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The Semi-Weekly Journal.
Entered at th* Atlanta Foetoffice ■■ Mall Mat
ter of rt>« Srcood Class.
JAMES R. GRAY, ~
Editor and General Manager.
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FRIDAY, JANUARY 3. 19».
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SAVED BY HIS APPENDIX.
The grave men of science who
have never yet been able to discover
any use for the appendix may pause
in their investigations, for there is
one man in Atlanta who owes to that
vermiferm auxiliary a debt of grati
tude which he finds it hard to ex
press.
He has spent a good many years
without giving it any thought one
way or the other. If he ever picked
up the newspapers and casually read
the stories of people who had parted
with their appendix he probably re
garded that part of the human
anatomy as merely a troublesome
sort of affair which a man would be
well rid of, except perhaps for the
pain of a surgical operation.
He little thought the day would
come when he would owe, if not his
life, at least his liberty to that a&me
despised appendix, but that is ex
actly what happened to him, and
now he dreads more than ever, per
haps. the possibility that he may be
at some future time forced to part
with what he may term bis anatomi
cal amulet.
It appears that there was a de
serter from the United State® army,
and one of the secret service men
who was not busy on tbe Browns
ville affair was sent down this way to
find him. ' Just why be should have
thought the man In question was the
man he wanted does not appear.
Just why he should have been haled
off to Washington without so much
as an opportunity to communicate
with his wife and children is even
less clear.
And yet that is what happened.
The one certain means by which
the military authorities could identi
ty the man they wanted was the scar
which remained after an operation
for appendicitis. A man who has
been through an operation like that
ought to be immune from all future
pains and penalties, but the govern
ment takes no such view of the case
of deserters.
But when the prisoner was taken
to Washington no appendicitis scar
could be found upon him. It would
seem that an average surgeon right
here in our midst would have been
able to discover whether there was
a scar or not, and there would have
been no occasion to take the man to
Washington.
Be that as it may, be has found
bis release and is once more restored
to his family, after establishing the
fact that he is no deserter nor any
other kind of criminal.
And his heart is filled with grati
tude as he thinks of the service ren
dered him by his despised appendix
Boy Appropriated
By William H. Taft
Bitner Loring, eighteen years old. a
product of Georgia, was discovered and
appropriated by Preeident-elect Taft In
the wilds of a Georgia golf course.
Roosevelt has had his William Loeb,
who was discovered by somebody before
Roosevelt found bim. Mark Hanna had
bis Elmer Dover, and other great men
have had their Fridays, even as Mr. Taft
had his. and more great men there are
who will be discovered by great men.
and pieced tn high positions in the af
fairs of the government.
Mr. Taft found Elmer Loring one day
tn tbe vicinity of Augusta. Ga.. when be
was out looking for a "caddy. ' This
particular Elmer was roughly shod In
bls own bare feet, there were rents
in his trousers, and his face and neck
v-e.-e shiny with peculiar growth of silken-
Lke fuzz. which, if properly cultivated,
tnay some day develop into a full beard,
drith mustache to match.
!*'• eyes are snappy, the kind thst
look straight at you without flinching;
he is frank, he is honest—it sticks out
in spots all over him—and he is fear
less and wiry and kind and gentle, and
willing to work hard and keep long
hours.
At any rate, Mr. Taft likes the boy
likes him all over, and a little more
than that, and he wants him at the
white house for the next four years
beginning on March 4. Elmer Loring
will be in Washington today. It is said.
He will be properly housed snd fed while
Mr. Taft is in Panama, and after the
new president is inaugurated. Elmer will
be duly Installed as messenger at the
white house. He will eat chicken and
cake and Ice cream right from the white
house table, and be will get a peep Into
big things and at big men and women
* and directoire gowns on reception nights.
Elmer will have a good time In Wash
ington for the next four years. He
won't want to go back to Georgia—oet
your bottom dollar on that—Washington
Herald.
EXECUTIVE APPOINTMENT OF JUDGES.
In a recent editorial The Journal called attention to the wave of
lawlessness which has been sweeping with a crescendo force over the
country, and, after citing numerous instances, sought an explanation in
the fact that there was a growing disposition on the part of the courts
to prosecute offenders.
We expressed the opinion that this judicial laxity was in a laige
measure due to the widespread system of electing judges by the direct
vote of the people.
