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Atlanta SeinixWeeklji
VOL. IV.
GENERAL ASSEMBLY'S
ANNUAL SESSION
MUCH BUSINESS BEFORE BOTH
HOUSES—MANY NEW BILLS
ARE OFFERED.
With almost every member of the lower
Souse of the general assembly in his
Beat the house of representatives was
called to order by Speaker Little yester
day morning at M o'clock.
The galleries of the house were well
filled with a large number of interested
spectators who gave close attention to
the proceedings. *
The house loot no time in proceeding
with the transaction of business.
The members were in the capitol early
greeting many old friends and political
associates.
The members re-entered upon the dis
charge of their duties with vim and the
opening acene was one of activity.
After Speaker Little called the house to
order Chaplain Robert H. Harris, of Col
lege Park, offered prayer. Rev Mr.
Harris made a fervent appeal for divine
guidance in the present session.
The roll was called at the conclusion
prayer.
Upon Speaker Little calling the atentlon
of the house loJje_proprlety of calling the
attention of the governor to the fact that
the house was in session. Mr. Slaton of
Fulton offered a resolution that a com
mittee be appointed consisting of five
from the house and three from the
senate to notify the go'-ernor that the
house is tn session and ready for the
transaction of business.
Grice of Pulaski moved a suspension of
the rules for the election of a messenger.
A message from the senate that the
governor- be notified of the session of tha
general assembly being received the for
mer resolution by Mr. Slaton was recon
sidered and the resolution of the senate
concurred in.
Mr. Hardwick, of Washington, asked
that Mr. Grice withdraw his motion for
the election of a messenger pending the
qualification of two new members of the
house. The motion was withdrawn by
Mr. Grice.
The senate was then notified that the
house was in session and ready for busi
ness
The introduction of new business was
then taken up.
The first bill was presented by Johnson,
of Bartow to amend an act regarding the
appointment of arbitrators in settling tax
returns of railroads.
Also by Johnson of Bartow—To amend
section 808 of the code.
By Har<in of Chatham —To protect
game, singing birds and other insectivar
ious birds and animals and prescribing
penalty for inflicting injury on these birds
or animals. Referred to the general ju
diciary committee.
i: Private Secretary Hitch presented to
the house the message of Governor A. D.
Candler. It was received and Everett, of
Stewart, moved that the message be read.
Clerk Boifeuillet began reading the mes
sage.
Boswell, of Greene, at the conclusion
of the reading of the governor’s message,
moved that s*X> copies of the message be
printed. .
Memorial resolutions were offered by
several members on the Beath of Messen
ger Durham and Representative J. H.
JfrWfWßtarr nf Oglethorpe. These resolu
tions were adopted.
Art invitation was extended to the bouse
from the citizens of Macon to visit that
city during the Elks' fair. Mr. Slaton, of
Fulton, offered a resolution that the mem
bers of the house go to Macon tomorrow —
the senate concurring.
Mr. Grice of Pulaski objected, recalling
the famous jaunt of the members to Val
dosta. Further Mr. Grice said the mem
bers should not run away at the very
beginntng of the session.
Mr. Slaton ingeniously defended his res
olution and said it would be an act of sim
ple courtesy to accept the invitation.
Hardwick of Washington, said that it
was time for the house to stop going off
to fairs, excursions and exhibitions. Mr.
Felder of Bibb, said that Macon would
be glad to entertain the members of the
bouse If they wished to go. He said he
would give them all something to see.
He thought the house could not honor it
self more than by honoring the patriots
of the Confederate reunion.
Morris of Cobb, moved that the resolu
tion be tabled. The resolution was ta
bled.
The call of the roll of counties for the
, introduction of new business was re
sumed.
By Hitch of Chatham, a bill to tax leg
acies. heritages and other property by
will or otherwise in contemplation of
death. Referred to committee on ways
and meazute
A communication was read from the
givemor notifying the house that succes
sors to Representatives McWhorter, of
Oglethorpe, and Johnson, of Jefferson,
had been elected.
G. D. Johnson will succeed T. P. John
son and W. M. Willingham will succeed
Mr. McWhorter. They were sworn in by
Justice Lumpkin.
Other bills were then presented.
By Grice of Pulaski—To regulate the
•ale of liquors in this state.
By Lane of Sumter—To provide for
panel of eight jurors for city court of
Americus and other purposes.
By Steed of Taylor—To provide for no
return of fertilisers for taxation where
■ the land upon which the fertilisers are to
be placed is given in.
By Slaton of Fulton—That the acts of
the legislature and Georgia since 1891 be
supplied to the United States circuit court
of appeals.
The rules were again suspended and the
election of a messenger was taken up.
The following were nominated: John W.
McCurdy, of DeKalb; O. H. Contrill, of
Butts; Cheater Pearce, of Houston; G. A.
Coffee, of Gordon; H. W. Powell, of
Dooly; Thomas R. Penn, of Jasper; W. P.
Thomas, of Telfair, and W. F. Milner, of
Fulton.
The first ballot resulted as follows:
McCurdy. 19; Cantril, H; Pearce. 9; Cof
fee. $7; Powell. »; Penn, 45; Thomas, 5.
Mr. Milner s name was withdrawn dur
ing the first ballot.
Upon announcing the vote and no noml-
■ nee receiving a requisite majority, a sec
| and ballot was ordered. Before the begin
ning of the second ballot the name of Mr.
’ Pearce was withdrawn.
During the calling of the roll for the
! second ballot the names of all the nom
inees were withdrawn except Mr. Penn,
who at Its conclusion was declared elect
ad. having received IS votes.
Upon the resumption of business Rep
resentative Felder, of Bibb, offered a reso
lution that all Confederate veterans who
•re members of the house be excused
on 94th and Sth to attend Confederate
reunion at Macon.
The roll eall for the introduction of new
’ Business was again resumed.
A motion to adjourn was defeated and
the call of the roll was proceded with.
J By Wright of Floyd—To make it a mis
demeanor for anyone to accept more than
twenty-five per eent interest on loans.
