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Jackson Progress - Argus
PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY
J. DOYLE JONES
Editor and Publisher *
Entered as second-class matter at
v..- # Hce at Jackson, Ga.
TELEPHONE NO. 166
OFFICIAL ORGAN BUTTS COUN
TY AND CITY OF JACKSON
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IN ADVANCE
NOTICE
Cards of thanks will be charged
■ t the rate of fifty cents, minimum
for 50 words and less; above 50
words will be charged at the rata of
cent a word. Cash must accompa
ny -opy in all instance*.
Three dollar automobile tags will
prove expensive for Georgia in the
long run.
The anti-hoarding craze seems to
have passed out. The average fellow
spends a dollar too quickly to think
of hoarding it.
Corn meal, flour, meat, lard and
other basic necessities are getting in
high society. The price has advanced
rapidly in recent weeks.
Cheap politics is still the curse of
Georgia and the nation. The man
who can promise the most and do
the least usually gets the plum.
Leave the revenue part out of
consideration, the fact still remains
that Georgia must legalize the sale
of beer or have open rebellion and
anarchy.
The state treasury, it is stated, had
only $13,000 on hand at u recent
dute. That is a small amount of mon
ey for a great state to possess, in
view of all the taxes paid.
Very few, if any, real honest-to
geodness dirt farmers are picked
lor any of the big farm jobs. We
imagine some of the farmers could
do about as well as those chosen.
Some of the charity organizations
are missing a great opportunity in
not taking up a collection for Bro
ther J. Fierpont Morgan. The poor
fellow seems to need a lift.
South. Georgia is reporting cotton
blooms. The recent hail storm dam
aged cotton severely in this section
and farthei up in the state cotton is
more backward than before in years.
It is not a question of Talipadge
whipping the highway department or
the highway department whipping
people getting what they are paying
for —good roads.
Butts county should organize its
industries by groups. This will ba
* tremendous help in solving mar
keting problems. Why not a Poultry
Association, a Dairy Association and
so on down the line?
Georgia has a potential wealth in
it. forests as great as the value of
the land itself. Fire must be kepi
out of the forests and in a few
years landowners will have a depend
able cash income from their timber.
The federal nuisance taxes are to
b, continued, letter postage costing
three cents and two cents being re
tained, for bank checks and one cent
cn gasoline. In spite of all these tax
es the government is still spending
more than its income.
If there is any association, organi
zation, group, club, clan or body that
is not holding a convention these
days it would be interesting to hear
about it. It is the great convention
season and the coming together of
these various groups tends to build
goodwill and friendship. Considera
ble money is spent in entertaining
the various conventions and this
makes for better business.
Let a one-gallus fellow, without
wealth or friends, steal a chicken or
ham and he gets socked plenty. Yet
it is all right for the Morgans and
that ilk to beat the government out
of millions in income taxes. Who was
it that said consistency is a jewel?
The Georgia peach crop is moving
to market and it remains to be seen
what the financial returns will be.
If conditions were normal the crop
should sell for fair prices, but with
millions of unemployed the peach
growers face the season with fear
ar.d trembling.
Automobile owners of Georgia can
show the highway department and
governor who is the real boss. By de
claring a strike and refusing to pay
the gasoline tax the whole works
would be tied up in short order. The
people have the power. Will they use
it?
Livestock" owners of Georgia re
ceived a severe wallop when the ap
propriation for the veterinary de
partment was wiped out by the gov
ernor. In case of epidemics among
livestock, farmers will have to have
the animals treated at their own ex
pense.
The automobile owners of Geor
gia pay hard-earned money for gaso
line tax and license plates for the
purpose of building roads. They do
it cheerfully and gladly. When they
stop building roads and maintaining
them it is time for the people to stop
paying. They are paying for some
thing they are not getting. How
long will this continue?
It was a rash and foolish thing
for Commissioner of Agriculture
Adams to predict 15-cent cotton by
fall. Such talk as this leads to a
larger acreage and builds false hopes
in the minds of the people. Cotton
may be 15 cents this fall but there
is little now to base this hope on, in
view of unsettled world conditions
ar.d the large carryover.
The Georgia Milk Producers’ Con
federation has already done much to
improve the condition of the dairy
farmer. Better prices are assured for
dairy products and an understanding
is being worked out between the pro
ducers and distributors. The dairy
ard livestock industry of Georgia
can easily be made one of the state’s
largest sources of income.
Consumers are getting socked
right and left in the advance in pri
ces. Producers, in most instances,
will not have much to sell before
another harvest and the advance in
commodity prices is not helping
them greatly. In many instances a
real hardship is being forced on con
sumers, but in time higher prices will
help all the people. Necessary ad
justments will have to be made, but
ii the meantime those who control
pi ices are reaping a rich harvest.
