Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-09-05
RECORD DEFENDED
| BY GOV. HARDW|CK


am not fighting anybody" declared
Governor Hardwick in his address
here this afternoon to q large audi
ence of Douglas county voters who
filled the large courtroom.
The governor referred to the re-
port current in some sections that
he had joined in a combination with
former Senator Hoke Smith having
for its purpose the putting of them
both back into the United States SEN
ate and to another report that he
and Senator Watson were in a fight.
The governor began his address
with the following statement:
Il have come before you to give
an honest account of an honest stew
ardship in a frank and manly fash
ion. 1 am not anybody's candidate,
and when I am reelected I will be
nobody's deputy. I will serve the
people of Georgia and their interest
to my very best ability"
Governor Hardwick was introd11c.
ed by Tom Giles, a well known
planter. DR.. T. r. Whitley. repre-
sentative of Douglas county in the
state legislature, entertained the
governC' and his party at luncheon.
G1ers' Grassland played before the
governors speech, declaring that
Clifford Walker, his opponent, was
heading for his third defeat within
two years. Governor Hardwick said
Already Mr.. Walker has made two
unsuccessful races for the governor
ship during the past two years and
he is now making his third. Accord
ing to the rules Of baseball it is
three strikes and out"
The governor told his hearers that
when he took office the state OF
Georgia faced a deficit of three mil
lion dollars, that he had, with the
cooperation of the legislature, been
able to wipe out this deficit and tr
place the state upon a pay-as-vou
go basis. He said sit was his Dur
pose during his next administration
provided he has a legislature which
Will cooperate with him, to inau
gurate an audit and budget system
and to place the state upon a
thoroughly modern business-li like ba,
sis.
I'VE not only must make income
and outgo balance, not making any
appropriations unless there be funds
IN sight to pay them, but we must
lock the stable door before the
horse is stolen. An audit and budger
system will prevent waste, extraya.
gance and stealage.
The governor made it clear that
MS veto of the new appropriation
Dill Tor new class pensioners would
not operate to prevent the old class
pensioners from continuing to re
ceive their pensions. He said that
the old class, consisting of about 10,
000 pensioners, had been paid their
pensions for this year of 500 each
that these pensions totaled about one
million dollars, and that these pen
sions would be paid every year in
the future. The new classes of pen
sloners, he pointed out, were Wealt.. "
veterans, veterans who have moved
IN Georgia from other states and
widows who married veterans long
years after the Civil war. This new
appropriation bill, he said, would
amount to $1,250,000 a year, with nc
money in the state treasury to pay
it.
If l had signed that bill" sale
the governor, the effect would have
been rank deception toward those
VINO expected pensions, because they
could not possibly have received one
penny, and the states good name
and credit would have been dam
aged, because it could not pay such
an Obligation
The governor charged that Mr.
Walker was claiming that he was
WatSon'S candidate when he was
talking with a Watson man, but was
denying that he was Watson's can
dldate when he was talking with al
e.nti-Watson man.
In fact" said the governor, "Mr
Walker is all things to all men. He
is conducting a whispering and z
pussy-foot campaign. 1t wont
for him to speak out publicly d
openly, for what he says might no
live up with what he has stated IL
his whispered conversation.
The truth of the matter is that
while Cliff claims to- be Watson!
candidate Watson does not admit it
If Watson was making a fight or
me and seeking to defeat me h,
would choose a bigger man thai
Cliff for his candidate.
Mr.. Watson was elected United
States senator and l was elected
governor. 1t is up to him to b,
senator and it is up to me to bt
governor. I don't think he would
0iSnllfe that nrOnOSitiO
81 am in no fight with Senator
Watson but I want it distinctly
understood am not afraid of him.
The governor covered all the othel
issues of the campaign as he has il
his speeches elsewhere.