The Brunswick news., 1922-10-25
THE WATSON VOTE AGAIN


n Georgia.
The editorial has been largely II
produced by the state press and wit
more or less comment on the sugge,
ion made by us.
For instance, the Athens Banne,
)y the way one of the most conserv;
i've newspapers of the whole stat
,ress says:
I'm the early hours after a
statewide primary in Georgia
may we not offer a solemn and
sincere prayer to the Giver of all
good and perfect gifts that we
may never again hear of the
Watson vote in Georgia politics."
is the supplication that leads off
an editorial in the Brunswick
News, published the morning af-
ter the senatorial race.
Without questioning the right
Or wrong in the direction in which
the late Mr.. Watson steered the
10000 or $4,000 votes which he
controlled, The News makes the
point that banker always lies be-
hind such great power vested in
a single Individual for the temp
tation is to use such power to
punish political enemies and re-
ward friends. thususing "the neo-
pie and solemn vote as pawns
and their solemn vote as pawns
to reward here and punish there
All CT which is unpestionably
true but unless there is a revo-
luton in Georgia political affairs.
we fear the Brunswick papers
prayer is in vain for a while. a
year or two, the Watson vote.
as such, will undoubtedly cease to
be, for the late politica. genius
has no counterpart in Georgia to
hold, his followers together; but
unless all signs fail. the Watson
vote will continue to be heard
from, under a different name.
KE kIuy Khan is extertin~ ever
effort TO gain control Of Georgia
politics in a well known fact, and
unquestionably they are making
headway i'll filifr% their ranks
with recruits from the Watson
camp. With a membership equal
in numbers to the size Of the Wat
son following, the klan, if it is
able to control the vote of its
members, as Watson controlled
his followers, will become a
mighty force in Georgia politics
and hencefcrth. aspira,ts to pub
lie office Will be seen treading
the path of the palace of the
I'M crial Wizard ins;cdi of the
old familiar road to Hickory HILL
With conditions shaping them
selves into such state OF affairs,
Ge0rgians who believe i'll the re-
suit Of an election voicing the
will Of the people instead of the
cf Oice of one individual Wh2 pos
esses the i;o"Jar to throw IN cleo
tion this way or that. simply be-
cause he controls $4,000 voters
aud makes them vote while sew
eral hundred thousand other fail
to vote at all because of indiffer-
encc-Georgians whc have stood
aghast at Mr. W3t5on's power and
deprecated his employement of
it had best be up and doing if
thcv Go not wish d continuance Of
the manifestations OF the Watson
vote directed, however, by the Ku
Klux Klan.
There are many times more
than enough men and women in
Georgia to make such concentra-
tion of power impossible, if they
could be aroused from their pres
ent apathetic state to a sense OF
their responsibility to themselves
end the state. To cast ones bal
lot is not merely the privilege of
all citizens who pay their takes,
but is also a solemn duty. which
should be conscientiCusly per-
formed and not influenced by any
consideration save that for the
welfare of the state. And to fan
to vote when one has the oppor-
tunity is tantmount to casting
your ballot along with he forces
that hold the balance of power
and whose political dictatorship
you are always deprecating.
The remedy for one.man control
of Georgia politics rests with citi-
zens who have been directed in
their civic duty and responsible
ties. When they become suftici
emily aroused to vote in every
election and let their ballots speak
their conscience, the Watson vote
-whether it be dominated as
such or not-will be showed un-
der, and then only will the Bruins
wick News prayer that the Wat
son vote never again be heard
f....,,. Onnncrin L. nnnu-n,A