If the convicts used in building
roads in the various counties are
turned back to the prison commis
sion by the state highway department
it will bring about an interesting if
not acute situation. Counties have
been able to use convicts in building
toads and pay operating expenses in
that way. With highway funds tied
up, the counties will be denied this
source of income and taxes are slow
in coming in. Just how many coun
ties are able to finance public works
remains to be seen.
WE HOPE IT WORKS
The plan to have the cotton crop
in the South reduced by thirty per
cent this year in an effort to stim
ulate the price will be fine if it
works. There is too much cotton on
hand from other years. All are agreed
on that. While no figures have been
released on this year’s acreage, it is
certain that the acreage is a large
one.
The government would have far
mers plow up cotton already plant
ed, paying them for the use of the
land, time, labor, seed and fertilizer.
Final details are to be worked out
and announced.
The time element is an important
one, and it is feared the government
THE JACKSON PROGRESS ARGUS, JACKSON, GEORGIA
has waited too late to begin the re
duction campaign. Cotton will soon
be on the market in south Texas and
the plant is blooming in South Geor
gia. If the machinery could have
been set up weeks ago, before far
mers planted or “pitched” crops, it
would have been better for all con
cerned.
But even now farmers must co
operate with those who are trying
to help them. There is a large carry
over of cotton from previous years,
world conditions are unsettled, "t
large crop has been planted and
% ft
there is no assurance on earth that
cotton will sell for 10 cents this fall.
Only the politicians are rash enough
to predict that. Based on any rea
senabe calculation, with all the in
formation now in hand, cotton is
likely to be cheap this fall.
Anything that helps cotton will
the South and the nation at large.
The plan is worth trying and we be
lieve cotton growers will give it hear
ty support.
TIME TO SQUAWK
“Taxation,” a French cynic once
observed, “is the art of plucking the
goose to get the most feathers with
the least squawking.” To the farmer
who has seen his acres go under the
hammer, to the apartment-house
owner who has turned his property
over to the bondholder, that defini
tion is more painful than whimsical.
These men from their own experi
ences know that the power to tax
carries the power to destroy.
Taxes, we are told, are the price
we pay for government. There is no
quarrel about that. But surely, when
the costs of government mount to
such heights as to confiscate prop
erty and the very patience of men
is taxed, it is time for those who foot
the governmentment’s bills to give
a thought to the plucking process.
And it becomes exceedingly apropos
to inquire into what uses are made
of so many feathers.
Questions like these are not to be
deferred. We can decide when we
want to how far Jupiter is from the
moon; but let’s give these matters
attention now. They confront us ev
ery time we send son or daughter to
school or buy gasoline or post *
letter. Let the cynic’s definition
stand. We—you and I—are the
goose he was talking about. The
feathers come from our backs. And
what are we going to do about it?
We can, of course, leave the
whole thing to George. We have done
if. we can do it again. But if we
do, let’s not snap at George’s heels.
If we let him call the game, common
sportsmanship demands that we abide
by his methods and decisions.
The other alternative, is to find
out things fbr ourselves, to study
taxing methods, to learn whether we
art getting a dollar’s worth of gov
ernment for the dollar we spend for
it. Many Rotary clubs have spon
sored enlightening forums and dis
cussions; more are going to do it.
Agreed, not every man can be
a member of a school board or legis
lature, but it stands to reason that
those who are will be far more likely
to be wise and courageous leaders if
they know that behind them stand
well-informed and very much in
earnest followers.—From an edito
rial in the Rotarian Magazine.
SOME REASONS WHY FARMERS
HAVE TO BORROW
We have no statistics on the Jack
son county farmers who made appli
cation for government loans, .but we
presume their condition is on an av
erage of other sections. In Morgan
county, Jackson’s near neighbor,
seven hundred and eighteen persons
made applications for can.
Fifty-eight of these applicants
have no cows to furnish milk and
butter for family needs. Fifty-two
have no hogs to furnish meat for
the farm. Thirty-three have no poul
tty to furnish eggs. Two hundred
and ninety-two have only one cow.
One hundred and ninety-seven have
only one hog to furnish meat, and
sixty-two have less than ten chickens
on the farm. Of the seven hundred
ar.d eighteen applicants that applied
fer government seed loan, only one
hundred and thirty-seven have
enough feed, meat and poultry to
carry on the farm. Four hundred and
fifty-one have asked for help in pur
chasing feed for their live stock.
These four hundred and fifty-one ap
plicants have asked the government
to assist them in the sum of $7,-
269.75. And yet Morgan county is
classed as one of the counties of
North Georgia that has suitable land
tj grow corn to supply the entire
county.—Jackson Herald.
