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STATE « 0AD * most timely ami ^’T.Tria' tram the Atlanta alitor , ir o(!i'‘‘ e :l W't 1,1 ,:, ftr ial tfom , n . r ,o make some equitu- i^ ,,r,, , tr ; claims of the pres- iJf .• t |,o Western and Atlantic the State of Georgia u il:0: " ; f.,r the most important and Ti,iil? luernoiv before this body, .rf?’ in ® mbcrs owe it to the State jiui I,!t ‘ " t i, u t they proceed to an *1^ these differences in a manner. This is one deniacog«®ry can>t scttle * ois'O „„ to be the easiest matter for the Legislature to ar- int'n' ; . 11M 1 equitable settlement, rive )i»■ dde all prejudice and one business l • ]i*»-ces a iii^ 1 [ The contract is plain, *» !i . ll, *" lbl ,een at a glance what prop-. *"' !l he State is entitled to and in what ' r 'v,ion : t must be turned over to it. ,V " 1 'can thou estimate the additions in f“'- l ' s{()L .^ !U id improvements that have put upon the road. rollin? the laws of both Geor- in which States the for an settlement seems to take ^tciiuiine the laws of both .uVand Tcmn-sec, . ;,,,! r miS and then their way Amicable and just Georgian desires to "^advantage of these lessees, and U !f rVme-entatives would misrepre- their constituents if they attenipt- to do so. Our people only want justly and legally their own, jf i he ,State owes the lessees anj*- tim-Mhov are entirely willing to pay ' debt. jj,;t even leaving justice out of the urtke entirely, it is decidedly to cst of the State to settle this if it be at some financial feel assured will may pooIT, pooh it as mueh we w 11 but »»3 nu*«t be Ti! 5 “ eueial assembly should J i r Ca ’ U,{? of t,J « fvad is one thing, the delivery Of it to the incoming lessees is quite auother. If the nres,-nr lessees tender the property in the condi tion that it was at the beginning of the lease, they will have discharged their duty under the eoutract, and if they are prevented by any act of the state from putting it in that condition, that means a law suit. And it don’t require the opening of the Georgia coui ts to bring that law ^uit. Ihe state owns enough property m letinessec to compensate the lesees for twice the claim, and the courts of iennessee—federal as well as state—will be open to them for the en forcement of their claims. To say it is not to the interest of the lessees to let the road run down, don’t be gin to meet the question. They chanc ed the gauge of the entire road in twelve hours and may within forty- man eight hours of the expiration of the lease change the road from a first class steel rail to an old iron—just such iron as they found on the road when the lease began. The railroad bevoiul Chatta nooga with which the Western & Atlan tic connects have plenty of old iron in side tracks, which, can be exchanged for the steel rail upon the road, at an immense saving to the present lessees. And the state would then have to pay the incoming lessees the diflerence be- twen the present condition of the road less the natural wear and tear, and the condition it is in as delivered by the old lessees. The same may be said of the twenty-four miles additional side tracks put upon the road, and even of the iron bridges, so that the Lord only k ows where the trouble would end, and the extent of the loss. It Is not business THE tiif WIDOWS OP NORTHERN SOLDIERS. the niter matter, even sacrifice, which we KOl lv demanded. Of this we can con vince any reasonable man. A> j, ;! well-known fact, the Louis ville ami Nashville railroad owns a l jr; r« majority of the lease stock in the Siam Road. The House has already jm-sed a l>iil authorizing the re-lease of ,1m road, and opening bids to the world. It is not reasonable, then, to suppose that if this trouble with the old lessees is not adjusted that the L. and X. will have a decided advantage over all other bidders, and that the con tinent loss to the State from this fact will amount to far more than a settle ment would cost? The L. and N. will know exactly what it is bidding for; it buys no lawsuits but their own, and il-o can tell what amount of rolling stock they will get and the condition of tiio traek. On t!ie other hand, all that the State can legally guarantee to competitive bidders are. two streaks of rust and a right-of-way, with a few old-style and dilapidated cars pud engines. The new bidders see ahead of them a long wid expensive legislation, that will lake years to end. They do not know whether the track will be laid with steel rails or worn-out iron. The old lessees may decide to run every wlieel- on the road into Tennessee, and hold this rolling stock as an offset for im provements to the roadway in Geor gia. To gain possession of this prop erty the ease must be fought in the U. b. Courts in Tennessee, which State is •>f course in sympathy #ith the L. and X. 1- it not’then reasonable to suppose that a bidder for the new lease will take into consideration the extraordi nary risk and expenses that ho must incur to gain possession of the proper ty. and that he will reduce his offer proportionately ? If the Louisville and Nashville really dedres to re-lease the State Road-\vliieh n doubtless the ease—it seems to us Grange that they will even consider the question of settling their claims against Georgia. They have certainly the long end of the swingletrce, and what this company will save in rental, if the road “ 0l 'ered for lease without settling with t.ieun, will more than balance what they "ill receive for improvements. The desire of the oflieers of this road to ad- JUst U1:it ters with the State certainly a? if they wanted to do the fair hiing. We trust and believe that the J ‘''-headed and business men in our Jgislature will meet the lessees half ' and then investigate and talk over 1 e matter, and see if a settlement can- 1101 he made by which Georgia will be •'^uied that the road and rolling stock "k be turned over in the same splen- u COl, dition that it is today, free from cry incumbrance, and with no long .uk expensive law-suit behind it. . en " ’ll each and every competi- 1 ihe lease of the road he on an J Ua footin g, and the property bring !, ry Uollar >t is worth, q ; is ‘ s l he business-like way to set- J-1 m trouble, and we feel assured that it r n 'P r esentative8 W H1 so look upon The Constitution’s editorial is as fol lows : act M ha8 disposed of the least Well -in 1 tae raain perfonned the work mav'ten I 1 * I )eo P le ^>11 approve all thae of thei! i . ward the proper protection ^mee of j rests in inviting the highest WltifJ! s 8 ’ hut there is still another lease of , In coniI0 ction with the new tion tw a ramount importance—a ques ts v a °V- ot and w ill not down at tire boiiw ^‘dding of any man or legisla- Presum! 7 aQ d that Is the claim of the .. to treat a business question with indiffer ence—and not even try to find out what difference is—and no legislator who really wishes to protect the inter est of the State and keep this magnifi cent property out of trouble can afford to sit down and risk the consequences It may not suit us to acknowledge the the justice of the lessees, and so far as The Constitution is concerned, we would like to see it ignored if that would end the matter. But it ''«nnot be ended in that way. It will not be down at our bidding, and the issue therefore must be fairly and squarely met. The lessees are in possesion of the property and will hold it to the end of the lease. No human being can pre vent them from doing with it as they see fit, provided at the. end of the lease they deliver it in as good condition as it was in when delivered to them. We cannot shut our eyes to this fact; the contract is what the lessees are bound by, and that contract also binds . the state, and prevents the state from de manding.more than the contract ealls for. The legislator who lives in the fond expectation that the present 7es ees will turn the road over in its present condition unless tvey are compensated for doing so, is, we fear, is indulging in a dream which will never be realized. The lessees are men of business sense. They claim to have put vast improve ments upon the property, and however much they would like to see the road go the state in its present excellent condition, they are riot likely to let sen timent to control them in 'a business transaction, especially if the legisla ture should refuse to meet them half way in an effort to reach an adjustment We repeat again the consequences of a refusal to fairly and honorably try and settle this matter are of too grave* a na ture to. be treated lightly, and that re sults distrous to the state' are likely to grow out of a failure to reach * just set tlement, and if this general assembly should fail to make the effort the people will know where to place the resposi- bility. In a recent speech at a G. A. R. re union, Commissioner Tanner urged the pensioning of the widows of Union soldiers even after they had married again, stating that the$12.50 per month received from the government induced great many to lead immoral lives. This is certainly a horrible confession, arid speaks ill indeed for a certain elass of females who are supported by pub lic taxation. It is a matter of pride and congrat ulation, however, to the South that the widows of our gallant Confederate sol diers do not hold their virtue so cheap as this paultry sum. They have not received, and neither do they expect, one dollar from the government, and while many of them are forced to toil like slaves for their daily bread, they have preserved their honor as spotless as the falling snow. They have suffer ed privations and trials to which the soluiers’widows of tlieNortli are strang ers—they found not only the one upon whom they leaned for support taken away, but the wreck of their property stolen or destroyed by the invading en emy—their little children clinging to their skirts and piteously begging for bread that they had not to give them; but never for one instant did a Southern soldier’s widow consider .the question of bartering her virtue for food even to feed her starving children. With a heroism