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The Weekly Democrat
B. E. Ritwell 4 Ju. «. Br»w*‘
Editors and Proprietors-
no. M. BROWN, : ! Busntwe Masaoml
roscura* UTM :
Fer Aaivn f* °0
Sii Months I 00
Three Mentha... ®0
•ta|U Cap/ 05
I a variably in advance.
THURSDAY MARCH B, 188&
Latent From the CapMaL
In pursuance of law Gov. Boyn
ton has issued his proclamation or
dering an election for a successor
to the lamented Stephens, to be
held on the 24thof April, and con
vening the legislature on the 9th
of May thereafter. The Demo
cratic Stale Executive Committee
meets to-day to call a Convention,
and according to the Atlanta Con
stitution there are already two op
enly avowed candidates in the
—Hons. A. O. Bacon and J. S
Boynton. It is also rumcred that
Hons. M J drawford, J H Blount,
Ex-Gov. Smith will also be heard
from at the proper time. Certain
it is that the young Democracy are
not dead by a large majority, and
that they intend to again buck ag
sinst bossism.
EDITORIAL BRITVITILS
It has been fifty years since a
Governor died in office in Georgia,
before Governor Stephens.
The tu o cent postage law doesn’t
go into effect until the first of
October next—-it havjng been
postponed by the conference com
mittee in charge of the post office
appropriation bill.
Governor Stephens died just
three hours and twenty minutes
alter his term in Congress would
have expired had he not resigned,
lie was 71 years and 21 days old
the day he died.
All the liquor saloons in Dalton
will be closed after June 15th next
This action was taken by the City
Council on the expression of the
feeling of a large majority of the
citizens at a mas6 meeting.
John Thompson, a negro of
Campbell county, was sentenced
to be hanged on the 6th day of
April next, for the murder of
Lindsey Weaver, colored, at Pal
metto on the 25th day of Decem
ber last. The execution will be
private.
According to the Augusta News
there is a rumor afloat that the
wholesale houses of Atlanta will
soon hold a conclave, and resolve
to do away with the festive drum
mer. After years of trial it is
found that “cost more than they
come to.”
Senator Brown’s right lung is
troubling him a great deal. He
cannot attend night sessions of
the Senate. We will have to
elect a Senator in the stead of
Governor Brown in a year or
two; mark the prediction!
The mayor of Fort Valley has
offered $25 reward for the appre
hension with proof to convict any
person or persons guilty of selling
intoxicating liquors to minors in
the corporate limits of the town.
We publish this item with the
hope that our own municipal
authorities will adopt a similar
course.
The Eufaula Bulletin says: “In
stead of buying more mules to
scrape over more land, it would
pay better to fertilize what shall
be planted more thoroughly. It
is not the acreage cultivated that
counts, but the profit from what
is produced. Twice as high ferti
lization would pay better than
putt ing the amount necessary to
do it in stock and labor to culti
vate a larger acreage.”
The good citizens of the state
are more to blame for the preval
ence of crime and the lax of exe
cution of the law, than any other
class. If a man commits a crime
in their vicinity no matter how
heinous, if be happens to be of a
respectable family they immedi
ately begin to pitv him and ex
tend to him the hand of sympathy
and pity. No wonder crime is so
ratnpaut and it will increase un
less there i$ a revolution in public
sentiment in regard to respectable
criminals. No criminal is respec
table, and he is always a criminal
who deliberately commits a crime
no matter who his daddy is nor
who his folks are.—Nan.
DEATH OF ALEXANDER MU STEPH
EN'S.
A mighty man has fallen; Alex
ander H. Stephens, the greatest
statesman who ever adorned the
gnbernational chair of Georgia, is
dead. In Atlanta, at half past
three o'clock last Sunday morning,
his pure spirit returned to God
and the people of a great common
wealth are overwhelmed with
grief.
It is hard to realize that the
“GreatCommoner” is no more;
hard to feel that the resplendent
light of his genius, so long a bea
con to lovers of Kberty and con
stitutional government throughout
the civilized world, has been ex
tinguished. An invalid and a
sufferer for half a century, often
at deaths’ door, miraculonsly (
spared by Divine Providence, he
has impressed himself more in-
dellibly upon the history of his
state and country than perhaps
any other man ever did.