TIME FOR A GAS TAX PAYERS
STRIKE
The warfare between the Gover
nor of Georgia and the State High
way Department, which has been in
progress for two months, is com
manding the attention of the entire
state.
Something must be done about it.
The state highway department can
not possibly continue to operate
without funds, which the board re
fuses to draw unless the governor
recedes from his position of assum
ing power to discharge its employees.
The governor stands pat in his posi
tion, believing that eventually the
beard will submit to his dictatorial
demands.
Neither the governor nor the
board is honest with the people of
Georgia whose money they are
spending, and whose road program
they endanger with their wrangle.
The governor has never told the
truth as to the real reasons for his
position—and on the other hand, the
board has made no defense to re
peated charges of incompetency on
the part of its engineering staff.
It is entirely possible that the
matter will go on until there is a
total cessation of highway work —
but the taxes are still collected —
and will continue to be collected. As
usual in political fights, the people,
particularly the taxpayers, are the
goats!
Unless these hard-headed contes
tants put aside their quarrel, and
assume their proper functions as
servants of the people, instead of
acting like dictators, it will be neces
sary for the gasoline taxpayers to
turn upon them and destroy them
both by refusing to pay the heavy
sales tax imposed. We believe that
the courts would sustain the people
in this respect; that they have rights
which must be respected. All we
need i ssome concerted action on the
prrt of the taxpayers, and the high
way wrangle will dissolve.
If there is to be a continued fight,
let’s all get in it.—Newnan Herald.
JUST AN EDITOR
Most anyone can be an editor. All
an editor lias to do is to sit at a
desk six days out of the week, four
weeks of the month, and twelve
months of the year and “edit” such
stuff as this:
“Mrs. Jones, of Cactus Creek let
a can opener slip last week and cut
herself in the pantry.”
“A mischievous lad, of Piketown,
threw a stone and struck Mr. Pike
in the alley last Tuesday.”
“Joe Doe climbed on the roof of
his house last week looking for a
leak and fell, striking himself on the
back porch.”
“While Harold Green was escort
ing Miss Violet Wise from the church
social last Saturday night a savage*
dog attacked them and bit Mr. Green
several times on the public square.”
“Isaiah Trimmer, of Running
Creek, was playing with a cat Friday
when it scratched him on the veran
da.”
Mr. Ford while harnessing a bron
cho last Saturday was kicked just
south of the corn crib.” —Exchange.
WHAT THE WORLD IS LOOKING
FOR
The world today is looking for
men who are not for salesmen who
are honest, sound from center to
circumference, true to the heart’s
core; men with conscience as steady
as the needle to the pole; men who
will stand for the right if the hea
vens totter and the earth reels; men
who can tell the truth and look the
world right in the eye; men who
neither brag nor run; men who nei
ther flag nor flinch; men who can
have courage without shouting to it;
men in whom the courage of ever
lasting life runs still, deep and
strong; men who knows their mes
sage and tell it; men who know their
place and fill it; men who know their
business and-attend to it; men who
will not lie, shirk or dodge; men who
arc not too lazy to work, nor too
proud to be poor; men who are will
ing to eat what they have earned and
not ashamed to say “no” with em
phasis and wear what they have paid
for; men who are not ashamed to
say, “I can’t afford it,”— Exchange.
CHEAP AUTO TAGS
Ten per cent of the state tags are
bought by rural inhabitants. Ninety
per cent are purchased by city resi
dents.
It is estimated that the Georgia
Power Company, the Coca-Cola Cos.,
ar.d the bus owners have saved over
a million dollars in the purchase of
tags.
The laugh is on the rural residents.
The little fellow saves, $7.00 or
SIO.OO. The “big boys” save mil
lions.
Barnum says the average Ameri
can likes to be fooled. Barnum knew
his Georgians!—Greensboro Herald-
Journal.
WITH THE EXCHANGES
Post-Samson Era
More backbone and less jawbone
is needed now.—Greensboro Herald-
Journal.
Slow to Learn
Some folks never learn. Georgia
bankers, in session at Macon last
week, went on record as opposed to
guaranteed bank deposits. And after
all the bank trouble Georgia has had
for many years. The bankers may
be right, but we believe guananteed
bank deposits will be necessary to
restore full confidence in banks. Peo
ple will not forget soon the losses
they have sustained from bank fail
ures in recent years. The bankers
may not want guaranteed deposit’s,
but we believe the public does.—
Tifton Gazette.
Middle Georgia Recognized
Indian Springs has been named as
one of the forestation camps. We
are glad to see one of them in Mid
dle Georgia, as North Georgia gor
the balance of them.—Madisonian.
