Educational Department
Educational Department
A STORY CONCERNING GENERAL GEORGE WASHINGTON
A correspondent, in the course of a private letter, reports a very interesting tradition which illustrates the character and bearing of The Father of his Country.
I give it in the language of the writer:
“To return to General Washington. Your picture of him makes me want to repeat to you a piece of tradition that was handed down to me by my father.“My father’s uncle, Governor George R. Gilmer, of Georgia, told my father thathisfather, Thomas M. Gilmer, of Virginia,told himthat General Washington was the most extreme type of the aristocrat that this country had ever produced. That he had seen him drive up in his coach and four to a country court house at election time to vote that he would alight, and with head erect and neither looking to the right nor the left, as the crowd uncovered, parted and almost prostrated themselves to the ground, would march up, deposit his ballot, and without the slightest acknowledgment to the crowd or to any individual, without even so much as a nod or turn of the head, he would march in state through the path made by obsequiousness and reverence and love back to his coach, where he would sit the picture of rigidity and indifference as he rode away.”
“To return to General Washington. Your picture of him makes me want to repeat to you a piece of tradition that was handed down to me by my father.
“My father’s uncle, Governor George R. Gilmer, of Georgia, told my father thathisfather, Thomas M. Gilmer, of Virginia,told himthat General Washington was the most extreme type of the aristocrat that this country had ever produced. That he had seen him drive up in his coach and four to a country court house at election time to vote that he would alight, and with head erect and neither looking to the right nor the left, as the crowd uncovered, parted and almost prostrated themselves to the ground, would march up, deposit his ballot, and without the slightest acknowledgment to the crowd or to any individual, without even so much as a nod or turn of the head, he would march in state through the path made by obsequiousness and reverence and love back to his coach, where he would sit the picture of rigidity and indifference as he rode away.”
Georgetown, Pa., Jan. 17, 1906.Hon. Thomas E. Watson, Thomson, Ga.Dear Sir: Can you direct me where I can get Alexander Stevens’ “War Between the States”? I would like to purchase this book.Yours truly,⸺ ⸺.
Georgetown, Pa., Jan. 17, 1906.
Hon. Thomas E. Watson, Thomson, Ga.
Dear Sir: Can you direct me where I can get Alexander Stevens’ “War Between the States”? I would like to purchase this book.
Yours truly,
⸺ ⸺.
ANSWER
The book is out of print, but is easily obtained through the old book dealers.
The price ranges from $5 to $10.
Try Joseph McDonough, Albany, New York, or The Americus Book Company, Americus, Ga.
San Saba, Tex., Feb. 5, 1906.Hon. Thomas E. Watson, Thomson, Ga.Dear Sir: I see in the newspapers that Mr. So and So’s seat in the New York exchange is worth nearly $100,000. What is meant by that? Why is it worth so much and what do they do? Thanking you in advance for the information, I am.Very truly yours,⸺ ⸺.
San Saba, Tex., Feb. 5, 1906.
Hon. Thomas E. Watson, Thomson, Ga.
Dear Sir: I see in the newspapers that Mr. So and So’s seat in the New York exchange is worth nearly $100,000. What is meant by that? Why is it worth so much and what do they do? Thanking you in advance for the information, I am.
Very truly yours,
⸺ ⸺.
ANSWER
The New York Stock Exchange is simply an exclusive gambling hell where very rich gamblers bet on the rise and fall of the stock of the big corporations.
The “nearly $100,000” is the entrance fee.
The reason why the price is so great is because the operations and the opportunities are so vast.
Compared to the colossal stakes and winnings of the Stock Exchange, the gambling which goes on at Monaco, or at Tom Taggart’s place at French Lick Springs is puerile. Since the world was created, no such gigantic gaming has been known as the mad speculations in the New York Stock Exchange.
Of course, the losses are as large as the gains, but those on the inside of the Exchange have an enormous advantage over those on the outside. Those on the inside are generally the masterful fellows who shear the lambs outside.
The organized, experienced and expert players within the Exchange have the same point of advantage over the gullible, unorganized public that the cool dealers at the gaming tables have over the men and women who buck against the bank.
For the privilege ofgetting on the inside of the game, Mr. So and So pays nearly $100,000.
New York, Jan. 7, 1906.Hon. Thomas E. Watson, Thomson, Ga.Dear Sir: Will you kindly answer the following questions in yourEducational Department?(1) What is the difference between Single Tax and Populism?(2) Is it true that Grover Cleveland is to receive $12,000 per year from the “Big Three,” and, if so, why?(3) Why was not the Prudential Company investigated? Their premiums are about the same as the others. In talking with their agents I find them the same as agents of the “Big Three.”(4) Is Paul Morton treating the policy holders justly when hetakes$80,000 per year as his salary?Your Magazine is a God-send to the people at large and I trust it will be read by men and women throughout the country. Thanking you in advance, I am.Very truly,⸺ ⸺.
New York, Jan. 7, 1906.
Hon. Thomas E. Watson, Thomson, Ga.
Dear Sir: Will you kindly answer the following questions in yourEducational Department?
(1) What is the difference between Single Tax and Populism?
(2) Is it true that Grover Cleveland is to receive $12,000 per year from the “Big Three,” and, if so, why?
(3) Why was not the Prudential Company investigated? Their premiums are about the same as the others. In talking with their agents I find them the same as agents of the “Big Three.”
(4) Is Paul Morton treating the policy holders justly when hetakes$80,000 per year as his salary?
Your Magazine is a God-send to the people at large and I trust it will be read by men and women throughout the country. Thanking you in advance, I am.