For half a century he had been
in public life, m high and respon
sible position. Beginning a poor
and penniless boy, by his own
effort he gained that superior edu
cation, the foundation of his future
greatness. His mind was of giant
mould and could grasp any subject
or problem within the scope of
human intellect. His character
was as exalted as if fashioned by
the Creator’s own special hand.
His integrity and honesty of pur
pose never was questioned by his
bitterest enemies. He never took
a position or espoused a cause,
either in public or private, that
he did not believe to be right.
He was a statesman without fear
and without reproach. And he
loved Georgia like a first-born son
loves his mothei.
The people of Georgia heaped
public honors upon him, and in
turn he carried the glorious name
of his state inseparably with his
own wherever civilization exists.
Georgia is rich in the glory of her
illustrious sons, but in her heart
of hearts none of them occupy a
warmer place than Alexander H
Stephens. His loss is irreparable
his death is an epoch in the world’s
history. Yet he leaves behind,
for the future generation to con
template aud profit by a record
that stands forth in pyramidal
proportion s.
Like Lord Chatham, he “died
in the harness,” and like that
great English statesman of the
last century, he was head and
shoulders above his associates.
The last honor the people of Geor
gia paid Mr. Stephens was the
crowning one pf all. He desired
to be Governor of the state, and
both his nomination and election
by a splindid majority against
heavy opposition, indicated the
love his people bore for him.
And faithfully did he serve them.
Up to a few days before his death,
while lying on a bed of pain, he
yet performed the duties of his
office.
But we will not attempt a
proper eulogy of this grand his
torical character.^ His fame be
longs to the world and mighty
pens will write history, and elo
quent tongues pronounce his
eulogium ; and we will content
ourselves by a brief narrative of
his remarkable career;
Alexander Hamilton Stephens
! was born in Taliaferro county,
Georgia, on the 11th day of Feb
ruary, 1812. He graduated at
Athens in 1832, was admited to
the bar in 1S34, rose rapidly in
i bis profession and obtained a large
and lucrative practice. He was
elected to the Legislature in 1836
and was re-elected for five suc
cessive terms. In 1842 he was
elected to the State Senate. In
1843 he was elected as a Whig to
Congress and held his seat until
1859. In 1847 he submitted a
series of resolution in relation to
the Mexican War, which after
wards formed the platform of the
Whig party. He opposed the.
Clayton compromise of 1848, and
took a leading part in the com
promise of 1850. In 1854 he sup
ported the Kansas and Nebraska
act, and was chairman of the
committee on territories in that
Congress. After the destruction
of the Whig party he acted with
the democracy. At the close of
the 35th Congress Mr. Stephens
declined to be a candidate for re-
election, and announced his inten
tion of retiring from public life.
In the presidential campaign of
1860 he sustained the Douglass
and Johnson ticket, and denounc
ed the advoeates of a -dissolution
of the Union in the evgnt of
Lincoln’s election. He also made
a speech before the legislature of
Georgia against secession, but
was nevertheless elected to
the secession convention which
met in Milledgeville, Jan. 16,1861,
and there spoke and voted against
the secession otdinance.
He was a member of the South
ern Congress which met in Mont
gomery, Ala., in February 1861,
and was elected Vice president
of the Confederacy. On March
21st he made a speech in Savan
nah, in which he declared slavery
to be the corner stone of the Con
federacy. He frequently differed
from the policy of the Confederate
government, especially • on the
subject of martial law. On Feb.
3,1865 with R. W. T. Hunter and
John A. Campbell, he held an
informal conference on a steamer
in Hampton roads with President
Lincoln and Mr. Seward, which
had no practical result. After
General Lee’s surrender Mr.