Never Satisfied
A few short years ago millions of
lives and billions in treasures were
sacrificed to “make the world safe
for democracy.” Now nearly every
nation is under the thumb of a dic
tator. We never know what we want
long at the time—or is best for us.
—Dawson News.
REMINISCENSES OF A
GREAT GEORGIAN
Robert Toombs, that “fire-eating”
Georgian, as he was referred to by
his eastern and northern detractors,
was as fearless as he was brainy—
he never failed to say what was on
his mind to an individual, as well
as to any assemblage in which he
tc-ok part. His language was often
inelegan-t as emphatic, but it never
failed to be understood, and per
haps no public man of his day was
less often, if ever, misquoted, be
cause of his directness. General
Toombs wanted it distinctly under
stood that his home was in Washing
ton, Wilkes county, Georgia, and
emphasized Wilkes county in order
that no stranger might think his
home was in Washington, D. C., as
his home town was by many years
older. There are many stories of
Toombs handed down to us that make
piquant and “breezy” reading and
worth repeating, most of which defy
the rules of conventionality, bui
come within the province of print
ers’ dashes. He hated sham and ve
neer of every sort —had no tolerance
for hyperbole nor toadyism—de
spised fulsome flattery and made
abortive all attempts at patronage.
These stories have been current and
quoted for decades, and but only
one of which has ever been authen
tically denied. Most, if not all of
them, have been in the public prints.
FRIDAY, JUNE 9, 1933
For instance —he was leaving At
lanta for home by train. Nearing the
suburbs the patronizing conductor
called hi sattention to the framework
going up of a large guano factory
by remarking: “Capital is flowing
into our great industries.” “Capital
hell!” said the doughty old Georgian.
“All the capital that thing needs is
a polecat and a sandbank.”
Toombs county was named in his
honor. Once while sitting in the lob
by of the Kimball and reading an
account of the great Chicago fire
(1872) then raging in its third day,
a reporter interrupted him by ask
ing: “General, what’s the news?”
“Why, Chicago is still burning and
the wind is in our favor.”
A general “amnesty act” had been
passed by congress, which pardoned
Jefferson Davis, Toombs and others
who had not sworn allegiance to the
union. Shortly after its passage
Toombs was in Chicago and was
approached by an Inter-Ocean rc
i porter, who asked him if he “was
glad that the government had par
doned him.” All the gorge of the
\aliant old “rebel” arose and he
vehemently exclaimed: “Pardon hell!
p ’m, I haven’t pardoned them
yet!” Many years ago the general
assembly of Georgia, as it always
has been and probably will always be,
was in the throes of debt and ex
travagant appropriations, was loudly
shouting “retrenchment and reform,”
but doing nothing, as usual, toward
either. General Toombs went up to
Atlanta, and in a fiery talk told it
“the way to retrench ar.d reform
was to turn out the gas and go home
and if you -will do that I’ll pay all ex
penses to date.” It adjourned forth
with and he paid as he promised, andi
it is said it cost him quite a number
of nimble pennies. He was credited
with having said, before the war be
tween the states, that he expected to
count his slaves at the foot of
Eunicer Hill,” but he never made
such a remark. He did say that “we
can whip the and yankees with
broomsticks.” Years after the war
he was twitted about the remark,
and replied: “Well, and ’m, they
wouldn’t fight with broomsticks.”
Toombs was never immoral, but
humanly profane. Once in Boston
he was asked “if it was true that he
hitched negroes to a plow?” He
succinctly replied: “W'hen a mule is 1
worth S2OO, a nigger worth SIOOO,
d<. you think I’m d— fool enough
to substitute costly niggers for cheap
mules?” When his daughter married
against his wish she was disinherited
by him, but in fairness he showed
her just what she would lose —about
SIOO,OOO. She married nevertheless,
and he thus changed his will as he
said he would. But when the grand
baby arrived, Grandmother Toombs
returned home with it in her arms
one day. That proved too much for
the proud, self-willed old man ,and
he completely capitulated in the true
ch;valric manner he’d always borne.
He jointed the church a few years
before his death and led as consist
ently a Methodist life as he had con
sistently been wicked in his pro
fanity. Toombs was a candidate for
the presidency of the confederacy,
but for a few months was Jefferson
Davis’ chief advisor. He resigned and
became a brigadier-general in the
field. Alex Stephens thought Toombs
well-fitted for secretary of war, and
when that suggestion was made to
him, he wrote: “I would not be Mr.
Davis’ chief clerk. His secretary of
war can never be anything else.”—
frank Reynolds in Dalton Citizen.
Ice floats in water but sinks in
alcohol.
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