We Pops, allied to the anti-Ring Democrats,
were too much for the Machine. We smashed
it all to flinders. The first reward we got
from Smith was that editorial in his paper,
The Journal, in which he scouted the idea that
we had been instrumental in winning his vic
tory. In substance, the editorial said, “I could
have won just as easily without the Popu
lists.”
To slap his battle-scarred allies in the face,
publicly, almost before the shouts of the hard
won victory had died away was surely a wise
and generous thing to do!
What led the Populists to support Smith so
zealously ?
(1) The Disfranchisement law:
(2) The promise to deal promptly and en
ergetically with railroad abuses:
(3) The pledge to abolish the early pri
mary and to enact a fair and permanent rule
on that subject:
(4) The abolition of the Free Pass nui
sance :
(5) The adoption of a drastic act which
would bell the buzzards of the lobby.
The question of State-wide prohibition did
not enter into the campaign at all, and not a
hint was given that there was contem
plated an increase in the numbers and ex
pense of the Railroad Commission, nor that an
effort would be made to deprive country coun
ties of their pro rata share of power by giv
ing each big city a separate Senator.
A definite pledge, which the Smith men
were required to make to the Populists, is em
bodied in the Macon Platform in these words:
“We declare it to be a permanent principle
(Continued on Page 12)
PAGE NINE.