Stephens returned to his home in
Crawfordville, where on May 11,
1865, he was arrested and sent to
Fort Warren in Boston harbor;
but on Oct. 11, he was released
on parole. This unjust imprison-
enment practically destroyed his
health. In 1866 he favored the
restoration policy of President
Johnson. In the same month he
was elected to the United States
senate, but owing to the recon
struction acts he was not permit
ted to take his seat. In 1822 he
was elected to Congress and was
successively re-elected, when he
resigned in October 1882 to become
Governor of the State which posi
tion he held at the time of his la
mented death. He published “A
Constitutional View of the Late
War between the Statess, its
Courses, Character, Conduct, and
Results” in 1868-70 in two large
8 vo volumes. He has since pub
lished two valuable school his
tories of the United States, the
last of which is just now being
issued from the press.
Georgia's Treasnrj and Finances.
The following special dispatch
to the Atlanta Constitution
should be a source of gratification
to every Georgian in (his day of
repudiation and State treasury
irregularities and troubles;
New York, February 28.—Hon.
D. N. Speer, State Treasurer of
Georgia, who came to New York a
few days ago to negotiate the sale
of $160,000 worth of United Stales
four per cent bonds for the State
of Georgia, accomplished the ob
ject of Ills visit to-day. The bonds
were sold in Wall Street, and the
proceeds, amounting to over $180,-
060, were deposited in the Fourth
National bank, the New York
fiscal agent of the State of Geor
gia-
The money will be applied to.
the payment of the public debt of
the State ot Georgia and will re
main in the Fourth National bank
until it is needed for that purpose.
By such a course the State will
save about $300 which would have
to be paid out if the money was
taken to Georgia. The bonds
which were sold were received by
the State as a part of the proceeds
of the Macon and Brunswick rail
road. Major Speer will leave for
home in two or three days. The
sale is considered a good one.
ANOTHER GUBERNATORIAL ELEC
TION.
And How it Shall be Ordered.
The law provides that after the
death of the governor, the presi
dent of the senate acting as gov
ernor, shall order an election for
governor, to fill out the unex
pired term. This election shall
be ordered in “not less than 30
nor more than 60 days” from the
death of the governor. At the
same time the president of the
senate acting as governor shall
call the legislature together in
special session. This session shall
be held in not more than 15 days
after the election of the governor’s
successor, and shall be held for
the specific purpose of leceiving
and counting the votes cast at
that election and declaring the
result—or if no election htft been
made by the people to elect a gov
ernor in joint session. Having
performed this specific duty the
governor elect will serve out the
unexpired term.
The Romance of Mr. Stephen’s Life.
Atlanta Constitution.
In one of the early years of the
’40s Mr. Stephens, then a young
man, paid a visit to .the home of
Mr. Darden, in Warren county.
There he met a flaxen-haired, blue
eyed girl of sixteen, beautiful in
face and lovely in character;
piquant, witty, and gifted with a
mind rarely cultivated. An at
tachment grew up, which for years
did not pass the formal bounds of
friendship, but which was sacredly
cherished by both. The boy lover
was poor in this world’s goods
fragile in frame, and harrassed by
sickness, he did not dare to aspire
to the hand of one whom he had
learned to love and yet fore! Ore
to claim. With womanly devo
tion the young girl read the secret
in the young man’s eyes, and true
to her heart she cOuld only—wait
and love.-
One evening in. 1849 a party
was given at the residence of Mr
Little, in Crawfordville. There
the two met once more; there they
enjoyed that sweet communion
born of perfect trust; and there
Mr. Stephens found courage to
speak the words which for years
had fought, for expression, until at
last he could no longer contain
them.
“Are you sure that there lives
none other whojn you prefer to
me?” asked the maiden timidly,
half-shrinkingly, yetjonly too hap
py to feel that she was favored in
his eyes.
“In the whole universe there
exists not another,” said he pas
sionately.
Thus their troth was plighted;
the day was set for their marriage,
and all seemed auspicious for the
lovers. But clouds lowered o’er
their hopes; matters of a private
nature which it is not within the
domain of the public to know,
intervened and deferred the frui
tion of their hopes. The one be
came immersed in politics, and
racked with physical ills hesita
ted to enter a state where he fear
ed the happiness of the other
might be marred. The lady found
her duty by the side of an invalid
mother, who long lingered with
a confining disease. Thus the
years flew by; but the plighted
troth was kept. Mr. Stephens
never addressed another, and ever
kept the image of the fair young
girl in his heart. The lady wa»
the recipient of admiration from
many, but to all she turned a deaf
ear.