By King and Houston of Fulton—To reg
elate the practice and procedure of jus
tice courts in cities of 90,000 or more pop
ulation.
By Wright of Floyd—That damages He
against litigant? wbc carry cases to the
supreme court without reasonable cause.
By Symonds of Glynn—For the establish
ment in some county in South Georgia
of an agricultural experiment station.
By Park of Greene—That the decision of
three-fourths of the members of a jury
make a verdict.
By O’Connell of Richmond—To prohibit
employment of children under ten years
of age in cotton mills.
Ey Hardwick of Washington—To make
it a crime for any intoxicated person to
appear in a public place and punishment
therefor.
By Franklin and Hardwick of Washing
ton—To amend section 574 of volume 1 of
the code of 1896.
Was on Tallahassee.
Mr. T. R. Penn, of Monticello, Jasper
county, who was elected messenger of the
house of representatives yesterday, has a
good history. He served on the Tallahas
see. one of the famous privateers of the
Confederate states. Captain Wood was
commander. The Tallahassee ranked next
to the Alabama In doing damage to the
enemy's ships, capturing sixty-two ves
sels on one trip, the Adriatic, among
others. Which had on board five hundred
foreigners coming to America to enlist
tn the Federal army.
Since the war he has lived in Jasper
county, having been sheriff of the county
and superintendent of public roads.
His wife and daughters. Miss Maude
and Martha Penn. own. edit and publish
The Jasper County News, a ven uccess
ful paper.
SENATE WAS PROMPT
IN BEGINNING BUSINESS.
At five minutes past 10 o'clock Hon.
Clark Howell, president of the senate,
ascended the rostrum and rapped for or
der.
Then, when order was obtained, the
blind chaplain of the senate. Rev. J. A.
Watkins, came to the front of the ros
trum and offered prayer, invoking divine
blessing upon the forthcoming session.
The routine resolutions that the gov
ernor and house be notified the senate
was In session and ready to do business
were then offered and adopted and the
journal of the last meeting read.
A messenger from the house was ad
mitted with a message to the effect that
the house was in session and also with a
message to the effect that the house had
concurred In the routine resolution that a
joint committee be appointed to notify
the governor that the house and senate
were in session and ready for business.
Senator Ellis then submitted an invita
tion on behalf of the city of Macon In
viting the senate to attend the Confed
erate reunion there.
Following this invitation a messenger
brought in the governor's message, and its
reading was thereupon immediately be
gun.
The document was listened to with a
great show of interest on the part of the
senators, especially those portions which
dealt with the deficiency in the state
treasury and recommended retrenchment
in school and pension appropriations, and
which urged immediate action looking to
the rebuilding of the Soldiers' Home, and
which suggested that certain changes be
made in the constitution of the state.
Senator Grantland moved that 100 cop
ies of the message be printed for the use
of the senate.
Senator Sullivan then offered a resolu
tion providing that a committee of two
from the senate and three from the house
be appointed to confer with the archi
tects for the purpose of arranging to ren
ovate and preserve the capitol building.
Senator Sullivan and Senator Stone were
named as the senate's representatives on
the committee.
NORTH CAROLINA COPPER.
Two Million Dollars Worth of Copper
In Dump.
CHARLOTTE, N. C., Oct. 22.—Richard
H. Edmonds, editor of The Manufactur
ers’ Record, stopped here over night, leav
ing yesterday for Birmingham, where he
will meet tomorrow Mr. J. Stephen Jeans,
secretary of the British Iron Trade asso
ciation, and several of his colleagues who
have come to this county to study the iron
and steel interest and its relation to simi
lar Interests in their country.
Mr. Edmonds is enthusiastic over the re
sults of the copper mining in Rcfcan coun
ty, North Carolina. He says that enor
mous veins of refractory copper ore ex
tend from Halifax, Va., through this sec
tion to northern Alabama, and that the
development of this ore means great
wealth, and that cotton will not continue
the principal source of Income to the
south. Mr. Edmonds says that he was
informed that there is now on the dumps
at the Union copper mine, in Rowan, cop
per ore which will yield $2,000,000 worth of
metal. The editor is inclined to credit
Mr. Walter George Newman, the promo
ter of the Union company with the credit
for the opening of the mines. It was
through his effort that nearly $2,000,009
have been spent in development.
A Charlotte man, by the way, relates
the story of an encounter with Mr. New
man that trill bear telling. On one occa
sion he traveled with Mr. Newman from
New York to Washington. After they
were comfortably settled in the smoking
room Mr. Newman rang for the porter
and told him to fetch his hand-satchel.
The porter brought the bag. Which jingled
melodiously as he placed it on the floor
at Mr. Newman's feet. With a weary,
blase air, Mr. Newman opened the satch
el. and the Charlotte man said that the
first thing he saw was about three quarts
of 230 gold pieces. In the satchel, scattered
loosely, were many bills of large denomi
nations. And. in fine, the Charlottean de
clared that in less than five minutes Mr.
Newman showed to him that he carried in
the satchel and in his pockets nearly SIOO,-
000 in cash.
The Charlotte man said that the thrist
for wealth came surging over him and he
proposed a game of setback—just to kill
time. They played for a dollar a game,
and when the train reached Washington
he had lost just exactly 20 straight games
to Newman, and was able to contribute
another S3O gold piece to the worthy cause
of copper mining.
THE HUNTER WAS DEAD.
Nimrod's Body Was Found in Ditch
Where Death Overtook Him.
WEST POINT. Ga.. Oct. 23—Henry
Goodman, a negro on Mr. H. W. Miller's
plantation, in Harris county, went pos
sum hunting several days ago. He did not
return and fbul play was suspected. Three
days afterwards the body of the negro
was found in a twelve-foot ditch, where
he had fallen and his neck had been brok
en by the fall. Near the dead man was
found a possum still living, a split stick
clasping the animal's tail showed why
he was still captive and had not es
caped.
Lectures on McKinley's Life.
HUNTSVILLE. Ala, Oct. 22.-Hon.
