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BUTTS COUNTY PROGRESS VOLUME 32. LARGE MASS MEETING HELD TUESDAY TO FACE CONDITIONS SEVERAL SPIRITED SPEECHES MADE! Better Understanding of The Situation ENTHUSIASM WAS KEEN Banks Promise to Renew Notes For Farmers at 8 Per Cent Per Annum- Record Crowd Present In what was probably the lar gest mass meeting in the history of the county, the superior court room of the county court house being packed to the doors, the citizens of Butts county met here Tuesday afternoon and went ex haustively into the cotton situa tion and present day conditions. Several stirring talks were made and a variety of suggestions looking to relief were proposed. That a better understanding re sulted from the meeting and the interchange of ideas is the gen erally expressed opinion. Two things were done: 1. The meeting went on rec ord as opposing the sale of cotton at prevailing prices and a reso lution tendering warehouse re ceipts to creditors at 10 cents per pound, basis middling, was pass ed. It was offered by Dr. R. W. Mays. 2. A resolution aimed at cot ton reduction and crop diversifi cation and a better renting sys tem in 1915 was adopted. This plan was offered by Sheriff L. M. Crawford 'and amended by Mr. S. K. Smith. A resolution introduced by Mr. S. J. Smith, providing that far mers tender their cotton to cred itors at 10 cents per pound, in full settlement of indebtedness, and that in case creditors refuse to accept cotton on such terms farmers agree to sign a pledge not to sell until the merchants and bankers do give 10 cents, was defeated through adoption of Dr. Mays' substitute resolution. Mr. L. L. Tison proposed a res olution asking Governor Slaton to call the legislature together to pass needed legislation. This was -also defeated by adoption of Mays substitute. Talks that bristled with feeling and interest were made by Dr. R. W. Mays, Messrs. S. J. Smith, J. W. Benson, L. M. Crawford, L. L. Tison, S. K. Smith, F. S. Etheridge and others. Mr. Etheridge counseled pa tience, moderation and co-opera tion. It is a trying situation that calls for a united pull together, he said. He stated that the banks would renew notes for four months and at the expiration of that time for another four months at the rate of 8 per cent a year. Mr J H. Patrick was chair man and Mr. L. L. Tison secre tary of the meeting. ALL-COTTON IDEA WAS CONDEMNED Pay Kents in Grain Crops Is Stressed NEW METHODS WANTED Land Owners Are Asked to Accept Other Crops Besides Cotton For Rent During The Year 1915 A resolution that provides for breaking away from the all-cot ton plan was offered by Sheriff L. M. Crawford and adopted at the mass meeting Tuesday after noon. It follows: We, the farmers of Butts coun ty, do solemnly agree and hereby attach our signatures to the fol lowing resolution for 1915 crop: 1. That to every one-horse farm will plant 2 acres in wheat. 5 acres in oats, 8 in corn, one-half acre in sweet potatoes, one-half acres in sorghum or ribbon cane and follow our stubble in peas, corn or other foodstuffs and re maining portion of land in cotton if so desired. 2. That with each plow we will raise one hog to killing time in fall of year. 3. Any number of plows on farm shall plant the above stated acres in proportion as above. 4. That each land owner shall leave it optional with his renter as to whether he will work the land for standing rent or part of crop. An amendment to the above resolution was offered by Mr. S. K. Smith and passed. It is: Resolved, That all land owners contract with their renters to give the renter the option of pay ing one-half of his 1915 rent in corn or other grain crops at mar ket price at time rent is due. REOUGED ACREAGE URGED AT FARMERS MASS MEETING The following resolution, offer ed by Mr. S. J. Smith, was adop ted at the meeting of farmers in the court house Saturday. Whereas, there has been a lot said in congress and out of con gress about helping the farmer to carry hi3 cotton through this crisis; but we find that the most of it has been wind and wind jamming, and we believe the whole thing will end in wind. Therefore, Be it resolved by the farmers of Butts county, that we feel grateful to those who have met us with a spirit of lib erality by giving us 10 cents for our cotton on notes and accounts and without committing anybody to plant any number of acres in cotton next year, we do urge ev ery farmer to plant enough food crops of all kinds to do him with out having any to buy. JACKSON, GEORGIA, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9, 1914. UNKNOWN NEGRO SLAIN AT CORK Shot When Advancing on White Boys KILLING LAST SATURDAY Coroner’s Jury Finds That It Was Case of Justifia ble Homicide—Andrew Blessett Did Shooting An unknown negro man, said by marks found on his person to have been a former convict, was shot and killed near Cork, last Saturday afternoon, by An drew Blessett, a young white man of that community. With Blessett at the time was Albert Towles, son of Hon. C. A. Towles, representative-elect from Butts county. From the evidence brought out at the preliminary hearing, which found that it was a case of justifiable homicide and the defendant was discharged, it seems that the boys were going along the woods and met up with the negro and, in some way, a row was started. It is claimed that the negro was advancing on the white boys with a drawn knife when Blessett