They have often met since, and
while the idea of marriage was
abandoned, they felt a sweet
pleasure in each other’s society.
But two weeks ago the lady was
at the mansion, and on taking
leave of her old friend, one of the
chairs tripped up, an unfavorable
sign, as the governor remarked at
the time. The lady has for years
been a citizen of Atlanta, and no
one is held in more 'esteem for
every quality which adorns wo
manhood than Miss Caroline
Wilkinson.
Che Flint River Appropriation—H on
H. G. Tinier.
Albany News.
When the News and Advertiser
announced as a fact, a short time
since, that the‘Secretary of War
had recommended ad appropria
tion of 875,600 for’the improve
ment of Flint river, it did so on
the authority of a newspaper dis
patch, which was printed in quite
a number of our exchanges. From
a letter which we publish in
another column from the Hon. H.
G. Turner, however, it appears
that the statement made in this
dispatch, so gratifying to those
of us interested in the improve
meut of the Flint, was an errone
ous one, and that the $75,000 was
merely (he Chief Engineer’s esti
mate made in his report to the
Secretary of War of total amount
that would be required to open
our river to navigation.
In order to correct so serious an
error, and, at the same time, as an
act of justice to our able and
efficient Representative in Con
gress, the Hon, H. G. Turner, we
have concluded to publish his
letter, although the same is care
fully marked “personal.” We
can perceive nothing in the letter
that would make its publication,
under the circumstances, an im
proper use of private correspon
dence, since it contains nothing
but what does our honorable Rep
resentative credit for his zeal an^
persistence in securing the ap
propriation he has, while others
have failed.
Meanwhile, it is a source of
gratification to know that the
amount required for the opening
of the river will only, in the opin
ion of the Chief Engineer, amount
to $75,006, and that $15,060 of this
amount will be procured this
year.
A Letter Uses the Sabjett Freni Hob.
M. ft, Tnfner,
Washington, D. C.,
Dear Sib :—I observe that your
paper reproduces, with favorable
endorsement, a paragraph from
Ths Bainbridge Democrat on the
subject of the improvement of
Flint river. That paragraph as
serts thgt the Secretary of War
has recommended an appropria
tion of $75,060 to $109;000 1 for that
river, and adds that it sees no
good reason why 1 may not si cure
that appropriation if I will try,
etc. The Secretary of War has
not made such recommendation.
He has merely transmitted to
Congress, in compliance with a
resolution, the annual estimates
of the Engineer Department, such
as have been made for years for
all the rivers and harbors in the
United States that are included in
the usual bill for their improve
ment. Those estimates aggregate
thirty or forty millions, and the
Flint has been included at the
same figure as for years. Last
year an increase of five thousand
dollars was allowed the river be
tween Albany and the Chattahoo
chee.
On account of the popular cla
mor against that large bill, the
President, in his last annual mes
sage, recommended that no river
and harbor bill be passed at this
session. You can now see that it
is not so easy to secure an appro
priation for a river up to the full
amount of the engineer’s estimate.
However, notwithstanding the
odious character of the last bill,
and the discouragement from the
Executives, the committee on
commerce have reported, as you
have seen, a bill cutting down the
appropriations of last year ten
millions, and'leaving the Flint the
increase of last year. When
there has been a reduction of over
one half of the bill of last year,
we perhaps ought not to complain
if the reduction has not affected
your part of the till.
I regret that the committee
have not seen fit to gratify our
friends who are interested m that
part of the river above your city.
The‘new orpening bill will be
brought up next week.
I have thought this briaf state
ment due to you and to me.
Very Truly Yours,
II. G. Turner.
r he Month of March.—What Kind of
Weather Vennor and Wiggins Will
Give Us-.
During this month, if they
place the remotest degree of confi
dence in the joint prophetic pow
ers of Mr. Henry G. Vennor and
Mr. E. Stone Wiggins, the. inhabi
tants of these United States had
better tie themselves fast. Mr.
Vennor has gone over to Wiggins.