Chas. P. Lane delivered a fine address at
the public schools yesterday. He eulo
gised the life of the lamented William
McKinley and emphasised the fact that
no one can be great unless he is good.
Mr. Lane spoke of the new constitution,
and when it is ratified, he said, the schools
of the state will prosper as never be
fore. The appropriation for school pur
poses has been doubled and every ad
vantage will be given for the enterprising
young men and women of the state to se
cure an education. Mr. Lane Is getting
everything in readiness for the organisa
tion of his new party in this state, and,
of course, is kept very busy in addition to
bis duties as a newspaper man. He
L»r political reform in Alabama.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 24, 1901.
GOVERNOR'S MESSAGE
TOTHELEGISLATURE
A VERY STRONG PAPER SUBMIT-
TED ON AFFAIRS OF
THE STATE, •
Governor Candler’s annual message to
the general assembly of Georgia was read
before both houses of that body this
morning and was well received.
The governor introduced his recommen
dation with a brief prologue to the effect
that the state is in an especially flourish
ing industrial condition.
The taxable values of the property of the
state has increased forty-three and a half
millions of dollars In the last three years, and
the credit of no state in the union is better
than that of Georgia, she having had no dif
ficulty in borrowing to pay arrearages due her
teachers up to the limit prescribed in the
constitution, and at the remarkably low rate of
2 per cent per annum, and this, too, from her
own banks, not a dollar having been borrowed
outside her own borders.
For full and detailed information as to
the operation of the various departments
of the state, the governor refers the gen
eral assembly to the reports of the heads
of those various departments. He takes
occasion, however, to declare that all of
them have been ably and economically
conducted, and that several, notably the
university, are flourishing now as they
never flourished before.
CONDITION OF THE TREASURY.
From the reports of the comptroller and the
treasurer, herewith submitted, it will be seen
that the total receipts at the treasury for the
fiscal year ending on the 30th day of September
were 33,804,195 and the total disbursements for
the same period were 33,489.619. The amount of
cash In the treasury on the 30th of September
was 3730,722. Os this amount 3100,000 was sink
ing fund and 3444,208 was money derived from
the sale of public property, and is not availa
ble for general purposes. Hence the actual cash
In the treasury available for general purposes
September 30th was 3186,514.
The total of all appropriations from the
state treasury made at the last session of the
general assembly, including 383,000 to pay pen
sions to indigent widows of deceased Confed
erate soldiers, is 33,706.000. The total estimated
receipts at the treasury from all sources at
the maximum rate of taxation allowed by the
tax act for the present year will be 33.566,000.
Thus it will be seen that the appropriations ex
ceed the Income of the state by 3140.000 if
pensions are to be paid for the present year to
indigent widows of deceased soldiers.
But the appropriation of 315.000 for the public
printing fell short by 39,200 of being sufficient
to meet the demands upon it; the appropria
tions for pensions fell short 35.720, and that for
contingent expenses 32,000. These three items,
aggregating nearly 317.000, must be added to
the 31*1.000 deficiency, which gives us a total
deficiency of 3157,000 for the present year, if
S melons are to be paid to the Indigent widows.
ut the presumption is that the general as
sembly did not Intend that these pensions should
be paid this year unless there should be in the
treasury a surplus unappropriated sufficient to
pay them, for the act of appropriation ex
pressly declares that they are "to "be paid out
of any money In the treasury not otherwise ap
propriated." If this construction of the act is
correct and it was the intention of the gen
eral assembly to pay them next year, but not
to pay them this, unless there was a sufficient
unappropriated surplus In the treasury to do
so, the actual deficiency to be met this year is
374.000. aside from about 3840.000 which will be
due the teachers in the public schools and 3200,-
000 money borrowed and paid to them.
For next year. 1902. the deficiency will be
this amount augmented by $145,000 to pay pen
sions to 2,925 new pensioners. Including the
indigent widows, whose names have been added
to the pension rolls during the year; $24,000 to
be paid for insurance and at least 320,000 for
the support of the state troops; In all a total
deficiency for the year 1902 flf no new appro
priations, are mads at this session) Os 3263.000.
This year we have had to pay for no Insurance,
all the state property being covered by policies
taken out in. 1899. nor was anything appro
priated for the support of the military, the
state troopg.having bean this jar
out of the appropriaton made for their support
in 189*. not then applied tp that purpose, but
diverted temporarily to the payment oi eX
genses In organising troops for the war with
pain and subseuently refunded to the state
by the general government.
There are three ways in which it is possi
ble to meet these deficiencies—raise your rate
of taxation, reduce some of the appropriations
made at your last session or apply the public
property fund now in the treasury to the pay
ment of the interest on the public debt. The
first of these should not be considered. The
people, whose servants we are, want taxes
lowered, not raised. The second, while It is
practicable, will probably be deemed inexpe
dient by the general assembly. We, therefore,
have left for consideration only the third, the
use in payment of the interest on the public
debt of the fund derived from the sale of pub
lic property.
This fund is dedicated by the constitution
“to the payment of the bonded debt of the
state, and shall not be used for any other
purpose whatever.” If the semi-annual in
stallments of interest we pay on the bonded
debt are a part of the debt, there can be
no doubt about our lawfully using this fund to
pay interest. In that event the money raised
by taxation for the purpose of paying interest
can be applied to the payment of these defi
ciencies and we can at the same time even
lower the rate of taxation, for the amount of
money now in the treasury derived from the
sale of public property is larger than the total
amount of all the deficiencies except that in
the school fund, to meet which a plan is sug
gested elsewhere. My own opinion is that the
interest on the debt is a part of the debt, and
that the public property fund can. without vio
lating the letter or the spirit of the consti
tution be applied to the payment of interest
til! all of it has been, applied In this way.