We are gratified to find that this opinion, together with the strong
suggestion that we return to the system of appointing judges and
solicitors by the chief magistrate, has found hearty indorsement in
various sections of the state on the part of press and people.
From the many expressions on the subject we reproduce two that
are at hand. The Walton Citizen says:
The Atlanta Journal contained an editorial Sunday, under the caption
of "The Lesson of Lawlessness" that is certainly along the right line.
In short, it is an expose of the rotten condition of our Judiciary, brought
about by the colossal mistake of electing our judges by popular vote, in con
nection with man’s natural tendency to discriminate against his enemies
and In favor of his friends. The Citizen is on record as opposing this legis
lation when it was being railroaded through the legislature by politicians who
had axes to grind.
After citing specific cases of lawlessness, flagrant and a’nove board.
The Journal says:
We have no hesitation in saying that it is due in large measure
to the fact that a certain laxity In the disposition of the courts to enforce
the law has grown tip under a judicial system which has robbed the
judges of much of their independence and restricted them in their judi
cial powers.
Os course, all judges are not bad, and most of them are disposed to do
right, but there is that temptation under the present system for the judge
to use his office to further his own selfish ends.
It was not long since that a gentleman of unquestioned integrity said
to the editor of this paper that he had a case in a certain court, and that
ft was a very frivolous one, but nevertheless a case. He was being de
tained and kept away from his business from day to day. At last he de
cided to talk to the judge. He stated hts case, whereupon the judge said
he would look after it, and see that h? was not harmed. Then in a softer,
more persuasive tone, the Judge, who was a candidate for re-election, said:
“Take some of my circulars out and Hand them to the boys. You know
what to do.”
And there you are. There are black sheep in all professions, just as
there are in most families.
Our opinion is that judges should be appointed by the governor, the ap
pointment to be passed on by the legislature. If this is not best, let the
supreme court appoint them. The term of office should be eight or twelve
years, and after such service they should be ineligible to hold the office
again. Death or cause should be the only circumstance to remove them
from office during the time for which they are appointed to serve.
The judiciary shouhl never come in contact with politics, and for it to
do so Is to prostitute justice to the common level of ward demagoguery
and make of the rights of man a hollow mockery.
The Commerce News says, after some kind expressions in regard
to The Journal’s editorial;
Those who have read The News during the last few years will remember
that when the proposed change was under consideration, we took the po
sition now occupied by The Journal, that the change in manner of selecting
these officials was unwise and would not be beneficial in its results. The
judge on the bench, and the prosecuting attorney should not be handicapped,
as they will be so long as they are to be elected by a direct vote of the
people. We do not insist that they are conscious of such restraints, but hu
man natuie is the same in all people, and so long as these officers are
thus elected they cannot rule out of their minds the fact that they are un
der some obligation to the men who supported them, and gave them the
office, and it is but natural that they should feel kindly to those who ex
pressed at the ballot box their confidence in the ability and general fitness
of the candidates for the office. To put it mildly, no possible good can come
of the new order, and harm may . result. Hence it is that we hope that the
next general assembly will see the possibility of evil and offer a remedy. In
addition to what The Journal has said touching the manner of electing these
officials, we do not believe that it will be wise to place solicitors general
on a salary basis. He should be appointed by the governor, and then let his
salary depend on his own efforts. Thus he will go into office under no ob
ligations to any man or set of men. and his compensation will depend on his
own efforts to proeecute and convict the guilty.
There could be no disposition on the part of the most vigorous
opponent of the present system to say that corruption exists on the
bench to ajiy appreciable extent, and in perfect candor it may be said
that it does not exist in conscious form to any extent whatever here in
Georgia. We believe that the judiciary of Georgia stands as high as
that of any state in the uniqnr-that its members are gentlemen, high
toned, high-minded and learned in the law. They make an honest
effort to discharge tbe functions of their office with impartial justice.
Bat It would be folly to deny the personal equation which neces
sarily enters into every official position. The judge on the bench is not
an abstraction of justice. He'is a human being with red blood in his
veins, subject to tbe same human frailties to which we are all liable,
and to expect that he will remain absolutely uninfluenced by those
things which affect his personal welfare is to look for the unattainable.
