold this exalted office
longer than two years, without return
ing his credentials to the people for
their ratification or disapproval. Its
RESPONSIBILITIES are too great, its pa
tronage is too extensive. its possibilities
of good or evil to the state and its peo-
ple are too tremendous TO Justify en-
trusting them to any man longer THAI
two years.
DR.. Hartman is strong for a four
year term. for DIR. Hardman, but his
enthusiasm on this point sadly disap-
pears when IL comes to Governor Harris.
am against the four-year term Tor
anybody.
The other candidate is Hon. Hugh NJ.
Dorsey. He was, until few days ago,
solicitor general of the Atlanta circuit
and had held that office for nearly
ago. solicitor-general Of the Ocmulgee
circuit, and had held that office for
nearly fourteen years. 1 resigned my
office when I announced for governor.
do not doubt that he faithfully and
ably discharged his duties as such an
officer. / claim the same for myself.
NV record, will, 1 believe, compare IA
vOrably with his.
I have prosecuted and have been I'm
strumental in convicting twice as many
criminals as he. have been officially
in inflicting the death pen
atty on twice as many murderers as he'
though I admit that my services have
not been quite so spectacular in some
respects as his own.
Our contracts with the state have
closed. The state paid me and paid him.
1t owes me nothing.
It owes him nothing. Neither he nor
1 have any right to ask the Office OF
governor of the people solely because We
our duty faithfully.
1 have asserted all over Georgia, and
I now assert that for FIVE reasons, sepa-
rate and distinct, Mr.. Dorsey is dis
qualified to be governor of t=;s great
state.
The Western and Atlantic railroad is
the states best material asset. Hon.
William A Wright. the states beloved,
hSnOred and superbly capable comptrol-
Ter general gallant Confederate SOL
der and probably the best posted citi-
zen on railroad values in this state
says that the Western and Atlantic rail-
road pays a net return to it's lessees of
5 per cent on a S20.O0O,0OO valuation.
With such value, the Western and At
lantic railroad should be leased for a
sum of approximately 100000 per an
mum; for twice the amount paid under
the present lease contract.
Both Mr.. Dorsey and myself agree
that the Western and Atlantic railroad
should not be sold. l insist that 1t
should be leased for a reasonably long
term. so that the lessees would have
some motive to develop and build up
this great property. 1t is a fact, we'll
known to most of the citizens of Geor-
gia that one-half of the income from
the lease of the Western and Atlantic
railroad furnishes the basis for our
school system, and that prop
erty itself is the basis of the states
splendid credit.
II is fact, also well known to many
that the Nashville, Chattanoo-
ga and st. Louis railroad is the pres
ent lessee of the Western and Atlantic
and that the Louisville and Nashville
controls. If it does not own outright,
the Nashville, Chattanooga and st. Louis
1t is a fact also. though not so well
known, that the Louisville and Nash
willie railroad is and has been engaged
IN an effort to obtain a charter which
would authorize it to build another rail-
read to run parallel to the Western and
Atlantic, through it's natural territory
in Georgia, and connecting with the
Louisville and Nashville's main system.
There is not a particle of doubt that
IL this scheme of the Louisville and
Nashville succeeds, the value of the
Western and Atlantic will be greatly re-
duced. and in my opinion practically
destroyed.
This legislation. absolutely necessary
to save the states property from ruin,
was passed almost unanimously. With
in a few months thereafter a suit was
brought in the superior court of Fulton
county. in which & was alleged that the
law passed, to protect the state, was
and void.
This suit was filed by the law firm
of Dorsey. Brewster, Howell & Heyman,
of which the present candidate was a