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PAGE TWELVE NATIONAL FINANCE. (Continued from Page One.) is “uncivilized in its financial meth ods.” The Brooklyn Eagle, com menting editorially on what was said at that meeting, remarks: “In short, these men of financial affairs, of rec ognized ability not only as practical financiers, but as scientific thinkers on- the subject, all tend to the estab lishment of a central bank as the one great remedy for the defects of our present system. Their utterances should have an educational effect. Their sincerity is unquestioned. Their arguments are powerful. The cause of the central bank grows. And that is very well.” Without indorsing the central bank idea, it must be accepted as entirely true that what these men say on financial subjects should “have an edivca'innal effect.” We qccept the opinions of experts on all other sub jects and nothing requires expert treatment more than national finance. But it is. nevertheless, an unfortunate truth that the well based opinion of experienced financiers has less weight with a large portion of the American public than the vaporings of stump politicians who never handled money in any considerable quantities and never saw the inside of a great bank ing house. Tom Watson, in his week ly Atlanta paper, will reach a large class of voters who never heard of either Mr. Nash or Mr. Seligman, and to whom the name Rothschild conveys no more definite impression than does that of Midas or Dives. Tom will tell his readers that the New York bank ers are. all arch conspirators against the welfare of the common people, and they will regard any proposition of refocrm in the financial system coming from that source as the evil machinations of their natural ene mies. There is probably about one voter in a thousand who knows the a b c of national finance, and a great many people will depend upon politicians, rather than bankers or students of finance, for instruction on financial questions. They will do even worse than this; they will suffer themselves to be inflamed and prejudiced on such subjects by shallow charlatans who practice on their fears and their ig norance in order to obtain office. If Lord Rothschild were familiar with the political methods that obtain in the United States he wrnuld know why our national financial methods are “not civilized.” There will be a flood of bills pro posing financial reform introduced in to Congress, but whatever is done in that respect should be done with great care, to insure the permanent financial betterment of the country. The Congressional committee having such measures in charge should ig nore the doctrinaires and the dema gogues and study the question scien tifically and practically. They should avail themselves of the opinion and experience of experts, yet guard against the bias or self-interest that often affects the expert. It is not necessary that they put themselves under New York influence. It is for the good of the whole country that they must legislate, and the subject should be treated without prejudice and in a spirit of the broadest cath olicity, looking to the experiences and conditions of this and other countries and depending on the best intelli gence in shaping their course.—Nash ville Banner. To the Watson Jeffersonian: While there is a wave of reform sweeping this country of ours from the Atlantic to the Pacific and from the Gulf to the Great Lakes; and while the people have been aroused to a sad realization of the fact that there is something wrong somewhere or somehow with the great bulk of our food and drink by reason of adulter ation, there are other things just as important and essential to the public welfare and the common good of the people which ought not to be over looked in our great fight for needed reforms. I am proud of our Congress, which passed the pure food law, making it unlawful for anyone to sell inferior or adulterated food or drink claiming it genuine; also our legislature that swept old Georgia dry seemed to have the people’s interest at heart. Yet they seem to have lost sight of the fact that there are other great evils and abuses which stand as a bar to justice, which the American people, and particularly Georgians, should, with one accord, demand abolished. One of our greatest evils is the Fee Bill of the different officers of Court. Our laws were made princi pally by lawyers whom we selected as the best and brainiest men in our country. But alas, they seem to have lost sight of the fact that there are others who want pay for what they do, as well as lawyers, and that there are other talents as deserving of reward. Let us take, for instance, the So licitor General, and the Sheriff, or any other executive officer in the Slate, or United States, and observe the difference in pay in common mis demeanor cases. The criminal commits some crime, and either leaves, or hides out in the swamps—very often heavily armed and defying arrest. The arresting of ficer has to hunt him like he would a rabbit, and very often has serious trouble in arresting him. When the arrest is made the offi cer is entitled to a fee of one dollar and twenty-five cents for his time and expense after the prisoner is deliv ered in the common jail of the coun ty. The Solicitor General comes to the courthouse and draws his accusation, and sometimes makes a little speech, and is entitled to a fee of ten dollars for same. In gambling cases the arresting of ficer gets one dollar twenty-five; or, if a bench warrant be issued, he has to hunt, arrest, and convey the gamb ler to jail, all for the pitiful compen sation of tw’o dollars. Yet, for his services, the Solicitor General gets thirty dollars. For a felony case, the Sheriff gets one-twenty-five to two dollars to make the capture and convey the prisoner to the county