as grand as manifested by the husband on the field of battle did these noble women meet the dark and frowning .future with undaunted energy afiil courage, and while protect ing and preserving their honor and virtue, managed to keep the wolf from their door. These Southern widows do. not sacrifice their virtue to be able to become pensioners upon the charity of the government and even were they extended the same munificence as are the soldier’s widows of the Federal Army,and that pension was an hundred times as large, they would preserve untarnished their good name. Commissioner 'Tanner has either basely slandered, the soldiers’ widows of the North, or there is certainly very low state of morals among them. Women who must be paid by the gov ernment in order to preserve their vir tue, are not deserving objects, and the sooner they are dropped from the list and permitted to pursue unsupported their degraded and downward career, the better for the honor of our govern ment. While the people have uncom plainingly contributed tQ the mainten ance of the dependent relics of those who fell battling for the victorious side, they will enter their earnest pro test againt being taxed to support a great army of harlots. For the honor of our eountiy we hope that Pension Commissioner Tanner has basely, knowingly! and wilfully lied. a desire to shrink his duties. We firm ly believe that the guano sent him was mixed, and that all the analyses made were correct. To prove this, there was a considerable diflerence in the tests made by the two chemists selected by Commissioner Henderson. While Prof. White, like every prominent man, has his opponents and his enemies, no one has ever doubted his ability as a chemist or his honor as a gentleman and public officer. His name aftl his character have ever been spotless. Now that the spasm of public indig nation has had time to cool, people are awakening to the fact that a grave in justice has been done a faithful State officer and an honorable gentleman, and at a time, too, when he was absent and had no opportunity to defend himself. Justice and fairness demanded that be fore so grave a charge was made the accused party should have been given time and an opportunity to appear and answer. Even this privilege is accorded by our laws to the vilest criminal. But here we see an honorable and polished gentleman—a man who stands at the head of his profession-and against whom the first thought of suspicion has never passed the mind—not only ar raigned, but comdemned and his office demanded of him, while he is in a dis tant State. An attempt lias been made to deprive Prof. White of that which is of far more value to him than money or anything that money can purchase— his good name and his reputation in the profession that he has chosen. But we liredict that this ambush-attack will BARRICADING THE RIVER. SAVANNAH As we naturally expeeted, both of the Augusta daily papers, backed by Mayor Bob May and Major Garky, are ridi culing and opposing the opening of a way through the dam :,t that city for the free passage of fish. The aguments used are: 1. That there is already one of the best fish ivays invented in the dam. 2. That the passage of fish is not ob structed, for they can easily glide through or over the dam. 3. That the scarcity of shad above Augusta is not due to this obstruction, but to muddying and filling up the streams by freshets; and in proof of this assertion these fish are very scarce in the river below the dam. 4. That a legislative committee has already investigated the dam, and ap proved the fish-way now used. Mayor May, after ridiculing the up I country editors, kindly proposes to I have a boat ready to take a committee j from the legislature up to the Locks. In answer to the first and ‘second as sertions we will state that the fish-way now used in the Augusta dam is utterly worthless for the purpose for which it was constructed. In proof of this, it is only necessary to cite the fact that we have not heard of a single shad being caught above that city since it was put n. Parties who have seen this so- called fish-way tell us that the water rushes through with so great a force that it has actually lifted up great boulders and heaped them in a pile. It prove a boomerang to Prof. White’s ac- j is a matter utterly impossible for any cusers, and that every stab made at him object, animate or inanimate, to pass COL. CRENSHAW’S SPEECH. THE DEMOCRACY IN THE WEST. It seems that Harrison’s administra tion is not-being indorsed by the new states that expect soon to be added to the Union of sisterhood. Montana has been given up by the Re publicans. It is Democratic beyond all question—made so in no small measure by the popular disgust with the Hakri- soN-and-Baby-McKEE administration s*nd the asinine antics of “Prince Rus sell.’ ’ Washington Territory has been Dem ocratic or Dan Voorhees’ son, Char ley Voorhbes, could never have been elected as its Delegate in Congress. The new State of Washington is much more likely to be Democratic and to send two Democrats to the Senate than to be Re publican and send two Senators of that political faith. And now even North Dakota seems to have bucked under the* Administra tion saddle, and has apparently over thrown all Republican schemes and cal culations. In fact the Democracy is on a boom, and while the star of hope shines bright in the West, and the Solid South grows stronger day by day, the work is steadi ly going on in the North, and Demo cratic clubs and organizations are active and alive. Every indication points to a change of the scenes at the next campaign. When the Georgia Midland is com pleted to Athens, and the G., C. & N is finished, and the Blue Bidge and At lantic is extended to Knoxville, and the C. & M. runs through cars fiver the great Piedmont section, Athens will in deed be a railroad center. Ex-Collector Thos. C. Crhnshaw, Jr. on retiring from office and being present ed by his men with a handsome gold watch, made a ringing democratic ad dress that found an answering echo in every true and loyal southern heart, lie went for Buck and his crowd with out gloves, and brought blood at every las', of his eloquent tongue. He spoke the truth, sherwhole truth and nothing but the truth, and every Georgian knows it. We regret to see that several of Col. Crenshaw s old employes—who have been retained in office by the new Col lector—signed a pretest against this fare well address. These gentlemen must certainly have signed that paper under some strong pressure and without con sidering what they were doing. Col Crenshaw was at that time in his own office, and had a perfect right to ex press his sentiments. The Republi cans present could not certainly expect to hear honeyed words from so staunch and loyal a democrat as the ex-Collec tor. Even the signers must admit the truth of all Col. Crenshaw said, and if we mistake not they have loudly ap plauded even stronger and harsher lan guage delivered in the presence of Re publicans when the star of Democracy was in the ascendaney. We are glad to see that while thatold unswerving demo crat of Banks county, I. W. Alexander is retained as Deputy Collector by the new administration, that his name did not appear on the list of dissenters Northeast Georgia is to-day indeed proud of Mr. Alexander. His party will yet reward him. STATE CHEMIST WHITE. The great London strike is still on, and serious fears are being entertained that it will extend to every branch of industry in Great Britain. Mrs; Maybrick has recovered from her extreme nervousness and accepts her situation with as much grace as she can command. The physicians say that she will not live vory long, how ever, if confined in prison. Corporal Tanner, if he continues at his past rate of emptying thejtreasury the claim of the willnot want but a few weeks to bank- for improvements. We 1 rnpt the country. In the absence of this gentleman The Banner desires to say something in his defense. We belieye every word that he has written in his letter to Col Henderson to be* true, and feel assured that no blame can be justly attached to | him in the analysis of the fertilizer in qnestion. Prof. White’s ability as chemist is too well know and recognized to leave any doubt as to his fitness for the place that he occupies, while his name and reputation are all the guar antee needed to convince any reasoning man that he would not make a false or fraudulent analysis of an artiele sent to him, either through yenal motives or in the back will recoil upon them. He stands too high in his profession—his ability is too well known, and he is too firmly entrenched in the confidence and esteem of the people, to have his ability or his integrity questioned by men as ignorant of the principles of chemistry as a Digger Indian, or who are but amateurs compared to this learned scholar. Such treatment to ward Prof. White is a shame, and a just and fair-minded public will so pro nounce it. We believe selfish motives prompted this attack on Prof. White in his ab sence tiiat will yet come to light, and the true inwardness of the outrage—for as an outrage every honest man must pronounce it—will be unearthed. We have always entertained a high regard for Commissioner Henderson, and are surprised at that gentleman lending his name and countenance to such a parody on justice. He is the last man who should have given encourage ment to such a grave wrong, for it cer tainly lays him open to suspicion. It will be remembered that Col. Hender son’s official scalp was threatened, and those who do not know his high charac ter might suspect that he had intention- illy raised this excitement about Prof. White in order to direct the legis lature’s attention from himself, and give the members and the people something else to think and talk about than the contemplated changes in the office of Agricultural Commissioner. Of course we know that Col. Henderson would not resort to such dishonorble means to divert pub lic attention from himself, as to seek to make a scape-goat of Prof. White; but the prominent