He should, therefore, be removed as far as possible from those
influences which might unconsciously warp hti judgment. He should
have no temptations to reward or punish, outside the sphere of his
official duties. He should be removed from any necessity to consult
what would be popular or politic.
And yet in taking the choice of judges and solicitors from the
governor and in throwing them among the politicians to scramble for
office, we go to the very extreme where they have to come in contact
with “popular” influences at every angle.
Election by the people necessarily carries with it an obligation to
the electors which finds expression not merely in that higher order of
gratitude which is wholly creditable, but degenerates into “a lively
sense of favors yet to come.” Election by the people makes It necessary
that the man who would be judge or solicitor must become a
“candidate,” and the whole end and aim of the “candidate” Is to get
votes.
There are various arts and devices by which votes may be secured
and the successful candidate must employ many of them which would
be repugnant to him in any private station. He must mingle with the
politicians of every varying strfpe, and where the campaign waxes hot
the election of judges and solicitors in no wise differs from election to
the lowest office that depends upon tbe gift of the people. '
It is possible to carry the theory of democracy too far. We believe
that for tbe most part the tendency to submit elections to a direct vote
of the people has been good. But there is one office which should be
kept above the clamor and the turmoil, the servility and solicitation of
the office-seeker, and that is the judicial bench.
Appointed by the governor of Georgia, every judge and solicitor
may regard himself as in a certain sense under obligations to him.
Elected by the people, he becomes under obligations to every qualified
voter in Georgia, and in their immediate district such judge and such
solicitor may at times find the claims upon that gratitude pressing very
definitely upon them.
The Journal believes that the time has come when we should go
back to the system of the appointment of judges and solicitors by the
governor. Os the three possible systems, viz., popular election, election
by the legislature and executive appointment the last, while by no
means perfect, is at least most free from dangerous influences.
The lamentable disregard of law, which has found expression in
so many forms, demands that something should be done. The law
must be enforced with the rigor of old, and in order to do it the
judiciary must be taken from politics—it must be not only pure, but
above suspicion.
MR. E. H. HARRIMAN.
me people of Atlanta are glad of an opportunity to give Mr.
Harriman an intimate view of the city and to make him familiar with
the remarkable growth and progress of their city, the future success of
which is necessarily bound up m large measure with the attitude of the
railroads.
A year and a halt ago Mr. Harriman acquired the Central of Georgia
railroad, and in his capacity as the owner ot that road the general public
has taken a keen interest in Mr. Harriman and his plans.
He Is the ruling spirit in the Southern Pacific, the Union Pacific
and the Illinois Central railroads. By establishing a close connection
between these railroads and the Central of Georgia it is possible to
make the latter a part of a great transcontinental system which could
not fail to mean a great deal to the future of Atlanta.
Mr. Harriman is quoted as saying, as a result of his inspection of
the Central properties, that the road "needs almost absolutely to be
reconstructed." Continuing, he says that the present owners "are not
responsible for the former methods of financing the road,” and adds
that he wants "to show the people of the south what a reql railroad is.”
There can be no doubt that there is great room for improvement
in the Central of Georgia system, and it comes as a gratifying announce
ment that the people of the south are to be shown what a real railroad
is. The physical improvement of the property is not all that the people
of Georgia desire, however, and it is hoped that a through system to
the Pacific is one of the plans for the Immediate future.
Mr. Harriman Is receiving a friendly welcome from our people who
are glad to have him with them. He Is a man who has had a remark
able career. He is now in his sixty-nrst year, every year of which since
his young manhood has been crowded with achievements.
The future of the Central, as a result of this bis first personal
inspection of the property, will be watched with considerable interest.
THE ATLANTA SEMI-WEEKLY JOURNAL, ATLANTA, GEORGIA, FRIDAY, JANUARY 29, 1903.
National Capital
cNelPs and Gossip
By Raiph Smith
WASHINGTON, D. C„ Jan. 26.-Ex-
Governor J. M. Terrell is among the num
ber of people who believe that Judge Jos
eph R. Lamar, of Augusta, will be ele
vated to the supreme court of the United
States by President-elect Taft. He be
lieves that the gossip In this regard is
more than an idle rumor, and Is of course
pleased at what he believes to be the
prospect of having a Georgian on the su
preme court bench. g
“I firmly believe that Judge Lamar, of
Augusta, will be tendered a place on the
United States supreme court bench,” said
ex-Governor Terrell, last week while in
Washington, "and I believe that the ten
der will be accepted by Judge Lamar, who
is eminently qualified both as a lawyer
and a jurist.
