The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1907-1917, 1916-10-19

gress for relief, but were told that it would not
be constitutional for goveTnment to undertake to
fix the price Of cotton to advance money
cotton in storage, and that Congress was slow
moving body and could not meet emergencies
Why Congress Aided the Brotherhocds and
Refused to Help the Cotton Growers.
Atlanta, Ca, October II, 1916.
Mr.. Roger A. Dewar,
Atlanta, Georgia.
Dear Mr.. Dewar: I am absolutely and
reservedy for Mr.. Hughes, because | know from
his past record he is essentially a Progressive
and what's more, he has always shown himself to
be with a good sized backbone and not
afraid to use it when the occasion required.
little month ago / was in Washing
ton personal business and saw the disgusting
and Illuminating exhibition Of weakened and
spineless President and Congress passing legisla-
ton at the direction of four men, heads of the
Railway Trainmen S Unions, who stood with watch
in hand, saying that unless this legislation
passed by certain day and hour this whole
country would be tied up, that business would
STOP
These four men, representing some 400 600 of
what probably the best paid Workmen in the
United States, demanded and got legislation which
in effect u.s. regardless Of what Mr.. Wilson calls
it, nothing less than increase of rs
per cent in heir wages.
[ don't know whether their demands were lust
or not but l do know that the railroad officials,
to understand that later legislation would be put
through after the November election enabling
them to increase their freight rates to make good
the extra cost. In other words the public, which
is you and 1 and all the other folks in Georgia
and other States WILL in the course of time be
called on to pay for this vote buying by Mr..
Wilson,
The other side of this disgraceful picture is
apparent. The officials of the labor organiza-
ton sending out word for their unions to
contribute to the Democratic campaign fund and
for the men to vote for Wilson
couldn't help but note the difference between
the way the demand of these already well paid
cotton growers of the South were slapped in the
face and told Nothing doing" by Wilson and
Congress when we were all fiat on our backs
financially, some two years ago.
You remember and every cotton grower in
Georgia and other cotton growing States remem-
bers our situation in the fall of 1914, when cot
ton prices shot to the bottom. You remember
the meetings and conferences held in Macon,
Atlanta and other Cities and the earnest appeals
that went up to Washington for help to relieve
situation.
Did we get it? Not enough to notice. although
they did hold Us in suspense while bfeOre they
let US drop. 1t didn't take them very long, how
ever, after a few million bales had passed out
Of the hands Of the growers at $4,000 per bale
thereabOuts, to rig mp a Marine Insurance bust
that insured that same cotton for cotton
brokers on a basis of $4,000 to 500 per bale.
Knowing all these things, and they are abso-
lutely indisputable facts, if / were Mr.. Wilson
would not have the nerve to look cotton grower
in the face and ask him to vote for me- At that
time Mr.. Wilson had a far greater control over
Congress than he had in September, when this in
crease in wages for trainmen passed
There is a reason and only one reason for this
.E~s~ ~