stand that this gentle man has taken in the matter lays him self open to suspicion from those who do not know him. Again,it looks very much like a deep- laid' and concocted scheme to transplant the office of State Chemist from Athens to Atlanta, and we believe this is one motive at the bottom of the whole mat ter. The conspirators iu this move ment dared not make their fight openly, and hence secured by indirect means their object. Then we believe that there is some aspiring young mixologist in Atlanta who has longing eyes cast upon Prof. White’s chair, and well knowing that he stood no showing tor the office in honorable competition with the present skilled incumbent, attempted to gain his end by trying to first dishonor and then displace this officer. But to cast the mantle of Prof. White around any other chemist in Georgia would al most be a repetition of Tittlebat Tit mouse in the house of the noble An- breys. “Coming events cast their shadows before,” and by patiently waiting and watching we hope to be able to unearth the real motive of this unholy war on a faithful public officer and an honorable gentleman. Prof. White will soon return to Georgia, when we feel no doubt in as serting that he will entirely prove him self in the right. We have the utmost confidence in his skill ancl his integri ty. His friends throughout the State and the entire country are justly indignant at the unholy war made upon this gen tleman in his absence. through this rush of angry waters un less it is propelled by a force even greater than the current. The few fish that have made the attempt were hurled back, and it is not unusual to find them in the traps below the dam dead and often broken to pieces. In answer to the third statement, we will ask the Augusta defenders of their dam, if it does not stop the passage of fish, why is it that some shad are still each season caught below that obstruc tion, while not a single £ a’e is ever seen above it? If that fish-way worked so nicely, it really seems reasonable that there would certainly he a division of fish in the upper and lower waters of the Savannah. Muddy water and freshets have but little to do with the scarcity of shad in this stream. The truth is, these fish have not the latitude that they enjoyed before the Augusta dam was built, and as a natural conse quence the supply has diminished. Of course 3 r ou cannot produce as many fish in a mile of water as in ten miles. ATHENS’ FUTUKE. Taking into consideration the many achievements that Athens has made within the last few months, and with a circumspective glance at the general surroundings of our city to-day, who can doubt but that its future is blit a bright one? Enumerating the achievements of our town since July 1st, we find t:iat the ef fort is a vain one. It is impossible to calculate the progress made during even this short period. To say that we have obtained the G., C. & N. railroad; that we have procured an excellent street railway; that we have virtually ob tained the Blue Ridge and Atlantic Railroad extension, as well as the Geor gia Midland; that we have gotton two land improvement companies, and a company to build a new hotel; that the electric light question has been taken in hand favorably by the city council, and that the city park is in the hands of an energetie committee from?the city coun- j cii-—to say all this only gives a faint idea of the progress \vc have made. But it serves to illustrate the possibili ties of the city,and to indicate us bright and prosperous a future as any South ern city can boast to-day. The best part of it all i> that though all this has' been done in two short months, it cannot compare with future achievements in a proportionate length of time, for like a ball of snow after the nucleus is formed it will' gather more and more as it revolves. It would take Yolumns to express the bright features of Athens 5 promising future. Railroads are coining, and with them machine shops and manu factories, alarge influx of population and capital will follow in the wake, and forth with a new- Athens will spring ness of life botn in the industrial arts and under the refining influence of scientific culture, will march forward to take its stand at the lead of Georgia cities. WANTS TO SEE HER BA BY There is no late news from the G., C. & N. of special interest that we have heard. It is said that there are about one thousand hands at work grading between Chester and Clinton, S. C.,and that the surveyors are locating the route as fast as possible on the other side of the Savannah.