The weekly Georgian. [volume], June 09, 1914, Page 4, Image 4

About The weekly Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1913-19??

Image provided by: Digital Library of Georgia, a project of GALILEO located at the University of Georgia Libraries

                
4
J. . DUNGON, OF
TAGUP, 70 AN
IRGHERNOR
By JAMES B. NEVIN.
Another Richmond is scheduled to
enter the Gubernatorial field, and one
worthy of anybody's steel, moreover!
Troup County
is to put for:
ward a iavorite 3 -
son in the per- /':z“."m
gon of Joseph E. 5
Dunson, and he ¥ |
is to be backed : ’W'
heavily in that ST
section. i o
Mr. Dunson is [S® ), i
one of the best | ¢ ; '%‘f
known men in f ¢ Fai
Middle - West |BB e :
Georgia. He s o E‘.:;
the president of S
the LaGrange |[BEEY !
Banking and || - AT RE
Trust Company, |SRY. 55 eas i
and in that way * 3 e
is closely iden- . S
tified with the |8
business world; |EB 5
but it is through (e o
his keen ulnAd al- WEEI g
ways intelligent ” ‘l@» > o
activity in edu e
cational matters JAMES B NEFVIH
that he has
gained the larger measure of his rep
utation with the masses. :
He has made education something
of a hobby in the past—and if he
runs for Governor, as it is stated he
will, it will be as a candidate in the
interest of the educauonal concerns
of the State.
The intelligent releasing of the
Western and Atlantic Rajlroad will
affect the common schools of the
State profoundly, as the rental of
that road goes to the schools It 18
the desire of practically all Georgia
to see the common schoeol system €x
tended, amplified, and brbught more
nearly up to date. Mr. Dunson will
urge that the educational interests of
the State should and mufst be made
the first concern of administrative
endeavor—and to that polnt he will
keynote his campaign.
Mr. Dunson has not stated that he
will run, but it is a fact that he has
& large and aggressive force of
friends booming him for Governor,
and along the lines indicated. He
certainly would carry the counties
touching his home section, and would
be sure to go to the convention with
a big bunch of delegates.
And then, even if he did not win
the Governorship on the first ballot,
he likely would be a formidable pos
sibility in a deadloek.
LaGrange citizens insist that the
Dunson movement will have to be
veckoned with most _sPriuusl_\'. once
it is launched—and they say it wii
be launched in due season!
Here is exactly what Governor Sla
ton said with reference to joint de
bates early in the campuign, evideatly
anticipating that he might be chal
lenged later along:
“] can see no good of joint debates.
They usually wind up in a contest of
mud-slinging and billingsgate, and
the man who is most proficient in this
art gets the most applause, but not
necessarily the largest number of
votes. i do not believe in any such
methods. The people of the State
know me and my record for the past
twenty years.
“I think the average man can be of
more service to his State and himsalf
by plowing his fields than by listen
ing to two men abuse each other, 1
think the farmers feel this way aboul
it also.”
Evidently, the Governor meansg to
stick to it, and “to fight it out along
that line, if it takes all summer!”
Chairman Pau! B. Trammell has
called the Democratic Executive
Committee of the Seventh District ™
meet in Rome on June 6, which is
Saturday of this week.
If the committee follows precedents
in that district, it will call a popular
plurality and not a county unit pri-
INary.
Congressman Gordon Lee will be a
candidate for re-election and will
have no opposition. He has been
mentioned for Governor, but it s
known that he will not be in that
race.
Candidate William J. Harris evi
dently looks for a deadlocked con
vention, so far as the Governorship is
concerned—and he probably has
guessed exactly right. The chances
are ten to one that that is what it
will be.
The State committee is not going
to change the rules, however —and
Mr. Harris probably realizes this as
much as anybody can!
_ Representative Minter Wimberly, of
Bibb County, is spending a few days
in Atlanta. Mr. Wimberly will not be
a candidate to succeed himself in the
#House, which is a circumstance that
will be genuinely regretted, both by
his colleagues and by the people of
Atlanta. He is extremely well liked
on all sides.
Nobody left for Mr. Hardwick to
*jint-spute” with, except Colonel
Cooper and Colonel Hutchens.
Colonel Cooper has been declaiming
all over the reservation, however, for
fnany moons for somebody to debate
with him!
THE IKORGIAN'S NEWS BRIEFS.
]
‘l Long Have Believed That Public
Control Was Inevitable, but [ Did
Not Think It Was Coming So Fast,’
Says Deposed New Haven President.
By CHARLES S. MELLEN.
I am quite willing, indeed I am glad, to give to the people
the bencfit of the knowledge concerning big business men, big
business and particularly railroad business, acquired through
fifteen years' experience as the head of two great railroad systems,
both in the West and in New England.