In spite of the lamentable failure
of the last mentioned prophet dur
ing February, Vennor practically
accepts his prognostications for
March. The month, he re narks
in graceful rhyme, will enter with
rains and blow, but the third and
fourth will give cold and snow.
The whole month will be crowded
with snow-storms and blizzards
and heavy rains. Mr. Vennor,
however, does not dwell i>arti-
cularly upon the month. He
prints in hi« Bulletin a column or
so of able astronomical matter to
show that Mr. Wiggins is not
quite so proficient as he might be
in the science of astro-meteorolo
gy—but the signs for those days
in March are more foreboding
than in February. The readers
have not yet sent in their answers.
But enough has been said to show
that we must not yet take off our
flannels or send our arctic over
shoes to the Western flood suffer
ers. There will be bad weather
of various descriptions on the 3d,
4 th, 10th, 12 th, 17th, 18th 19th
26th, 27th, and 31st days of this
month, and other days we are led
to believe, will not be balmy with
the breath of spring.
CONGRESS.
Last Saturday night Congress
wound up its work. What it has
done is gone into history, and
what it has not done, will be dis
cussed hereafter, and perhaps
with the same result. Men with
no positive convictions cannot be
expected to do much valuable
work and we have seen but little
that indicated strong convictions
upon any of the important topics
of legislation, during tne session
just closed. The election to take
place next year will put in a new
if not better set of men, we hope.
The demand for Georgia pine'is
greatly on the increase in north
ern cities.
One hundred and forty thous
and dollars has been appropriated
by congress for the sufferers by
the recent floods in the west.
This space is Retailed
Bv
MR, JAMES R. BAftBlT,
Thumasailte, Tallahassee and Galf
Railroad Company.
Floridirn.
The Executive Committee of
the Thomasville, Tahahassee and
Gulf Railroad Company have
called a meeting of the directors
to be held at the office of the
company, in this city, at 12 M. to
morrow, at which meeting the
President, Hon. Chas. H. Adams,
of New York, Hon. H. D. Mc
Culloch, of Wisconsin, Col. A. P
Wright, of Thomasville and others
are to be present. The Board will
direct the Chief Engineer to pro
ceed at once with the location,
survey and contracts for grading,
preparatory to cross- tieing and
ironing the road. We think we
can safely predict that before the
assembling of the next Legislature
we will be in direct communica
tion with the North and North
west and with the Gulf of Mexico
by this road which the wisdom
and liberality of the present Legis
lature has secured to Middle
Florida.
THE NEW GOVERNOR.
By virtue of his office as Presi
dent of the Senate, the Hon,
James S. Boynton, of Griffin, was
on Monday morning last sworn
in as Governor in place of Gov
ernor Stephens, deceased. Gov
ernor Boynton was born in Henry
county, on the 7th of May, 1833,
and is consequently in the fiftieth
year ot his age. He has been a
prominent man in the affairs of
Georgia, and will fill the gov
ernor’s chair with honor and abili
ty during his term in office, be it
long or short.”
He is a lawyer by profession
has r family of only two sons his
wife being dead. It is, however
rumored that he will soon wed
one of the most brilliant women of
Georgia.
Governor Boynton will hold
the gubernatorial office until his
successor shall have been elected
and qualified, as prescribed in the
law published in another column.
And now they are making hats
with electric bands, which it is
claimed, keep the wearers from
having head-ache.
New Orleans is fast becoming
the great grain depot of the coun
try. As an evidence of this, a
steamer recently left St. Louis for
that city with six barges in tow,
loaded with 278,000 bushels of
grain—52,000 wheat and 226,000
tom. Since the opening of navi
gation 712,000 bushels of grain
have been shipped from St. Louis
in barges alone.
His physicians say that the trip
of Governor Stevens to the Sesqui-
Centennial had nothinig what
ever to do with his death. They
affirm that he had liteially worn
out, and died of utter prostration
from overwork. His remains will
be buried to-day at 3 o’clock in
Atlanta, temporarily, but will
subsequently be removed to hi*
former home—Ora wfordsville—
and intered there finally.
New AdVerlismanti.