—Elberton Ga zette. _ . But even for the sake of argument admitting that the number of shad has lessened from some other cause thau obt :r Acting their rua—does not these dam defenders in Augusta well know, that the govern ment is now artificially propagating shad and all manner of the finny tribe, and that it is both an easy matter and entirely practicable - to plant them at any point in a stream where they can go to and return from salt water? But Uncle Sam eould fill the Savannah river with young shad from its mouth to its ^source, and we venture the as sertion that not one would ever be found north of the Augusta dam and its so-called fish-way. In answer to the statement that a legislative committee has already in spected and approved that fish-way,we have only to say that it was put in as an experiment, and if any committee has endorsed the same since that time, the members must have been bliuded by Augusta’s hospitality, and made their report without properly investigating the business they were appointed to transact. So far as Mayor May’s kind offer to take the next committee up the canal as guests of the city, we think that this is one instance in which hospitality ivill be misplaced and not acceptable. These gentlemen ivill not go as guests of Augusta, to be feasted, fondled and caressed by the Mayor of the city and other gentlemen interested in preserv ing the dam as it is now built; but they will be the representatives of a large section of our State, whose people be lieve a great wrong has been done them. They will desire to pursue their re- seaches and make investigations with out outside interference, or the guid ance of parties who are personally and pecuniarily interested in leaving the dam and fish-way unchanged. We believe that such a committee will be appointed, and that its members will discharge their duty without fear,favor or affection. They will visit Augusta on important publie business, and will neither ask, expect or receive courtesies from parties directly interested in con trolling their report. We will state to Mayor Bob May that no up-country editor either favors or has suggested that the Augusta dam be torn down. There will be no ne cessity for such a step if a proper fish way is placed therein. It may he ex pensive, but since Augusta has seen proper to obstruct the entire course of this great river for her own benefit,that city should eertainly he willing to go to this cost. We ask the Augusta papers, if they see fit to reply to this article, to do as the fairness to republish it entire, that their readers may see the other side of he question. Mrs. Hamilton Appeal? in Vain—Her Victim Nearly Well. Special to the Banner. Atlantic Cit,y. N. J., September 1. —The day passed quietly at Noll Cot tage. Outside, however, tbous nils of curious people passed aud passed, look ing for the scene of the HamBton-Don- nell fracas, but as the signboards had been removed’ their curiosity was un rewarded. About ten o’clock this morn ing, a telegram was received from Mrs. Hamilton at May’s Landing jail, ex pressing an urgent desire, to sec baby Hamilton. Even had it been possible to grant this request, there were no trains to that point to [carry the child to its mother. Mr. Hamilton had net returned to Atlantic City lait evening~as had been reported. Coun sellor Perry left here on a late train for the purpose it is said, of consulting with New York attorneys engaged by Mr. Hamilton. He will not return before Tuesday. If bail for Mrs. Hamilton is accepted, she will probably not be re leased before Wednesday. Dr. Crosby stated this evening that Mrs. Donnelly continues to improve. The stitches we.e removed from the wound to-day aud it is heal ing rapidly. If it is neces sary to give a second certificate as to the woman’s condition, the doetor as serts that he can in less than forty- eight hours pronounce his patient ab solutely out of danger. Making a Mockery of Marriage. Special to the Banner. Findlay, O., Sept. 3.—It was dis covered yesterday that Louisa Lenby, 16 years old, had been made the victim of a mock marriage about ten weeks ago. Bert Early, a roaming mill employe, was joined in an alleged marriage with this girl by a man who signed his name as “Justice of the Peace Lindsay.” A certificate of marriage was written out and signed by the pretended Justice and giveri to the girl, who thought every thing was in proper form. A few , days ago Early deserted the woman and left the city. When she learned that she had been deserted Louisa and her friend started an inves tigation, whieh disclosed the fact that the marriage was a fraud and void. The records of the Probate J udge’s office showed that no marriage license had been issued to the parties sametd, nor is there in this county a Justice of the Peach named Lindsay. The man who signed the pretended marriage certi ficate as“Lindsay, J ustice of the Peace,’ 5 has not been located as yet, and his identity is unknown. The girl is well spoken of as an industrious, modest person, who would not be guilty of wrong, and is prostrated over the un- liappy disclosures. A Jack-the-Ripper Scare. Special to The Banner London, September 3.—An old man stabbed two prostitutes in the central part of the city to-day, for declining to accompany him. A “Jack-the-Ripper” scare prevails. Counterfeiting Labels. Special to the Bittner. St. Louis, Sept. 3.—Circuit Judge Thayer rendered a decision yesterday that the counterfeiting of the union label on cigars cannot he prevented or punished.