You hive asked me whv the pub
lic should insist upon some Very
fundamental reforms in our railroad
practices and why I believe in the
end that the Government will take
over the railroads and the telephone
company and other necessary mo
nopolies. That is too great a ques
tion to be answered offhand. 1 nave
reached my conclusion after 40
years of railroad experience, in
which 1 have served in every ca
paecity from the bottom to the top.
My opinion is based not only upon
experience with railroads, but with
the knowledge of the human nature
of men.
If the tendency to consolidate is
to go on; if “united we stand and
divided we fall” is also a maxim of
business efficiency, then it follows
that public attenticn cught to be di
sected to curing or restricting the
evils of this large unit which is
commonly called a monopoly.
It has evils. They are very great
evils. They are greater evils by far
than the mere wastefulness of com
petition by little units, because a
monopoly in business carries with
it a tremnedous power—social, fi
nancial and pelitical—which, in the
hands of selfish human nature, is
almost sure to be abused, and in the
end to deprive the public, through
extortion and graft by those who
control the monopoly, of the very
benefits which is claimed for
monopoly, and of which it is
economically capable of rendering.
There is no lesson so clearly
taught by history, both business
and political history, as the lesson
that absolute power will be abused
by 99 in every 100 men. The very
selfishness which nature implants
fn us to stimulate our energies for
progress makes it almost inevita
ble that we will abuse great power
over other people when we have it
How Abuse Affects People.
Probably the public does not
realize that during the last 50
vears the steckholders of these
great corporations have suffered
even more than the public from the
license which the managers and
those outsiders who control the
managers of these corporations
have enjoyed.
The salaries of the executive of
ficers need not be exorbitant. They
are not paid these enormeus sala
ries to make them faithful to the
railroad and to the stockholders,
but they are paid by a little coterie
of influential men among the direc
tors who wish to bring the presi
dent and the executive officers un
der their.particular influence. He
knows that it was through their in
fluence that the unusual salary is
paid, and therefore the recipient of
this unusual gratuity comes under
the thumb of the few confederates
in the directorate who were respon
sible for his increase in salary.
Railroad Like Tammany.
A great railroad is more nearly
like a Tammany political organiza
tion than the people have ever im
agined, and the attitude toward the
stockholders by bosses of the rail
road is not different from the atti
tude toward the people by political
bosses. Tco often the boards of
directors of our corporations in han
dling the business of stockholders
are like some Boards of Aldermen
or the members of the Legislatures
in our cities and States.
They do not represent the stock
holders at all. They really repre
sent and are under the control of
bosses entirely outside, who make
enormous profits through their
control of the railroad in outside
business.
Abuse of Voting by Proxy.
This condition has existed during
a great many years for several
reasons. One is the abuse of the
voting by proxyv. These outside
bosses having no personal interest
in the road except what they can
make out of it, and having little or
no money of their own in it, will
often control a stockholders’ meet
ing and elect a board of directors
by an enormous number of proxies
which they are able to obtain.
1 would make a stockholder vote
at the stockholders’ meeting or not
vote at all. I would make his per
sonal vote just as important as the
vote of a man at a political elec
tion.
Do you realize that as little at-
tention as the people give to their
public affairs, still if they gave as
little attention as the stockholders
give to their corporations and took
as little part in the control of their
government as the stockholders
take in the control of their prop
erty, our republic would not Jast a
generation?
I would compel the stockholders
personally to take some responsi
bility in the management of their
corporation or forfeit the right to
have their stock voted at all.
It should be no more possible for
a railroad to make a railroad con
tribation to a campaign fund with
out the knowledge of the publie
than it would be for a city or town
or State to make such a contribu
tion. A railroad is a public service
corporation. It is performing a nec
essary public function with some
of the powers of sovereignty dele
gated to it.
Make Roads Sell Own Securities.
I would next oblige the railroads
to market their own securities. The
control which the bankers exercise
over the railroads through the priv
ilege of underwriting the securities
—that is, by raising money for a
railroad—is what makes them the
lailroad bosses and what glves
them a control that is often abused.
Would Make Directors Direct.
Then-] would make the board of
directors direct. In the first place,
the reforms as to voting by stock
holders would tend to elect direc
tors who would serve the stock
holders as a whole and not some
outside interest, who would repre
sent the people in the corporation
and not some financial boss outside.
I would see that they really direct
ed the affairs of the road. They
ought to go over the road person
ally three or four times a year.
They ought to know all its prob
lems and all its conditions them
selves. They ought to give their
time to the work, and they ought to
be paid a sufficient salary.
I would also compel the railroad
managers to advertise for bids for
all purchases of any considerable
amount and for all construction
work and other work which involves
a large cost. The cities and towns
are now obliged to follow this
practice, and the States and the
National Government follow it vol
untarily as a sound, homnest busi
ness principle. The railroads should
do likewise for the same reason,
~ Government Control.