“Judge Lamar and Mr. Taft attended
Yale law school together, and in those
years their associations were close and
pleasant, each entertaining a high per
sonal regard for the other. The friend
ship has never ceased, and the two have,
I understand, kept in touch with one an
other throughout the many years that
have since elapsed.
“Since the president-elect has been at
Augusta, he and Judge Lamar have re
newed their old friendship, and have be
come even more attached. Judge Lamar
is an able jurist, as his service on the
supreme court bench of Georgia proves,
and he would make an excellent justice of
the United States supreme court.
"While I realize that Mr. Taft and
Judge Lamar differ politically, and I pre
sume Judge Lamar voted for Bryan, I do
not think this will interfere, if President
Taft decides to appoint Judge Lamar.
Politics, as a rule, do not control in such
matters, and in this case I do not be
lieve they will.”
John Wesley Gaines’ Originality.
John Wesley Gaines, representative In
congress from the Nashville, Tenn., dis
trict, is somewhat of a phrase-maker him
self. It was Mr. Gaines who first dubbed
the promenade of the New Willard hotel
"Peacock Alley," and the name sticks to
tt until this day. The promenade extends
the entire length of the handsome hotel,
is lavishly furnished and affords an en
trance to two of the very swell cases of
the hotel. Ultra swell people may be seen
strutting through "Peacock. Alley" any
evening after 8 o’clock, while others mote
curious lounge in the big chairs to watch
the passing show.
John Wesley teßines’ latest contribution
along this line is an expression he used
the other day in discussing the prohibi
tion situation down in Tennessee. He
said: •
"I am glad the liquor interests were
whipped out, although I have always been
a local optionist myself. But the liquor
people came down to Nashville long be
fore the legislature met. They opened
headquartern in the Maxwell house and
began l‘t once a systematic plan of
‘weather-boarding Tennesese with their
tainted money. I*m against the use of
money In politics, and when I saw what
they were doing In their efforts to cor
rupt my stkte 1 began to hope for their
defeat. ,
"Yes, sir. they sent out ‘heelers in
every direction In the guise of insurance
agents, and in this manner they tried
to literally ‘ weatherboard’ the whole
state. They were beaten, and I am glad
of it.”
John Sharp Williams, Author.
John Sharp Williams, of Mississippi,
for many years minority leader of the
house, will retire from congress for a
period of two years on March 4th, and
during his temporary retirement will
write a bdok-"The Life of Thomas Jef
ferson.” He expects to devote practi
cally all of his time to this work, and
his friends and admirers predict that
the book will be probably the best biog
raphy of the great Democrat that has
ever been written. Than Mr. Vt il*
liams there are few, if any, more schol
arly or better educated men in public
life. His long service in congress and
his extensive travels have given him
excellent qualifications for the work he
proposes to undertake.
Mr. Williams has been nominated by
the people of Mississippi to succeed Sen
ator Hernando de Soto Money in the
United States sedate, but Senator Money s
term of office wfil not expire until March
4th, 1911, and in the meantime Mr. Wil
liams will retire to private life.
Williams Gets Rid of a Bore.
In the absence of his family, Mr. Wil
liams is living this year at the Metropoli
tan hotel, where he Is accessible to all
comers. Like most public men he is
annoyed by all sorts of people, many of
whom are first rate bores, which brings
to mind this story, which Mr. Williams'
himself tells.
The other night, shortly after supper,
Mr. Williams received a caller in his
room. The man had good staying qual
ities. He stated the business that brought
him. then he stated other business and
kept on stating things. Mr. Williams
meanwhile, listening patiently and won
dering when his jriend would leave.
But the caller showed no sign of quit
ting the room, and Mr. Williams began to
consider plans tor making an easy get
away. Finally he exedsed himself for
“just a second.” Rushing to the ele
vator, he descended to the office, there
to notify the telephone operator to ring
his ‘phone in five minutes. He was in
too big a hurry to explain matters fully
to the young lady.