I therefore advise that the general assembly
carefully consider the matter, and unless it
can be made clearly to appear that the inter
est on the bonded debt is not a part of the
bonded debt as contemplated In the constitu
tion, an act be passed authorising and direct
ing the governor to apply the money now in
the treasury derived from the sale of public
property, or so much thereof as may be nec
essary, to the payment of the semi-annual in
terest on the bonded debt, and that the money
which will be realised under the provisions of
the tax act approved December 21, 1900( intend
ed to be applied to the payment of the inter
est on the bonded debt, be used to supply the
deficiencies in revenue for the years 1961 and
1902.
PENSION APPROPRIATIONS DEFICIENCY.
As has already been stated, there was a de
ficiency in the appropriations to pay pensions
for the present year of 35.720—31.900 in the
appropriation for disabled Confederate soldiers
and 33,820 In that for widows of deceased sol
diers. To devise means to meet these deficien
cies I called into consultation the attorney
general, the presiding officers of the senate
and house of representatives and the chairmen
of the appropriation committees of the two
houses of the general assembly. It was unan
imously agreed that it was the Intention of the
legislature to make provisions for the payment
of all whose names were on the pension rolls
and that the deficiency was due to miscalcula
tions. By the advice of the officers above
named, following an established precedent. I
by executive orders directed the treasurer to
transfer to the pension funds named 35.720 to
meet the deficiencies and to pay all of the
two classes of pensioners to whom pensions
were due. To cover the amounts thus paid out
in excess of the amounts appropriated at your
last session for these two classes of pensioners,
I ask the general assembly to make a supple
mental appropriation at this session.
He submits figures and statements to
show the utter inadequacy of the contin
gent fund, and urges that rewards be not
longer paid from it. but from the fund
arising from the hire of convicts.
PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
It Is my duty again to call the attention of
the general assembly to the unsatisfactory
working of our common school system. For
many years past the funds collected by taxa
tion for the support of the schools in any given
year have had to be applied almost entirely
to the payment of teachers for work done the
year before, thus leaving but little to support
the schools for the current year. To remedy
this evil as far as possible the legislature in
1897 passed an act authorizing the treasurer to
advance to the school fund out of the general
fund in the treasury on the Ist day of April
tn each year 5400.000 to be returned to the
general fund out of the school taxes when col
lected during the following fall and winter.
This he was able to do. because there was
always In the treasury on the Ist day of April
the sinking fund of 3100,000. and the fund de
rived from the sale of public property approx
imating 3300.006. both dedicated to the pay
ment of the bonded debt, neither of which
would be needed for this purpose until the
amount loaned to the school fund ill the spring
would be paid back. In this way, and by re
sorting in two instances to temporary loans, the
teachers were partially paid, but for the bulk
of their earnings they had to wait till the
end of the year. At the beginning of the pres
ent year the amount available for the payment
of teachers, exclusive of these two funds, was
but little more than sufficient to pay them for
one month's work, and the state treasurer,
doubting the constitutionality of the use for
any purpose, even temporarily, of funds set
apart for the payment of the principal and in
terest of the bonded debt, declined to advance
to the school fund any part of these funds and
declined, after he had exhausted the balance
of ths school fund remaining after paying ar-
LOOK LABEL.
From the small label pasted on your
paper you will see the date your sub
scription expires. If yeu have not already
sent your renewal, we hope you will send
It without delay, bo as not to miss an is
sue of the paper. You need a reliable
newspaper like the Scad-Weekly Journal,
with its elaborate news service to keep
you posted.
rears due to teachers! for Isst year’s work, to
pay my warrants drajra on him to pay teach
e*To settle the question finally. I directed the
attorney general to bring mandamus proceed
ings against the treasurer, and let the supreme
court settle the question. This he did, and the
court sustained the position of the treasurer.
Up to this time the teaohers had been paid
for only one month’s wv>rk and there was in the
treasury available for the support of the schools
only 377,000. To supplement this sum and pay
the teachers for another month's work, or as
much thereof as possible. 1 borrowed two hun
dred thousand dollars—all I was permitted by
the constitution to borrow, and paid them 75
per cent of their second month's earnings. Thus
they hrave been paid about 3662.000. and there
will be due them at the end of the year about
$840,000. to which must be added the 3200,000
borrowed and paid to them. When this Is done
the total Indebtedness of the state on account
of free schools will be kbout 31.040,000. which
has to be provided for s*me how or other, and
this trouble will recur jfeSr after year till the
general assembly appllea a remedy. In another
part of this message I have suggested what
seems to me to be the only feasible way of
paying off and getting rid of this annually re
curring deficiency in school revenues.
When this deficiency is'made up and teachers
are paid all that is due them, legislation is
necessary to put our schools on a safe business
footing. In my last annual -message I suggested
what I believed to bt a solution of the problem.
I advised that a change!be made in the mode
of raising revenue for the support of our free
schools so as to divide tlte burthen between the
state and the counties. I said, and I now repeat,
that "it will be found upon investigation, that
Georgia pays a larger percentage of her total
revenue to the support of her common school
than any other state in the union, while local
communities, with the exception of our cities
and some of the larger towns, contribute noth
ing to this puqjose. Counties, with two or three
exceptions, and most of the towns, pay nothing,
but look to the state for everything. This fos
ters a spirit of paternalism utterly repugnant
to our theory of government and destructive at
the self-reliance and indlxqduallty of the citi
zen. In New England. w>e cradle of common
schools, where they have reached their greatest
perfection, the mudsill c* the system is local
taxation supplemented bj* state aid. We should
profit by the experience {of these older states
and amend our system solas to conform to that
which experience has demonstrated to be best.
Under the present law eointles may Impose up
on themselves taxes to Bid in the support of
schools, but they do not do ft because the law
Is not compulsory, but tnfiely permissive. It Is
not right for the state to bbar all of this bur
then, neither is It expedient The law should re
quire a part of it to be torae by' the c-euntles.