Very truly,
⸺ ⸺.
ANSWER
(1) Single Tax puts all the burden of supporting the Government on one form of wealth, viz.: the value of land.
Populism equalizes taxation, and would compel each owner of property to pay in proportion to his wealth.
The Single Taxer would put all the load on land, leaving money, stocks, bonds and personal property of every sort untaxed.
Populists cannot see any justice in taking the value out of the land of the farmer, while twelve billion dollars of railroad stocks and bonds go untaxed.
Carnegie holds about three hundred million dollars in the bonds of the Steel Trust. Those bonds are as good as gold. They pay Mr. Carnegie a regal income. Why should my land have the value taxed out of it and Carnegie’s bonds go free? There is no justice in this scheme. It does not measure up to the Populist dogma of “Equal rights to all.”
(2) Yes. To cloak insurance rascality with his respected name. The robbers who run those insurance companies simply bought the use of Mr. Cleveland’s name. He consents to play the humble but useful part of decoy duck for $1,000 per month.
Gen. Robert E. Lee, just after the Civil War, was offered $50,000 per year by one of these very companies. He refused to sell the use of his name. He was a poor man, and went to teaching school for a living. In this quiet, modest, but noble way “the greatest soldier that the Anglo-Saxon race ever produced” (see Theodore Roosevelt’s “Life of Thomas H. Benton”) was supporting his family at the time of his death. Mr. Cleveland is not a poor man. His income is $5,000 per year, over and above what silly magazines pay him for occasional articles which are valueless. Therefore Mr. Cleveland need not have sold his name to the life insurance rascals. But the $12,000 tempted him, and he sold out.
(3) Dryden’s Prudential was investigated and very rotten it was shown to be.
(4) No. He is simply stealing the money. Calling it “salary” does not keep it from being loot.
Chicago, Feb. 7, 1906.Hon. Thomas E. Watson, Thomson, Ga.Dear Sir: Will you please give me the information as set forth in the following questions?(1) How many years must an alien live in this country before he can take out his final papers?(2) Can an alien, on declaring his intentions to become an American citizen, exercise the voting franchise before getting final papers?(3) I have been nine years in this country and never bothered about taking out my papers as a citizen. If I were to declare my intentions of becoming a citizen now, how long would it be before I could exercise the vote franchise?Thanking you in anticipation of an early answer, I remain,Yours respectfully,⸺ ⸺.
Chicago, Feb. 7, 1906.
Hon. Thomas E. Watson, Thomson, Ga.
Dear Sir: Will you please give me the information as set forth in the following questions?
(1) How many years must an alien live in this country before he can take out his final papers?
(2) Can an alien, on declaring his intentions to become an American citizen, exercise the voting franchise before getting final papers?
(3) I have been nine years in this country and never bothered about taking out my papers as a citizen. If I were to declare my intentions of becoming a citizen now, how long would it be before I could exercise the vote franchise?
Thanking you in anticipation of an early answer, I remain,
Yours respectfully,
⸺ ⸺.
ANSWER
(1) The conditions under and the manner in which an alien may be admitted to become a citizen of the United States are prescribed by sections 2 and 165 to 174 of the revised Statutes of the United States. The alien may, immediately upon landing in this country, declare upon oath before a Circuit or District Court of the United States, or a District or a Supreme Court of the Territories, or a Court of Record of any of the states having common law jurisdiction and a seal and clerk, that it his bona fide intention to become a citizen of the United States. He cannot take out his final papers until after he has resided at least five years continuously within the United States, and within the State or Territory where such Court is at the time held, one year at least. He cannot take out his final papers until the lapse of two years after declaring his intention. Accordingly, if the alien should immediately declare his intention upon landing, it would be necessary for him to wait until the expiration of five years before taking out his final papers. However, if he had resided three years in the United States before declaring his intention, then he could secure his final papers at the end of two years.
(2) The right to vote comes from the state. Naturalization is a Federal right. In nearly one half of the states of the Union an alien who has declared his intention has the right to vote equally with fully naturalized or native born citizens. In the other half, only citizens vote.
(3) In your case, living in the State of Illinois, it would be necessary for you to declare your intentions and take out your final papers inasmuch as only citizens of the United States can vote in that state.
In Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas and Wisconsin, an alien who has declared intention is permitted to vote. In some of these states additional qualifications are added. For example, in Indiana he must have resided one year in the United States, not necessarily in Indiana. In Michigan he must have declared his intention two years and six months prior to November 8, 1904; otherwise he is barred from voting. In Missouri, if he has declared intention not less than one year, or more than five, before election. And so on. In Nebraska, if he has declared his intention thirty days before election, provided he has resided within the state six months. And so on, several of the other states having similar qualifications. In the states not mentioned the requirements are that voter must be a citizen by nativity or naturalization. In some of the states there is a provision that the citizen shall have paid a registration fee of $1, as in Delaware. That he shall have paid taxes within two years, if twenty-two years old, or more, as in Pennsylvania. If he can read and write, as in Massachusetts. If he can read or understand the Constitution, as in Mississippi. If he has paid all his taxes since 1877, as in Georgia. If he is an Indian, with several tribe relations, as in South Dakota.
As was said before, naturalization is a Federal right. The laws relating to it apply to the whole Union alike, and provide that no alien may be naturalized until after five years’ residence. Even this doesn’t give him the right to vote unless the state confers the privilege upon him. On the other hand, the right to vote comes from the state, but the state could not confer this right upon an alien who had not declared intention.