Mr. Williams returned to his room, and
presently the phone rang. He picked up
the receiver, and, after the usual hello,
saiC: “You say he wants to see me Im
mediately?”
"No, Mr. Williams, I didn’t say any
body wanted to see you.” came back the
answer. "I Just rang your phone in obe
dience to your orders."
“Well, tell him I’ll be right down.” add
ed Mr. Williams to the surprised girl.
"But. I can’t tell him, he isn’t kefe,"
she plead.
"Oh, that’s all right, just tell the bell
boy to tell him I am coming,” and with
that he hung up the receiver, and ex
cused himself.
"Telephones are not such a nuisance, '
after all,” said Mr. Williams later in
reciting the occurrence.
Her Discovery
Chicago News.
The Wife—“l had all kinds of faith in
my husband when I married him."
The Man—“ And now?”
The Wife—“Oh, I soon discovered that
marriage was a great faith cure.”
Mausoleum for Betsy Ross
Philadelphia Dispatch to New York Herald.
Atrangemente have been made by the Betsy
Ross Memorial association to place the nn
posine: mausoleum deswigned for the famous
maker of the American flag in a conspicuous
place in the new part of Mount Moriah cemc
terv, each of Sixty-third street, her body be
ing removed from its obscure grave on the
west side of the cemetery.
Mount Moriah Council of the Junior Order of
United American Mechanics, which originated
the movement for the monument, has adopted
the design submitted by a well known Phila
delphia sculptor. Patriotic orders will build
the mausoleum, which will be a magnificent
edifice of granite. 40 feet square, with vault
and duplicate of room In which the flag was
made, surrounded by bronse statuary em
blematic of the achievements of American sol
diers and sailors.
Apparenly the problem In President
Roosevelt’s case, after he leaves office,
will not be what to do with an ex-presi
dent, but. from his enemies’ standpoint,
how to keep him suppressed.
W MURDERSRUr MORGUE
'A
I have said that the whims of my
friend were manifold, and it was his
humor now to decline all conversation
on the subject of the murder, until about
noon the next day. He then asked me,
suddenly, if I had observed anything
peculiar at the scene of the atrocity.
, There was some thing in his manner of
emphasizing the word "peculiar,” which
caused me to shudder without knowing
why.
“No, nothing peculiar," I said; "nothing
more, at least, than we both saw stated
in the papers.”
‘The papers.” he replied, "have not
entered, I fear, into the unusual horror
of the thing. It appears to me that this
mystery is considered insoluble for the
very reason which should cause it to be
regarded as easy of solution—* mean for
the outer character of its features. The
police are confounded by the seeming
absence of motive—not for the murder it
self, but for the atrocity ot the murder.
They are puzzled, too. by the seeming
impossibility of reconciling the voices
heard in contention, with the facts that
no assassin was discovered upstairs
though there were no means of escape.
The wild disorder of the room; the girl’s
corpse thrust, with the head downward,
up the chimney; the frightful mutilation
of the body of the oid lady; these consid
erations have sufficed to paralyze the po
lice. They have fallen into the gross
but common error of confounding the
unusual with the difficult. In investiga
tions such as we are now pursuing it
should not be so much asked ‘what has
occurred,’ as ‘w.—t has occurred that
has never occurred before.’ T " *act the
facility with which I have arrived at the
solution of this mystery, is in the direct
ratio of its apparent difficulty In the
eyese of the police.”
1 stared at the speaker in much aston
ishment.
"I am now,” continued he, looking to
ward the door, "awaiting a person who
although perhaps riot the perpetrator of
these butcheries, must have been in
some measure implicated. Os the worst
portion of the crimes it is probable he
is innocent. I hope 1 am right in this
supposition; for upon it I build my ex
pectation of reading *he entire riddle. I
look for the man here—in this room—
eevry moment. Should he come, it will
be necessary to detain him. Here are
pistols; and we both know how to use
them.”
I took the pistols, scarcely knowing
what I did. or believing what I heard
while Duplin went on, very much as If
In a soliloquy.
"That the voices heard,” he said, "by
the party upon the stairs were not the
voices of the women themselves was fully
proved. So we know that the old lady
could have first destroyed the daughter,
and afterwards committed suicide. I
speak of this point chiefly for the sake
of method; for the strength of Mme.