This would not only be m*re equitable and just
to the taxpayers, but it Would be to the best
Interest of the schools and teachers, who are
the chief sufferers under the present unsatisfac
tory system. Under the proposed change patrons
would feel more responsibility for and take
more Interest in their school and in the' selec
tion of teachers, the sta» ard of scholarship in
our country schools woull be elevated and the
results would be satlsfac ory. to both patrons
and teachers, the am™ nt of local taxation
for the support of school i would be Increased
from year to year, the a ihool term would be
lengthened, teachers would be better paid, and
the taxpayers would be bq ter satisfied with the
burthen put upon them. ■
I therefore recommend that the law be so
amended as to fix the state school fund at sl.-
000,000 per annum, to be fflftributed among the
counties as now provfded-ty raw, but that the
amount apportioned to no ftounty shall be avail
able until that county shalyhave raised by tax
ation upon the taxable prjtoerty within its own
borders, an amount not flfiss than 46 per cent
of its share of the state Behool fund.”
WE MUST RBfRENCH.
In 1883 the state tax »vy was $2.50 on the
thousand, but steadite >crea*ed year after
year Uli in 1898 U h«» on the
thousand, notwithstanding the taxable values
of the property of the state had in the mean
time Increased more than a hundred millions of
dollars. The Increase in the county rate in most
of the counties had kept pace, as is almost
invariably the case, with the increase in the
state rate, and when to these heavy state and
county levies was added in the towns and
cities a constantly increasing municipal rate,
these accumulated taxes became so onerous
that the taxpayei-s justly complained under the
burthen, and all over the state there was a
demand for retrenchment. Believing this de
mand to be just, and that the people ought
not to be so heavily burthened, I, in a special
message to the general assembly in November,
1898, urged retrenchment, and the greatest pos
sible reduction in the state tax rate. To this
end I recommended that the pension laws be
so amended as to grant pensions only to
"those Confederate soldiers and those widows
of Confederate soldiers who actually need the
aid of the state to supply their necessities
and save them from want.” I also advised that
the act of a former legislature adding, on pa
per, to the common school fund $400,000, but
providing no means of paying it be repealed
After much discussion the pension laws were
left Intact and the direct appropriation from
the state treasury for the support of the com
mon schools was fixed at SBOO,OOO tn addition to
the poll taxes, the specific taxes, the hire of
convicts, the half rental of the state road. etc.
Thus we were enabled to reduce the tax rate
for the year 1899 from $6.21 to $5.36, and for the
year 1900 to $5.20.
But at your last session so many extraordina
ry demands were made upon the treasury by the
various institutions supported partly or wholly
by the state, that you to meet these demands
raised the tax rate from $5.20 to $5.44, and this
increase of 24 mills will fall short by $74,000 of
raising revenue sufficient to meet the appro
priations made at your last session, notwith
standing the taxable values of the state have
increased in the last three years more, than
$40,000,000. We are thus confronted with a de
ficiency in revenue of $74,000 in addition to the
pensions allowed Indigent widows and not yet
paid, and more than a million which will be
due the teachers of the common schools at the
end of the present year, which can be met only
in the unsatisfactory way of the past, by apply
ing the money which ought to go to pay them
next year to the payment of arrearages due
them for work done in this. While the state
has seldom, if ever, been more prosperous and
neither her credit nor that of any other state
has ever been better, the system heretofore em
ployed in the management of her fiscal affairs,
so far as it relates to the common schools and
pensions, is not satisfactory. We should be
honest and candid with the teachers and pen
sioners and taxpayers. No statute should be al
lowed to remain on the books declaring that
teachers shall be paid monthly or even quar
terly, when no money is provided to pay them.
It is misleading, unfair and unjust.
The enactment that indigent widows of de
ceased Confederate soldiers shall be paid a pen
sion of S6O a year when no money has been pro
vided to pay them, is a delusion and a disap
pointment. When promises to pay money arc
made, no matter to whom, the money should be
provided to meet them. Let us get back to the
old rule, "pay as you go.” But how din we do
this. There are but two ways, either increase
taxes or reduce appropriations. The former rem
edy is not to be thought .of. Taxes should not
bo increased for any purpose whatever, except
those named in the constitution. We must
therefore reduce appropriations from the public
treasury.
We cannot reduce appropriations to pay the
principal and Interest on the public debt, for
these are fixed charges that must be met at
whatever sacrifice. We cannot retrench in ap
propriations for the support of the civil estab
lishment. for the government of no other state
in the union of the size and importance of
Georgia is administered at less cost. We cannot
afford to starve out Institutions for the blind,
the deaf, the insane, for this would be cruel
and inhuman. In a word there are but two
appropriations we can reduce so as to make any
reduction in the tax rate—the one for schools,
the other for pensions. These two objects ab
sorb nearly two-thirds of the entire income of
the state. You may abolish every salary in the
state and require every officer, legislative, ex
ecutive and judicial, to work for nothing, and
you would not reduce to any appreciable ex
tent the rate of taxation. If appropriations
such as have been made in the recent past for
schools and pensions continue to be made. But
for these two drains on the treasury the state
government could be supported and ample pro
vision made for the public debt without levying
a dollar of proj>erty tax.
The rental of the state road, the license
and specific taxes, and the hire of the convicts,
would pay all else and there would be a sur
plus left. I repeat, therefore, that the only
places where the knife can be applied is to
the appropriations for schools and pensions.
Confine pensions to those surviving Confederate
soldiers and the widows of those who are dead,
who are physically unable to support them
selves by their labor and who have no other
means of support, and confine your free schools
to "the elementary branches of an English
education only," as provided, by the constitu
tion. In this way and in no other you can
materiality reduce your tax rate. For purpos
es qf higher education let each community Im
pose local taxes to supplement the state's ap
propriation. This is the law and this is equity
and justice, and anything beyond this is unlaw
ful. unnecessary and unjust.
The governor says that the only objec-
MISS STONE SILENTi
SEARCHERS AT SEA
NO TIDINGS HAVE BEEN RECEIV-
ED FROM KIDNAPED WOMAN
IN A FORTNIGHT.
NEW YORK, Oct. 22.—From Samakov
correspondents The Journal and Adver
tiser has obtained the following details
concerning the pursuit of the kidnapers of
Miss Stone, the American missionary:
"Your correspondent has just returned
to Samakov after a fortnight’s vain en
deavor to get into communication with
the brigands. At Diumeyer, the Kaimen
or local governor refused to give a writ
ten statement, but told your correspond
dent of the track taken by the brigands
into Bulgarian territory.