jail, and sometimes he gets nothing for his services. Yet, for the prosecution, the Solicitor Gen eral gets fifty dollars. I am frank to admit that it takes able talent to be a Solicitor General. It is also takes xzfifl xzfififfffiffia It also takes able talent to make a THE JEFFERSONIAN successful Sheriff. The Sheriff’s tal ent is different from that of the pros ecuting attorney, for the simple rea son his talent enables him to outplan, outwit, outdare, and ourun the crim inal, and o be a better shot with fire arms. In addition to this he has to endure hardships, many and severe, is subjected to much exposure, and in fact, under our present laws, the Sheriff is supposed to be a niron man —he never gets hungry, tired or sleepy, though he goes many days and nights without a meal; though he sits in a buggy chasing horse thieves or other criminals day after day with out a moment’s rest, even hiring fresh teams every constant in order to con tinue in rapid pursuit; or though he is on such hot trail he gets not so much as five hours’ sleep in a whole week, and this he has to snatch by moments while riding along in order not to lose time. I know by experience I am deal ing with actual facts and speak the truth. Tn addition to all this, a suc cessful Sheriff must needs have the brain of a natural born detective, must be wise and speedy in laying his plans and swift and certain in the execution thereof. He must know no fear, though cautious, even on en tering of outlaws or assembly of professional gamblers, singlehand ed or in company with one or two deputies, at the same time knowing full well that they are all going to show fight and some one has got to be killed before hey will surrender. Then he must guard them, watching each one of the twelve or fifteen des perate characters as a hawk would watch a chicken, to prevent any un fair dvntge being tken of him by which they might put him to speedy end, and which would result not only in his death while standing at his post of duty, but would turn loose upon society to run rampant a mob of villians already stamped dangerous and hurtful to the community and state. A Sheriff is further supposed to travel without money, and to subsist on grass and dew, and must not in cur any expense to the county lest someone, even the county commis sioners through when he receives his pay, howls “extravagance” and “bankruptcy to the county.” The faithful Sheriff never enjoys the sweet repose of a night’s sleep, by virtue of the fact that he is a “minute-man,” subject to be called to arms on a moment’s notice, even by telegram, or horseback messenger, to go and protect or defend the prop erty or lives of all other citizens. How much blessing, and comfort, and security, the public reaps from his sowing: but alas, how little of his just reward does he enjoy. A Sheriff’s life is one long contin ued warfare against crime, and he is often exposed to imminent danger, dread disease and foul weather. Storm or sunshine, heat or snow, he must immediately respond, even at the hour of midnight, to each and ev ery call for help, for protection, or for justice, from the thousands of whom he is protector. e must arrest, guard and protect the vilest criminal, be he murderer or rapist fiend; and for this service per haps gets, at some indefinite time in the future, the pitiful sum of one dol lar twenty-five. Is this a wise law? If the Sher iffs get enough pay, the other offi cers get too much. The Justice of the Peace gets the same fee to fill in a blank piece of paper, can sit in his office —exposed to no danger at all— and can do the work in five minutes, as the arresting officer gets to exe cute the warrant, and it very often takes many days to find he guilty party, and then has to run the risk of having to shoot to keep from being instantly killed; and spends from five to ten times the amount he gets for® his service, in the way of horse-hire, hotel bills, and other expenses too numerous to mention. Is it right? Let’s hope the law makers will take the matter in hand and enact such legislation as will pro tect our downtrodden and often de spised Sheriffs, who hold the most re sponsible, the most dangerous, and the most unthankful office in the State or the United States. (Consid ering there are many offices of high er rank than the office of Sheriff.) People—voters, awake to a speedy knowledge of existing conditions, and demand that your wrnll paid law mak makers give some attention to, and take some definite action on, this important subject—the honest pay of the officers who have in their hands the protection of your lives and prop erty. W. B. LYENS. Jesup, Ga. It takes two to make a quarrel, and generally both are wrong. It is hard for a man with a griev ance to stick to the truth. REAL ESTATE FRANK C. DAVIS CO., Real Estate. 325 Empire Bldg., Atlanta, Ga. Land is the basis of all wealth. To own your own home is a source great happiness. Stop renting and buy you a nice home from us on easy terms. We sell farmms everywhere and can please you in price, locality and terms. We sell city and suburban property of every kind. Write us for what you want. We will tell you of something good. Watson’s I Jeffersonian Magazine Edited by THOS. E. WATSON Published Monthly. Price $1.50 Per Year. ’ In clubs of 5 new subscribers, one dollar per year. > r Taylor-Trotwood Magazine and Wat- J son’s Weekly Jeffersonian. Both on/® year Taylor-Trotwood Magazine and W®|| son’s Jeffersonian Magazine. Both o«||g year s2® World’s Events and Watson’s Wc® ly Jeffersonian. Both one year . .s'■ World’s Events and Watson’s Jet® sonian Magazine. Both one year $® -a The Travel Magazine and Wats® Weekly Jeffersonian. Both one yea® : -?® $1 The Travel Magazine and Watsc® Jeffersonian Magazine. Both one y® Address ® W THE JEFFERSONIAN, ® . ■ Thomson, fl 4g