L’Espanave would have been utterly un
equal to the task of thrusting her daugh
ter’s corpse up the chimney; and the na*
ture of the wounds upon her own person
entirely preclude the Idea of self-destruc
tion. Murder, then, has been committed
by some third party; and the voices of
this third party were those heard In con
tention. Now what was the one peculiar
thing testified by all respecting these
voices? Did you observe it?”
I remarked that, while all the witnesses
agreed that the gruff voice was that of a
Endorses Suggestion
Os Judge Hillyer
ATLANTA, Ga., Jan. 24, 1908.
To Editor Journal:
Allow me space in your valuable paper
to Indorse the suggestion of our distin
guished railway commissioner, Judge
George Hillyer, that the state purchase
the Atlanta and Florida railway and ex
tend it to Macon, the head of navigation
on the Ocmulgee river. Thus giving the
people of Georgia an all-river and rail
route from the splendid Mississippi river
system to the sea. .
Allow me to further suggest that tbe
state, at the earliest praetka' moment,
electrify the Western and Atlantic rail
way from Chattanooga to Atlanta. And,
in the event of the purchase of the At
lanta and Florida railroad by ‘he state,
the electrification of that system from At
lanta to Macon.
The development of the magnificent
water power all along the line from Chat
tanooga via Atlanta to Macon, by the
state, would mean the hauling of the
trains from boat landing to boat landing
without the burning of a pound of coal.
The state would have enough surplus
electricity, to sell, to supply every city,
hamlet and station along the route from
Chattanooga to Macon with light, power
and heat.
A great electric railway with a splendid
system of water power plants feeding it
with the current (all state owned) and
connecting the magnificent interna! river
system of the United States with the
South Atlantic through the very heart of
Georgia, would be a possession that any
state might well envy. This road could
never be bottled up on account of its
water terminals and being operated by
electricity could haul freight and passen
gers cheaper than it is possible for any
steam propelled road to do. The question
of railway rates would thus be forever
settled In Georgia.
The steam roads would be forced to
haul for a minimum rate which would
yield a fair income on their physical
valuations.
While this state owned road, free from
state taxes, would pay its own operating
expenses and yield a rich annual surplus
into the state treasury besides being a
regulator of rates.
So much for the road itself. What of
the surplus thousands of horse power in '
electricity the state would have for sale i
to the people along its line? |
The marble, coal, iron and timber of
that splendid section of our state north of;
the Chattahoochee river would feel the
quickening whip and spur of electricity.
That garden spot of Georgia, stretching
from Atlanta to Macon, whose hillsides
and valleys are white with the fleecy sta- ,
pie every fall, would soon become (along
this read quickened by the magic touch
of cheap state power one succession of
cotton miii-. The undeveloped water pow
ers of north Georgia would thus be saved (
to the people of this state forever.
The music of our mountain streams In i
their rapid descent to the sea would find 1
BY EDGAR ALLAN POE
Frenchman, there was much disagree
ment in regard to the shrill, or harsh
voice.
"That was the evidence itself,” said
Dupin, "but it was not the peculiarity of
the evidence. You have observed notning
distinctive. Yet there was something to
be observed. The witnesses, as you re
mark. agreed about the gruff voice. But
in regard to the shrill voice, the peculiar
ity is—not that they disagreed—but that,
while an Italian, an Englishman, a Span
iard, a German and a Frenchman at
tempted to describe it, each one spoke of
it as that of a foreigner. The Frenchman
supposes it the voice of a Spaniard. Tho
German maintains it to have been that
of a Frenchman. The Englishman thinks
it the voice of a German. The Spaniard
is sure it was that of an Englishman
The Italian believes it the voice of a
Russian. A second Frenchman differing
with the first, is positive that it was an
Italian—and none of these men speaks or
understands a word of the language
which he thinks the unknown voice used.
Each is ‘convinced by the intonation.'
Now, how strangely unusual must that
voice have really been, about which such
testimony as this could have been
elicited!—la whose tones, even, denizens
“HERE ARE PISTOLS; WE BOTH KNOW HOW TO USE THEM."
of the flve great divisions of Europe could
recognize nothing familiar!