You ask me why [ believe that
public ownership is inevitable, and
that it is coming fast in this coun
try, even if all these reforms of
which 1 speak are adopted. My
answer is that if all these reforms
which 1 speak of are adopted, those
who control railroads and who ex
ercise the political power through
them and through newspapers or
otherwise would be quite willing (o
have public ownership come.
Opposition Will Cease.
The cry :against public owner
ship will vanish in the air when
once the opportunity for making
profit out of the ‘“concessions,” so
to speak, of the business is gone.
In company with a great many
other men in big business, I have
long believed that public ownership
was inevitable. I did not think,
however, it was coming so fast as
it seems to be approaching now.
You would be surprised to Know
how many men in the conservative
walks of life secretly believe that
public ownership must come.
Ex }; ive H }"S't
PITTSBURG, June 6.—A 90-foot lot
at Washington pike and Florida ave
nue, in the exclusive Mount Leba
non district, has been purchased as a
residence site for Evelyn Nesbit
Thaw, according to report. The house
is to be finished late in the fall, it is
understood, and the property will be
held in trust for Mrs. Thaw's boy
When completed, it is to be occupied
by Mrs. Thaw's parents and Evelyn
whenever she happens to be in Pitts
burg.
VAN WHO FLED
PRISON 101 Ra.
AGD 15 BAGK
After ten years of freedom which
he took from the State of Georgia
when his 8-vear-oid son was killed
by lightning, bringing what he
thought was sufficient earthly pun
ishment, Thomas P. Busbee in At
lanta Saturday prepared to return to
a convict camp.
Busbee escaped from a Lowndes
(County turpentine convict camp in
1904. He had served two years of a
five-year term to which he was sen
tenced in Wilcox County for robbing.
A few days ago he was located at
Lyman, Miss, where he was living
happily with his sons and daughters,
who had grown to manhood and
womanhood during bhis freedom.
Was Made a Trusty.
He was brought back to Georgia by
R. M. Gardner, of the Prison Com-
mission.
“] was serving time for a crime I
;did not commit,” declared Busbee
{ Saturday. “I had been made a trusty
iunu camp cook and had determined to
! bear my burden until one day I got
llhuld of a newspaper and saw that my
E.\un had been killed by lightning.
| Then 1 went crazy.
“I hardly knew what 1 was doing.
I slipped away from the camp and
made the journey home in time to at
tend the funeral.
“The thought of returning ,to the
| convict stripes never entered my
{head. I escaped to Lyman, Miss,
| where I got work.
Was Lumber Foreman.
“l was made a sort of foreman in
!a lumber camp and immediately sent
i for my wife and children. We were
| mighty happy in Mississippi. All of
{my boys are grown now. Two of
i them are railroad engineers and an
| other is a firertnan just about ready
|to take his engine. I thought I would
| spend the rest of my aays there.
| “Then I was arrested again. It Is
| pretty hard, I tell you.”
| Busbee will be taken Sunday to
| the Rockdale County camp to start
iugain on serving his sentence.
Bride and Sister
D d Hunting
Missing Husband
KNOXVILLE, TENN, June 5.—
Hunting her husband whom she
feared had fallen into the stream,
Mrs. Floyd Will'amrs, aged 19, a bride
of two weeks, ind her sister, Miss
Dollie Chapman, aged 15, who had
accompanied her on the search, were
drowned in Nolachucky River near
Greeneville. They attempted to wade
across, when they stepped off into
deep water.
The husband had left home for an
hour's visit with neighbors. Failing
to return, the wife and sister-in-law
began a search. Williams has not
been heard from. The body of Mrs.
Williams has been recovered. That of
her sister is still in the river.
2 French Air Scouts
Die as Plane Falls
DIJON, FRANCE, June s.—Lieu
tenant Giron and Private Rion were
killed when the army aeroplane in
which they were scouting capsized
near here. Both were members of
the French military aerial corps.
£O-Cent Bottle (32 Doses)
FREE
Just because you start the day
worried and tired, stiff legs and arms
and muscles, an aching head, burn
ing and bearing down pains in the
back—worn out before the day be
gins, do not think you have to stay
in that condition.
Be strong, well and vigorous, with
no more pain from stiff joints, sore
muscles rheumatic suffering, aching
back or kidney disease,
For any form of bladder trouble
or weakness, its action is really won
derful. Those sufferers who are in
and out of bed half a dozen times a
night will appreciate the rest, com
fort and strength this treatment
gives.
To prove the Williams Treatment
conquers kidney and bladder diseases,
rtheumatism and all uric acid troubles,
no matter how chronic or stubborn,
if you have never used the Williams
Treatment, we will give one 50¢ bot
tle (32 doses) free if you will cut out
this notice and send it with your
name and address, with 10¢ to help
pay distribution expenses, to The
Dr. D. A. Williams Company, Dept.
5764, P. O. Bidg., East Hampton,
Conn. Send at once and you will re
ceive by parcel post a regular boc
bottle, without charge and without
incurring any obligations. One bottle
only to an address. L