Newspaper Page Text
Jackson Progress - Argus
PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY
J. DOYLE JONES
Editor and Publisher
Entered as second-class matter at
the Post Office at Jackson, Ga.
TELEPHONE NO. 166
OFFICIAL ORGAN BUTTS COUN
TY AND CITY OF JACKSON
SUBSCRIPTION RATES
IN ADVANCE
One year $1.50
Six Months
Single Copies
A considerable portion of Geor
gia’s wealth appears to be on the
highways and around parking centers.
South Georgia reports cotton chop
ping in order, while Dahlonega re
ports a snow' storm. Verily the
weather is freakish.
This section had frost and ice the
post week. Farm work is consider
ably behind schedule and but little
gardening has been done.
See Georgia first. Spend your
vacation in Georgia. No state has
more attractive health and recreation
centers or greater scenic beauty.
Governor Talmadge is now the sole
owner of The Statesman. Political
oigans as a rule do not-live long or
prosper but this may be an excep
tion.
This is political year in Georgia
and it is a good plan for the editors
of weekly papers to refuse to print
political propaganda at regu
lar rates.
Under the Bankhead 'bill Georgia
is limited 1 to less than a million bales
of cotton this year. The boll weevil
and othei things may enter into
final production.
The government is doing a rich
uncle’s part to help farmers finance
their 1934 operations. This will
be the last year of the seed loans, ac
cording to announcement.
This section needs a paved high
way fron the Alabama line to Aug
usta. In route 16 the state has a
highway that serves a large territory
and it should be paved at once.
Congressmen who have been ac
customed to voting billions may have
a hard time explaining when they
take the hustings and explain to
their constituents how they favor
economy.
The First congressional district has
a hot congressional race in the offing.
Likewise '.he Eighth district, where
some or seven candidates are threat
ening to break loose and save the
country.
The peach crop is reported better
than the average for the season.
1 here's many a slip before peaches
are marketed and growers will be
uneasy until they know what the
ciop brings.
Tho Lord helps those that help
themselves, 'out the fellow who is de
pending" on Uncle Sam to feed and
clothe him may wake up with a
headache. Government aid seems to
be passing out.
Early closing is now the order of
the day in many towns. Jackson
business houses observe the early
closing hours the year round and find
the plan works to the satisfaction
of all concerned.
If the members of the various
county executive committees were to
strike and refuse to hold the pri
mary, with the funds in sight, it
would bring on an embarrassing situ
ation for the candidates.
Hon. C. D. Redwine will be elected
senator from the Twenty-Sixth dis
trict and will 'oe a candidate for
president of the state senate. He
is a veteran legislator and will fill
.the office of president of the senate
with credit and signal ability.
A better man than O. W. Passa
vant could not have been selected to
administer the graphic arts code in
Georgia. He is one of the leading
editors in the state and will admin
ister the code fairly and impartially.
If any group in the state should
apply theacid test to candidates for
office it is the teachers. They have
been tricked for years, with the con
sequence salaries remain unpaid.
They have an effective weapon in
the ballot box.
A good many responsible people
tell the writer they have tried to
hire former CWA workers but that
these workers are unwilling to labor
for the pay offered. If workers are
offered employment and refuse to
take it, then why not enforce the
vagrancy law’?
Citizens of Heard county will
honor Edtor P. T. McCutchen of the
franklin News and Banner, with a
barbecue. It is an honor worthily
bestowed. Mr. McCutchen is one of
the powers of the weekly press in
Georgia. He has rounded out fifty
years of service to his community
and state.
This entire section should support
the movement for more passenger
trains and better mail facilities be
tween Macjn and Atlanta. A hear
ing is to be held before the public
service commission April 20 and a
large delegation from Butts and ad
joining counties should be heard at
that time.
The Progress-Argus feels that it
has done its duty in warning voters
to register and qualify for the state
primary. If any voter fails to quali
fy hi has only himself to blame. The
matter of voting is such an import
ant one that this newspaper has re
peatedly urged that all voters reg
ister and qualify for the elections
ahead.
Farmers are beginning the year
with more of faith and courage than
before in several seasons. Cotton is
bringing better prices and under the
Bankhead bill good prices should
prevail this fall. Some other farm
commodities are up in price but
there is a long way to go yet before
purchasing power on the farm is re
stored.
ON THE BANDWAGON
Eugene Talmadge was elected gov
ernor of Georgia with scanty news
paper support. He had the support
of one large daily newspaper and a
few weekly papers, but in the main
he was elected in spite of the absence
of newspaper support. He carried
the fight to the peopla.
Now the scene changes. News
papers are getting on the Talmadge
'oand wagon. This is but natural, as
many are always anxious to pick a
winner and it is good' business to sup
port the administration.
Governor Talmadge has said in
many of his speeches that when the
big newspapers and city fellows be
gan to blew his horn that it was a
sure sign he had “sold out.” He
was the candidate of the hill billies,
a "wild man” who appealed to the
wool hat boys. When election day
came they did a good job of voting.
It. is hoped the governor will not
be embarrassed by the support of the
large daily newspapers. We hope
he can explain to the voters of Hick
\ ille, Turkeytown and Podunk that
he has not “sold out.”