"I know not,” continued Dupin, “what
Impression I may have made upon your
own understanding, but I do not hesitate
to say that deductions even from the tes
timony respecting the gruff and shrill
voices are sufficient to engender a suspi
cion which should give direction to all
further progress in the investigation of
the mystery. What the suspicion is, how
ever, I will not say just yet, I merely
wish you to bear in mind that it was suf
ficiently forcible to give a definite ten
dency to my inquiries.
"Let us now transport ourselves, in
fancy, to the chamber. What shall we
first seek here? The means of egress em
ployed by the murderers. Neither you
nor I believe that Mme. and Mlle. L'Es
panaye were destroyed by spirits. How,
then, did the assassin escape? Let us
examine the possible means of egreas. It
la clear that the assassins were in the
room where the girl was found, or at
least in the room adjoining, when the
party ascended the stairs. Lt is then only
from these two apartments that we have
to seek the exit. The police have laid bare
their echo In the whirr of machinery.
With raw material and power, cheap
and inexhaustible, at our very door, and
a state highway leading to the markets
of this country and foreign lands, we
would soon present to the world a com
monwealth whose material development
I would have no parallel In all history.
Another one of our serious problems
would also be settled—taxation.
Georgia can derive enough revenue
from the power of her God-given rivers to
lift the burden of taxation froi* every
other species ot property, and still sell
power to the consumer cheaper than it!
is done by any private corporation with- j
in her bounds today. The men (and their j
minions) who are financially Interested i
in any corporation which thia great devel- !
opment of Georgia by all Georgians would j
appear to antagonize, will naturally ad- I
vance two time worn arguments against ;
such development.
First they will tell us that it is un- :
constitutional; we have only to remind
them that the constitution has been 1
amended a few times within our recollec- |
tion.
’• In the second place they will tell us
i that it is a magnificent idea but imprac
ticable. the cost of such development by
the state Is too stupendous to even con
template. .
Such enterprises should be undertaken
only by private corporations. They fail
to tell us how a few individuals charter
ed by the state are stronger than all
of its citizens in the corporate capacity
of the stale.
If the New York Central, a private!
corporation, deems it practicaf to electrify ,
I its entire system through the great state ;
of New York, why is it not practical for j
the stale of Georgia to electrify the |
Western and Atlantic railway?
If the people of the city and countv of 1
! Los Angeles. Cal., can bond themselves j
for thirty millions of dollars to bring the j
Owens river two hundreds miles to give ;
water and power to southern California, '
cannot the people of Georgia bond them- |
selves for a hundred million, if necessary, •
to perfect this splendid enterprise.
Let the people of Georgia discuss this
problem freely through the press of the
state.
Let the people residing on the Western
and Atlantic railway, organize at every i
station to bring pressure to bear upon!
our law makers for its immediate electri- ;
ficatlon.
Let the people residing on the Atlanta j
and Florida railway organise at every sta- j
tion to create a state wide sentiment;
in favor of the purchase of that road by j
the state and its extension to Macon
giving the people of Georgia an all-rail
route from the Tennessee river to the ;
Ocmulgee. ;
JAMES M. MITCHELL.
380 E. Fair St., Atlanta. Ga.
EXTENSION OF STATE
ROAD TO BRUNSWICK
Editor Journal—Dear Sir: If you will kindly
give «puce to the following remarks, they may
prove a long atep towards the solution of
of several perplexing problems. Instead ot state _
owulug extension use It at a secure means ot J
ptoviciug Investment for thoee having only email
surplus. Divide the stock to tie eubwribeii Into |
shares ot small demination, say per share:
the floors, the ceilings and the masonry
of the walls. But I. too, examined. There
were no secret exits. Both doors, leading
from the rooms into the passage were se
curely locked, with the keys inside. Let
us turn to the chimneys. These, kithough
of ordinary width for some eight or ten
feet above the hearths, will not admit
throughout their extent the body even of
a large cat. The impossibility ot such
egress being thus absolute, we are reduc
ed to the windows. Through those of the
front room no one could have escaped
without notice from the crowd in , the
street. The murderers must have passed,
then, through those of the back room.
"There are two windows in the cham
ber. One of them is unobstructed by fur
niture, and is wholly visible. The lower
portion of the other is hidden from view
by the head of the unwieldly bedstead,
which is thrust close up against it. The
former was found securely fastened from
within. It resisted the utmost force of
those who endeavored to raise it. A large
gimlet hole had been pierced in its frame
to the left, and a very stout nail was
found fitted therein, nearly to the head.