“The brigands are still wandering round
that region near Gultepe and the two gov
ernments with gendarmerie, soldiers and
secret agents are trying to find them. The
four brigands who have been arrested
stoutly maintain that they are not con
nected with the band that captured, Miss
Stone. I have been summoned to appear
at Dubnltza and be examined by a Turk
ish special commission. This may be a
Turkish effort to make Protestants appear
as accomplices in the Stone capture.
“Owing to the severe frost here, in the
mountains, all efforts to send parcels of
cloths and necessaries to Miss Stone, who
must be suffering from the cold, have been
baffled.
"All attempts to communicate with the
brigands have been unsuccessful. The ban
dits are apparently afraid of treachery
and are determined not to disclose their
hiding place.”
DOG’S LOVE FOR WOMAN.
LASTED AFTER HER DEATH.
With a little black dog keeping watch,
whining and pawing at.the face of the
dead, and barking and snapping at stran
gers who attempted to approach, the body
of Ophelia Hartsfield, a negro woman, 48
years old, of Nelson and Haynes street,
was found on the Nelson street bridge
shortly after 11 o’clock Tuesday night.
The discovery was made by several men
who passed over the bridge and saw a
body lying on the sidewalk. When they
attempted'to go near and examine it the
little dog barked and snapped at them
and it became necessary to drive it away
with a stick.
An examination revealed that the body
was that of a woman and that she was
dead. The police were notified and Coroner
Stamps ordered the body removed to the
establishment of L. L. Lee, an under
taker, on South Broad street.
The little dog, who had ben a compan
ion of the woman for years, remained
around the spot where the body of the
woman lay, until it was placed in a wag
on and moved away. Evpn then the dog
tried to jump into the wagon and had
to be driven away. '
At the time of the death of the woman,'
her son, James Hartsfield, was at home
asleep, About 2 o’clock the dog awakened
the son by barking continually at the
door. Hartsfield, not knowing the hour,
opened the door an<L let the dog into the
house. He went to sleep and was awaken
ed neat morning to learn of nls mother's
death. Coroner Stamps investigated the
cause of death and after a thorough ex
amination a verdict was returned to the
effect that death was due to heart fail
ure. • ,
A woman Judges what sort of business man
her husband is by the way he decides whether
she got her new hat at a bargain.
tion he has heard to a revision of the
pension laws as suggested is that it will
force applicants to take the pauper oath,
which objection, he says, is not valid, for
the reason that old age is not objection
able, and honest poverty, come of four
years of devotion in the prime of life to
the state, is no disgrace.
In opposition to the proposition to di
vide the cost of maintaining the pub
lic schools between tne state and the
counties there are, says the governor,
but two possible arguments, and in his
opinion neither of them are good.
But when you have instituted these reforms
you will only have guarded for the future
against a recurrence of the unfortunate condi
tion with which we have wrestled in the past.
The million of dollars due your teachers for
work done during the present year will still be
unpaid. Retrenchment and a revision of your
school and pension laws will not have paid it.
It is an honest debt and must be paid. The ob
ligation on the state to nay it without unnec
sary delay is legally and morally as binding
as the obligation to pay the salaries of your
governor, the judges of your courts, the per
dlert of your legislators, or the principal and
Interest of your public debt The fact that it is
the result of a bad law does not relieve us from
the obligation to pay. There are but two ways
in which to do Lt;' one is to levy a direct.tax
on the people to raise the money; the other is
to borrow the money and owe those who are
able and willing to carry the debt, rather than
your teachers who are neither able nor willing
to do so. The Idea of raising this deficiency by
direct taxation is not to be entertained for a
moment. Taxes are too high already.
I therefore recommend that an amendment of
the constitution be submitted to the people at
the next general election authorizing the issue
of a sufficient amount of 3 per-cent state bonds
to pay the arrearages due teachers, these
bonds to be paid off at the rate of a hundred
thousand dollars a year out of the rental qf
the state road, until all are paid. The remain
der of the rental after applying a hundred thou
sand dollars annually to the payment of the
bonds, to be applied as now, one-half to the
school fund and the other half to general pur
poses.
The governor recommends an appropria
tion of $20,000 for the maintenance of the
state troops, and urges that the Insurance
money collected on the Soldiers’ home,
be immediately appropriated for the re
building of the institution, and that $20,000
more be given to maintain the veterans
during the year.
He urges that the legislature put in
surance deposits back to the old figures—
s2s,ooo for fire companies and $50,000 for
surety companies of any character.
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS.
That some important changes in our organic
law are desirable most Intelligent persons are
agreed, and with this sentiment I am in full
accord.
The ballot should be restricted.
Provision should be made for biennial ses
sions of the General Assembly.
A maximum rate of state taxation should i
be fixed in the constitution.
A rule should be prescribed requiring that
all appropriation bills be passed and submitted
to the governor not less than ten days before
the expiration by limitation of the session, as
a safeguard agailfist hasty and extravagant
appropriation of the public money.
The governor and the judges of the superior
courts should be given power to order a change
of venue in certain criminal cases.
The machinery for authorizing the collection
of local taxes for the support of common
schools should be simplified.
Other changes not so Important have been
suggested.
He urges that a law relieving the col
leges of the state from taxation be enact
ed; he suggests the passage of such leg
islation as will permit a change of venue
in trials for assault and other capital fel
onies when there is danger of mob vio
lence; he suggests a parole law like unto
Ohio’s; he asks that action be taken pro
viding for the preservation of the state
archives.
The governor also strongly recommends
In conclusion, the governor states that
he nas been able in his message to only
refer to a partial list of the matters about
which the legislature should know, and
invites all members of the two bodies to
call upon him for a conference on public
matters at any time.
WALL KILLED BY R. A. KEITH.
Well Known Citizen is Called to His
Door and Shot.
Jesse Wall, a white man living on Jones
avenue, was shot and killed by R. A.