opened fire with a rifle, inflicting a mortal wound the first shot. Blesset, who did the shooting, is a young man some twenty-odd years old. Despite the fact that Blessett was held blameless, the affair is generally regretted. WHISKERS ARE NOT AS COMMON AS FORMERLY Atlanta, Ga., Oct. 8-What has become of the whiskers of a gen eration ago? A glance at the pic tures of famous generals in the European war and of the mon archs engaged shows hardly a set of whiskers worth the mention, though Franz Joseph does sport a pair of mudguards and the kai ser’s upturned mustache bristles as fiercely as ever. But it is ev ident that this is a beardless age. Pictures of the Civil war period show whiskers galore. There was not a general without his chest warmers, not a private without at least a goatee. A doctor of twenty years ago who did not wear foliage down below his vest buttons wouldn’t have inspired confidence enough to catch a sick cat for a patient, but there is hardly a physician of today who has not discarded the unsanitary dust catchers in favor of a clean shave. A careful census on the streets of Atlanta indicates that some men run to brains and some to moustaches, and the combination is exceedingly rare. The mostor nate specimens of the moustache are found among the fellows who are looking for a job. Mrs. J. W. Bell Dead The funeral of Mrs. J. W. Bell, whose home was at Pepperton and who died while visiting her daughter, was held at Juliette at 10 o’clock Saturday morning. BUTTS WINS LAND TITLES BY SUPREME COURT DECISION MET SATURDAY TO TALK COTTON Farmers Want Acreage Reduced SEVERAL MADE SPEECHES Another Meeting Provided For And Adjournment Taken to Tuesday—Res olutions Were Adopted Showing their interest in the situation, a large body of farmers responed to the call for a mass meeting and assembled in the court house Saturday morning to talk over the cotton outlook. It was the sense of the meeting that next year’s cotton acreage must be cut to the bone and resolutions to that effect were adopted with out a dissenting vote. No plan for bettering the im mediate situation was agreed on, though the discussions brought to light a variety of ideas and suggestions. About the most plausible working plan advanced was that offered by Mr. C. S. Maddox, who said that “weought to get something started and keep things from stagnating. Talks were made by Messrs. S. J. Smith. C. S. Maddox, J. W. Benson, L. L. Tison, L. M. Craw ford, and others. Another meeting was called for Tuesday, the 6, at 2 o’clock and the officers of the chamber of commerce and the merchants were invited to attend the next meeting. The following commit tee was appointed t o get out a large crowd Tuesday: L. M. Crawford, Will Woodward, Hen ry Singley, Henry Letson, Gus Maddox, George Brooks, J. A. Lane, C. A. Pittman, J. D. Jones, Luther Carter, L. L. Tison, J. H, Pope, John Lummus, J. W. Ben son, C. T. Thornton, W. R. Min ter, Ben Maddox, W. M. Bledsoe. Mr. J. 0. Gaston was elected chairman of the meeting and Mr. L. L. Tison secretary. MR. SMITH WANTS MORE COTTON BUYERS IN JACKSON Mr. S. J. Smith introduced the following resolution, which was adopted, at the mass meeting on Tuesday afternoon: It has been known for several years that the cotton market of Jackson and vicinity has been monopolized and controlled by one firm, and that we demand that other cotton buyers be al lowed to come into this territory and buv cotton. JASPER LOSES HER CONTENTION Litigation Important to Both Counties CASE WAS HARD FOUGHT Decision of High Court Made Public This Week —Adt of 1829 Still in Force Says Court Ruling Atlanta. Ga., Oct. s—Butts county has established its title to land on which the plant o£ the Central Georgia Power Company dam and construction stands through a decision of the supreme court handed down today. Jasper county became dissatis fied with the amount of taxes re ceived from this property, and ,entered into dispute with Butts county concerning the matter. The matter got into the courts, the litigation involving the taxa tion of real estate of the power plant, which is located on real estate lying between the counties and in both counties. The lower court ruled in favor of Butts, the judgment being ba sed (1) on the act of 1829, defin ing the line between the counties was in force yet; (2) that the civ il code of 1910, section 1069, is applicable to the returns of an electric light and power company, and (3) that the county of Jasper was not in laches in raising the question. The supreme court held that the act of Dec. 22, 1829, which declared “that from and after the passage of this act, jurisdic tion of Butts county be and the same is hereby extended over the Ocmulgee river and islands on said river and adjoining said eountv of Butts,” properly con strued, places the whole of the river and islands therein, adjoin ing the county of Butts as its boundary line exists at the time of the passage of the act, within that county. The amended code of 1863, which fixed the center of streams as the boundary line between counties, does not have the effect of repealing special acts or local legislation, such as that applying now to Butts. It is also held that section 1069 of the code of 1910 is inapplica ble to electric light and power companies, required under sec tions of the civil code to make their returns of property for tax ation to the comptroller general. —Macon Telegraph. NUMBER 41.