Notice of Dissolution
Mark C Barnet! has this day wlilnal
his interest in the firm of >1. E. Barnrtt
& son. to his Father M. K. Barnett wbo
continue* the business on his own ac
count and assumes all liiibilitie.' and col
lects all outs’andiugs.
M E. B.mzrt
Mark 0. Bui.vktt
Mareh 1st 1883.—1 -in
An Ordinance.
City of Baihbridge, 0a.,
Office of Clerk of Council Mar. 5th ItR
The following ordinance conccrainj
street duty, changing the age# liable Joe
said duty etc., is publish,djtor infonMtie
of all concerned.
By order >f Councd, T. R. Waidbj,
t |rrk.
Extract o' minutes Council March 5.Hi
An Ordinance amending an Ordinunei
Be it ordainedjthat from and aftertit
passage of this ordinance, tliaf a.et'a
108 of the city Code, be ho amend«lii
to read afteifthe ward “of in the firstlw
“Sixteen* In lieu of •‘eighteen.’’
All laws or parts thereof conflict
are hereby repealed.
Miller Sheriff’s Sales
^^EOROIA, Miller County :
rt'ill be sold before the Court Houm Jmi
in said county between the lezal h«un*
sale on the first Tuesday in tpril. HR
the following property to-Wi :
Lot of land number 245, in the 1J1
district of Miller county, and lewd »»»
the property of Joshuiv H Kelly, to^js
one State and county tnx fi ’•» toned »pb*
skid Joshua H Kelly for unpaid “ta
Levy made aud returned to me by • Cu
stable.
ilso, at the same time and pisce, W#j
i num>H-r 23d and 235 in 1 J(L iw [ r
said county, levied on as the proper?
riah ! Lter.r to satisfy sne State »“dcr"
fi la issued against said Mariali I
unpaid taxes-. Levy made and re
:o me by a Constable.
Jso, at the same time and pl»«. W
J number 272, n* rite 12th
ler county, levied ow ns the prop
Henry Jackson, to satisfy one Stale
nty tax fi fa issuedjvp'i'ih'i s*'d
kson for unpaid tuxes t-e*I ml “ e
irned to me by a Constable
dso, at the same time and phtce, j 11 *
1 number 394, in the I3tl* .twnfl
ler county, and levied on asthepropjj
I A Bush, agent tor lh<; estate
om, to satisfy one State and county
, issued against said 1 A du.di
estate of f R Bloom. Le»y inrie i
irned to me by a Constable
ilao, at the “atne time an ! place, i*
1 numbers 291. 292, 293 and
h district of Miller eonnty, and l*”* 4
the property of John H Pierce.
State and county tax fi fa .ssue-i ftp*
l John H Pierce for unpaid taxes. V
le and returned to me by a rotund*
lro, at same time and place,
l, lots of land numbers 309;. 310*"
he 12th district of Miller county
ed on as the property of F Beal,to*
one State and coonty tax fif* 1 *
int said F Beal for unpaid taxee.
le and returnee to me by a Cow® 4 *
ilso, at the same time and pUcti**
I, lot of land number 11, in
trict of Miller county, Georg 1 ^
ied on as the property of I *
nt for G D R Lanier, Exe'ct 9 *
nar, to study one State and
t issued "gainst said I A Bush. *8**
D R Lamar, Exec’t oi 6 * 1 ^
'j made and rnturned to me hy *
w, at the same time and place. 1
the undivided half interest 'Zi
Bumber 231 in the 14th diS»j|
t county, and levied on as t ei
1 I) 6 Sheffield *o eaffisty * nel
d against said l> H Sheffield*
. Levy made and returned
table. J. A- J. KE-'I(J
b’y 26, 1883. ^ er ’ 0 -
Decatur Coroner*
Hon*'
I be sold before the C*>nrt
s town of Baindridge Dec»
;ia, on the first Tuesday [
during the legal hours ef
g described property^* 4
of land number t"-- 1 ) 84
same b|i»S in c “
et of Decat Jr county bw
L os as the property of b
y o-te mortgage fi ^
rior Court of said eotw ^
i. D. Cloud. This January .
Pits* o* "S
Cmo***