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THE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC LAYMEN'S ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA 15 INSPECTING CONVENTS It would be amusing if it was not so pitiable, in view of the recent outcry against non-enforcement of the Veasey law to note that the grand juries con tinue to have the convents “inspected” regularly. Several of the candidates called heaven to witness that when elected they would see that the law was carried out, and one unfortunate was denounced be cause it was asserted that he had not done his duty because he had not put Bishop Keiley in jail for not permitting inspections. Of course, the Bishop had not done anything of the kind. In making a test case several years ago and purely in order that the matter might be brought into the courts, the Sisters had refused to permit the grand juries to enter as committeemen, but once that had been done and the supreme court had decided, the Catholics have been observing the law. That this may not be deemed a false statement A. J. Augustus Jossey Long, one of those Georgia Cath olics to know whom is to like and esteem, was born in Macon, August 30, 1872. And he has lived in Macon ever since. If there is any one thing of which he is as proud of as his Catholicity, it is that he is a resident of Macon, and, in turn, Macon is mighty proud of him. He started school at St. Joseph’s Parochial, but the death of his father in 1884 took him out of the fifth grade and put him to work with a grocery house where he remained until 1893, getting meanwhile a few more months schooling with Father Quinlan at night school. He next became city salesman with the wholesale grocery firm of Cox & Chappell, re maining with them until 1903, when he purchased the business of A. W. Turner, forming a corporation operating under the style of the A. J. Long Cigar and Tobacco Company. With Mr. Long, as president, were Messrs. Martin Callaghan as treasurer, and James J. Daly as secretary. And the fact that the three are still together in the same business speaks volumes. Today the firm is the A. J. Long Cigar and Grocery Company, the added word explaining the addition to the business, which was a success from the start. The first year the volume was a little over a hundred thousand, while last year it was over a million. Mr. Long has held but one political office, serving as county commissioner from 1908 to 1912, where he signalized himself as a friend of progress by being on three occasions the only commissioner to vote to give the county board of education the appropriation believed by it to be necessary. However, Mr. Long has always taken an active interest in politics, be lieving that it is the duty of the good citizen to keep watch upon civic matters. (there are some in Georgia who will believe nothing we say), we print below a paragraph from the recent presentments of the Richmond County grand jury, as they were printed in The Augusta Chronicle of November 22d. It should be conclusive proof that the Veasey law is being enforced in this city, at least. But why those Catholic places should be termed “Eleemosynary Institutions” is beyond our under standing. The paragraph reads: “Eleemosynary Institutions. “Your committee made a thorough inspection of the following institutions and found them to be prop erly conducted, and the sanitary conditions good: “Tuttle-Newton Home, Mary Warren Home, Tub- man Home, Widows’ Home, Children’s Home, Sacred Heart Convent, Franciscan Convent, St. Patrick’s Commercial Institute, Haines Industrial School, Paine Industrial College and Paul Moss Orphanage.” LONG. One of the signal achievements of the subject of this sketch was the organization of the Bibb County Good Roads Association, which started the agitation against the convict lease system and which eventually resulted in the convicts being put to work on the roads of the State. Mr. Long was one of the chief speakers before the legislature that passed this legis lation. Mr. Long was president of the Macon Chamber of Commerce in 1917, and was then bitterly assailed by the most pronounced anti-Catholic in Georgia. He was also chairman of the annexation committee in 1910 whose work brought within the city limits almost enough people to outcount Augusta in that year. The new terminal station at Macon was made pos sible by the work of the transportation committee of the Chamber of Commerce of which Mr. Long was chairman and active leader. In this capacity he helped to secure additional trains and revised rates and other transportation advantages for Macon, appearing sev eral times before congressional committees as the city’s representative. In a Catholic way few Maconites have had greater responsibilities than Mr. Long. He was first presi dent of the Catholic Laymen’s Association and ma terially assisted in starting it along the path that led to its world-wide success. He has been prefect of the Young Men’s Sodality, president and also secretary of the A. O. H., secretary of the C. K. of A., Grand Knight of the K. of C. In fact, he has worked long and zealously to advance Catholic interests. In 1898 he married Miss Katie Scheich, of Mil waukee, and ten children, of whom nine are living, has blessed the union. CATHOLICS IN GEORGIA