Keith at 2:35 o’clock yesterday afternoon.
No explanation can be given at this
time of the shooting, but those who are
alleged to have witnessed the affair are
represented as contending that it was
somewhat of a deliberate nature.
Wall, who resided on Jones avenue, near
the bridge, was at his home, presumably
for the purpose of taking dinner.
He was summoned to the front door and
answered the summons. When he
reached there the man who had called for
him is said to have drawn a revolver and
shot him. Wall was dead within a few
minutes after the shotoing.
The man who did the shooting Is R. A.
Keith, who resides at 227 E. Hunter street.
He made no attempt to escape, except to
walk away from the scene of the killing.
Keith has been arrested.
Wall is survived by his wife and one
child.
The cause of the killing is said to have
been the belief on the part of Keith that
the relations between Wall and Mrs.
Keith were too intimate.
J. A. Lyons, a grocer on Jones avenue,
who was a personal friend of Wall, was
recently shown a letter by the deceased
in which Keith put him on notice that he
would shoot him on sight.
Three shots were fired by Keith, all
three of them taking effect. The men
were but a few feet apart.
Wall died without having made a state
ment.
Wall Is believed to have left a state
ment in his coat pocket regarding the
affair, which is now being searched for
by his friertds.
KOith is said to have entered suit for. di
vorce against his wife.
He went to the home of Wall this af
ternoon accompanied by a relative as he
did -rtot hknself know the deceased.
When Wall came to the door of his home
in answer to the summons Keith is said
to have told him that he wanted a few
words of explanation from him.
To this Wall is said to have replied that
if Keith’ would wait until he got a gun he
wouid explain everything. The shooting
then occurred without more words.
CHICAGOPOSTOFFICE LOOTED.
Daring Scheme Probably the Result of
Days of Patient Toil.
CHICAGO, Oct. 21.—A sensational rob
bery which netted the perpetrators $74.-
610 In stamps was discovered here when
the wholesale stamp department of the
postoffice was opened for business.
A rapid Investigation developed the fact
that the burglars had crawled under the
flooring for about 300 feet, bored a hole in
the bottom of 'the vault, secured the
stamps and escaped, carrying their booty
in a wagon.
The work of forcing an entrance to the
vault had evidently been going forward
with the greatest patience for many days.
It is believed, however, that the Inrention
of the thieves to reach the cash vault
in which there was $35,000 money in cash
and stamps valued at hundreds of thou
sands of dollars.
The bottom of the vault was of steel,
half an Inch thick. In this, ninety-seven
holes were bored until a space eighteen
Inches square, just enough to allow the
entrance of a man’s body, had been so
weakened that it was possible to take
out the whole plate with little difficulty.
A dry goods box stood over the hole thus
made and concealed the work of the rob
bers while it was in progress. When dte
v>vered tod«y* the Ylnarer mftrlw nrnne oF
the burglars were still discernable on the
dust of the box, which he had pushed to
one side.
So carefully had the job been planned
that the men working in other parts of
the building had not the slightest Inkling
of the daring robbery being worked al
most under their noses.
The robbers drove up to the southeast
corner of the postoffice building in a
wagon, tracks of which could be seen
plainly today. The building is a tempo
rary affair, and the men had only to open
a little door to admit themselves under
the flooring. To reach the vault it was
necessary to crawl about 300 feet over
odds and ends of boards which littered
the way. The route evidently had been
carefully studied, for a detective, who
had full knowledge of the building, be
came lost and nearly choked by foul
odors before assistance reached him. Hav
ing secured their plunder, the robbers
loaded it into the wagon, drove across a
vacant lot and turned into Wabash ave
nue in front of the art building.
Os the $76,610 in stamps taken, $4,712
were in "postage due” stamps and $2,060
in special delivery stamps. So the con
vettable stamps amounted to $67,828, but
of these $4,828 wer Pan-American stamps
of 8 and 10 cent denomination.
MICROPHONIC TRANSMISSION.
By Electric Arc Light Human Voice is
Heard.
(Correspondence of the Associated Press).
ST. PETERSBURG. Oct. 5.—A member
of the faculty of the Moscow Imperial
Technical school recently discovered that
a microphone attached to an electric arc
lamp by wire will transmit sounds
through the medium of another electric
arc lamp.
Repeated experiments were made in
which the two lamps were separated by
a thick wall. The Inventor read In a low
voice a lecture on his discovery and his
words, spoken Into the microphone were
comfortably audible In the next room.
With characteristic carelessness the
Russian newspapers failed to state wheth
er the lamps were burning, but It la prob
able that this Is to be assumed.
MORROW WILL NOT ACCEPT.
Jonesboro Editor Has Declined Ap
pointment as State Librarian.
Jt Is definitely known at the capitol to
day that Gus Morrow who was tendered
the position of state librarian by Governor
Candler several days ago, will not take
the appointment.
Mr. Morrow has fiven as his reasons for
not accepting the fact that his business
affairs are of such a nature as not to al
low him the time which would be neces
sary tn a proper discharge of the duties
of the Office.
Within the next few days Governor
Candler will appoint Judge C. J. Will
born. of Union county, to supersede Li
brarian Brown, and it is said by Judge
Willborn’s friends that he will accept.
MINISTER ITaD UNERRING AIM.
Preacher Killed Negro, Who Was Try
ing to Burglarize His Home.
MADISONVILLE, Ky.. Oct. 21.—At an
early hour this morning the Rev. Eugene
Haralson, pastor of the Methodist Epis
copal church, south, here, shot and killed
a negro named Jim Lewis.
Mr. Haralson heard some one trying to
break into his house, and the fatal shot
was fired when the preacher had given
up his search for the supposed burglar
and again heard the man trying to get In
to the room of Mrs. Haralson.
The jury at noon returned a verdict of
justifiable homicide.
Dr. G. M. Bartlett Dead.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn., Oct. 22.-Dr. G.
M. Bartlett, for 21 years president of the
Maryville college. Maryville, Tenn., died
this morning, aged 81 years. He is one pf
the best known educators in Tennessee.