Upon examining the other window a
similar nail was seen similarly fitted in
it; and a vigorous attempt to raise this
sash failed also. The police were now
entirely satisfied that egress had not been
in these directions. And. therefore, it was
thought useless to dratr the nails and
open the windows.
“My own examination was more partic
ular.
“I argued thus: The murderers did
escape from one of these windows. This
being so. they could not have refastened
the sashes from the inside, as they were
found fastened. Yet the sashes were fast
ened. They must, then, have the power
of fastening themselves. I stepped to the
unobstructed casement, withdrew the nail
with some difficulty, and attempted to
raise the sash. It resisted all my efforts,
as I had anticipated. A concealed spring
must. I now knew, exist; and this cor
roboration of my idea convinced me that
my premises at least were correct, how
ever mysterious still appeared the circum
stances attending the nail. A careful
search soon brought to light the hidden
spring. I pressed it, and, satisfied with
the discovery, forbore to upraise the
sash.
(To be continued.)
no individual to own over five per cert of total
coat of road. Provide that there alkali nevpr
be but one issue of stock, and that strictly
confined to actual outlay of money, eieiuslve of
franchise values, right of way given, ar nos
of streets allowed without charge, for ent rases
purposes, or other values conveyed to it with
out cosft. k
Ask Brunswick and other towns to giro the
use of streets, and people along the route to
give right of way. and every man to subscribe
to some stock. Provide that the etoekhsldera
shall have eight per cent on stock. Form a
Juncture with state road at Atlanta. Put man
axement of entire road, from Chattan oga to
Brunswick, under railroad commission Ask tbs
state to aeeept as franchise charge taxes, ter
minal and management charges, all of the earn
-1 lugs of its own portion and four per eent on
> the cost, as outlined, of the people's part. This
Ito be added above the eight per cent. Under
I thia plan a road should not cost over »».<W
I [>er mUe. The Southern for earnings purpoeea
I asks the right to tax the people not less than
I five per cent on X 55.000 per mile, TH times as
I much. Two per cent on this amount would be
' equal to IS per cent on the people's road.
; The svmpztby of the people would be with the
; people's road. Its malntainasce would be almost
' a matter of compulsion; as it would furnish
I eucb a splendid uteans Os regulating freights.
1 There could be no danger from bottling up. Be
-1 fore the road was finished no city in the state
■ would be satisfied without a connection under
' similar conditions. Other states would cc-oper
! ate—soon it would t>e sen that there was no use
for an inland waterway, that the problem of
transportation regulation was solved. In addi
tion to this it will have sopited one of tpe
screaming needs of the time, vis: stable secur
ities to. small investors. Yours,
Quitman, Ge. J. H. 3OOIEB.
A Word of Dissent
Editor Atlanta Journal:
I am under no personal obligations to
Mr. Roosevelt. I never saw him nor spot?
| to him nor asked a favor of him. I am
• a Democrat, and I never voted for him,
! but this indiscriminate and virulent abuse
i of him I cannot see the Justice of. He
’ has made an honest president. He has
i done his best to do justice by the south.
( He has brought on his devoted head the
wrath of the negroes, because he had so
! strenuously endeavored to punish an out
rage to a southern city. The mock heroics
of the congress because the preaident in
timated that some of them might need
watching is really laughable when we
know of the cunvrttwn ot Mitchell and
the exposure of FwaKer, an- tne generat
character of some of the representatives
and senators.
Mr. Roosevelt is a Federalist of the ex
tremes! type, but no more so than was
John Adams or Chief Justice Marshall,
or our honored fellow-Georgian, Judge
Emory Speer. It was to be hoped that a
career so brilliant and so creditable
should end peacefully. Vulgar abuse by
a congressman who is in no danger of
being called to account may be good pol
itics, but is far from being honorable or
creditable. If ever man honestly strove
to do the best for his country that he
knew, that man has been he who -will
soon be our ex-president.
GEORGE G. SMITH.
Undoubtedly
From the Chicago News.
Little Willie—Say, pa, was George
Washington the father of his country?
Pa--Yes. my son.
Little Willie—WeH. I'll bet he would be
surprised if he could see the site of his
family now.