FOURTEEN PERSONS
HELD ASSMOGGLERS
WHOLESALE ARRESTS ARE BEING
MADE BY DETECTIVES ON THE
CHARGE OF SMUGGLING SKINS.
NEW YORK, Oct. 23.—0 n charges of be
ing Implicated in the wholesale smuggling
of sealskins into the United States war
rants have been issued in Vermont for 14
persons now in Montreal, says the
World's Montreal correspondent. These
skins, it is alleged, were smuggled In by
a baggagemaster of the Central Vermont
railroad. It is said the United States gov
ernment has already confiscated $25,000
worth of the skins and the detectives are
tracing the remainder. The special agent
of the United States treasury has detained
at Rouse’s point, on the United States
border, a shipment of coon tails and mink
waste, which he declares are under val
ued. These furs were shipped by the Rus
sian Fur company, of Montreal. The mem
bers of the company deny that charge
and say that If necessary they will go to
Washington to demand their rights.
U. S? TROOPS IN PERIL
Filipino Bolomen Are Attempting to
Massacre United States Soldiers.
MANILA. Oct. 21.—The island of Samar
is seething in revolution and United States
troops are being rushed to the seat of
rioting to restore order and protect the
troops already on the scene. ‘
Owing to the vigilance of Lieutenant
Thomas M. Banes, Jr., of the Ninth Uni
ted States infantry, another slaughter of
American troops by insurgents has been
averted. Lieutenant Banes discovered a
prisoner re-entering a cell at Carblga. is
land of Samar, where several were con
fined. through a hole that had been let
In the wall. An Investigation showed a
plan to fill the jail with bolo men and to
call the guard, which would be necessary
to get the door open, and then to attack
the garrison. It also developed that the
instigators were a priest and the presl-
Jlente, both of whom have been arrested,
together with several other prominent
persons.
Reinforcements are being rushed to Sa
mar. Three hundred and thirty marines
have gone there on board the United
States cruiser New York, and two bat
talions of the Twelfth infantry will start
immediately for the same destination.
United States officers from other prov
inces that were supposed to be pacified
have recently arrived in Manila, and they
say that the news of American disasters
spreads like wildfire among tne natives,
who scarcely attempt to conceal their
delight.
lhe Manila constabulary discovered a
large quantity of steel wagon springs
which were being shipped to various dis
tricts. Investigation showed that these
were to be used in manufacuring bolos.
BETTER ~CARE~OF THE INSANE.
Senator A.llen Has a Plan That May
Solve the Problem.
A solution of the problem which the
state sanitarium, in its present over
crowded condition presents, is suggested
today by Senator Jcrhir-T. Alien, of‘the"
twentieth senatorial district, in which
the asylum is located, and he will intro
duce during the present session of the
legislature a bill seeking to embody his
idea into tew.
Senator Allen’s suggestion is, simply
stated, that the criminally insane should
be sent to the prison farm, and there
made to work like other convicts.
In the report, which the trustees of the
asylum have just Issued, complaint is
made that the criminally insane class has
increased in a startling ratio recently,
and that ,aey, the trustees, are compelled
to keep these with the other insane.
Senator Allen believes that not only
will his plan of removing this class to the
prison from the farm relieve the perplex
ing condition which now obtains at the
asylum, but will operate to decrease the
number of pleas of insanity now entered
in the courts.
CAPT. W. B. HARRIS SHOT.
Officer Fired Eight Bullets Into Hie
Victim at Columbu*.
COLUMBUS, Miss., Oct. 23.-Capt. Wil
lis B. Harris was Shot to death by Joe
Calvin, a policeman, who, at the time of
the deed was off duty.
Yesterday afternoon about 2 o’clock the
men had a few words about some trifling
matter.. They parted, everyone thinking
the trouble was over. Calvin proceeded
to arm himself with a 38 Smith and Wes
son pistol and 41 Colts. Captain Harris
drove up to May & Weaver’s drug sore. ’
Just before the shooting, as he alighted
from the carriage, he was met by Cal
vin and the quarrel was resumed, when
Calvin struck Harris on the head. This
he followed by emptying five 41 calibre
cartridges Into his body. As he fell three
38’s were 4ired into him also.
Calvin Is in jail guarded closely. Devel
opments are momentarily expected.
Captain Harris leaves a wife and three
children. He was about sixty years old,
having served through the war, and was
a prominent and respected citizen. The
result of the preliminary trial Is awaited
with Interest.
STAMP TAX DID NOT HOLD.
NEW YORK. Oct. 23.—1 t has just been
learned, says The Herald, that the indict-.
ment against George C. Thomas, a broker,
for refusing to pay the stamp tax on sales
of stock has been dismissed. The govern
ment, fearing, it is said, to try the case,
which involved the constitutionality of a „
section of the war revenue law. failed
to appear on the day set for the trial.
Bankers and brokers have followed the
case with great interest. Mr. Thomas, a
broker of the consolidated exchange, was
advised by his lawyers last spring that
the stamp tax on sales of shares of sto6k
at the rate of 2 cents per SIOO of face
value was not constitutional. Acting on
his lawyers’ advice, the broker stopped
paying the tax in Maj- and determined to
test the law. An Indictment was found
against him by the United States grand
jury on October 9th.
FOUR~UVESLOSfIN~MINE.
Explosion In “Holy Terror” Mine at
Keystone, S. D.
DEADWOOD. S. D., Oct. 25.—Three
men lost their lives in the Holy Terror
mine at Keystone last night from foul air.
Their names were:
LEW CROUTHER.
ANDREW MILLER.
PETER POHLAN.
With two other miners they had been
lowered to the 1.200 foot level and the
machinery failed to work.
LEO TOLSTOI IS VERY ILL.
Agen Count is Reported Seriously Sick
Near Aloupa.
ST. PETERSBURG, Oct. 23.-Cour.t Leo
Tolstoi is again seriously ill on the estate
of the Countess Palin, near Aloupka, in ’
the Crimea. i
NO. 12.