Newspaper support is not always
necessary to a winning race. It was
not with Mr. Talmadge two years
ago; Tom Hardwick beat the day
light out of the opposition without
newspaper support.
Even at that if we were a candi
date we would rather have the press
with us.
WHY TAX ONE GROUP ONLY?
There is a well concerted move
ment now on foot to have the legis
lature divert gasoline tax money to
pay the teachers of Georgia. This
was an issue in a recent state cam
- paign and should be made an issue
again this year. Every voter in
THE JACKSON PROGRESS ARGUS, JACKSON, GEORGIA
Georgia ought to express himself on
this matter.
Without exception everybody
wants to see the teachers paid and
paid promptly. But it is manifestly
unfair to call on automobile owners
of Georgia to foot this bill. Motor
vehicle owners are now paying a tax
of thirty-three and a third per cent
on all gasoline consumed. They are
doing this, knowing the tax is too
high, because the money has been
promised for paving and construc
tion of highways. Until the auto
mobile came Georgia had no system
of highways worth mentioning. The
automobile is the daddy of the
good roads movement.
But there is such a thing as carry
ing this automobile sales tax too
far. After awhile automobile own
ers will rebel. There is a point be
yond which they will refuse to go—
even for good roads.
If Georgia is collecting more
money than is needed for the high
way construction w'hy not reduce the
tax? The highway department re
ceives more money than any other
state department. Because it hap
pens. to have a surplus it is proposed
to take this money and pay the
teachers.
The Georgia Education Association
should concern itself in a serious way
in devising new tax laws that will
be fair to all interests. Robbing
Peter to pay Paul is not a lasting
solution.
THE TEACHERS WANT MONEY
A resolution was adopted at the
meeting of the Georgia Education
Association in Atlanta last w'eek re
questing Governor Talmadge to bor
row money to pay teachers’ selaries.
It has been customary for several
years for governors to borrow in the
early spring to pay teachers. The
governor can 'borrow cheaper than
the county boards of education.
Georgia ought to pay the teachers
promptly. Asa matter of fact, the
■
present situation is a disgrace to the
state. But this writer sees no per
manent cure for the financial affairs
of Georgia schools. Certainly bor
rowing is not the remedy. No man
ever borrowed himself out of debt.
It is only a shifting of the burden.
As we see it, a long range program
must be worked’ out and new tax laws
will be necessary. When the public
school system of Geeorgia was estab
lished no provision was mare to pay
teachers. Taxies levied in the fall
are to pay the past year’s expenses
and this state of affairs has been
going on for years and years. The
result is that the state is a year be
hind with its schools. It started
a year behind and has maintained
that pace.
Diversion of highway funds will re
lieve a grave crisis in school finances
but it it will not cure the situation,
not unless a part of the gasoline
money is permanently voted to edu
cation.
Politicians rant about paying the
teachers. That is popular. What
should be done is to work out a sys
tem that will produce more income.
Give the state the money and it will
pay the teachers. But it is hard to pay
when the treasury is depleted.
SUPPORT THE HOME TOWN
Never in the history of this don
tinest lias there been more reason
to encourage trading in the home
town. .Merchants and professional
men are the backbone of the horn.;
town’s finances, and every legitimate
dollar put into their hands by the
people of that town is- kept inside of
the town to increase its per capita
wealth, to the benefit of every indiv
ual residing there.
But, aside from the possible profit
and loss on the actual purchase price, 1
there is another and Digger factor in
the matter of trading in the home
town. The prosperity of every com
munity is the same as that of every
state or province and nation. Its
prosperity depends upon its per cap
ita wealth. Every dollar spent ac
home tends to stabilize this wealth,
and every dollar spent away from
home tends to pull it down.
Of course the best teaching is by
! example. Every citizen should see
I to it that he and the members of his
family spend their money in the towm
■
in which they get it, thus stabilizing
the capita wealth of that town fox
the general good of every citizen.—
The Kiwanis Magazine.
SHALL THE STATE CONTROL
ALL PRIMARIES?
The recent adiion of the State
Democratic Executive Committee in
levying assessments on candidates for
congress, judges and solicitors gen
eral, such levies to take the place of
assessments formerly levied by coun
ty committees, has stirred consider
able discussion among the press of
the state.
County executive committees,
which must hold the primary, will
under the new arrangement be forced
to levy high assessments against can
didates for local office, such as rep
resentatives and state senators.
Either that or the members of the
committees must give their services
fiee to the party.
The Thomasville Press discusses
the matter as follows:
“The state committee handed con
gressional candidates a square deai
in fixing entryfees at $250 to cover
the entire district, but it also hand
ed a raw deal to the county commit
tees who must finance the cost of
all primary elections by assessment
of fees on candidates for local office-.,
only, while the state committee takes
all the fees from state office candi
dates and shifts the expense of
holding the primaries on the should
ers of the county cimmittees.”
The Clayton County News express
es similar views:
“According to the rules adopted by
the State Democratic Committee in
session in Atlanta last Saturday, the
county committess are going to have
some trouble raising funds to pay
the cost of the primaries. The State
Committee levied an entrance fee on
candidates for Congress and all
State House offices which leave, in
Clayton county, only candidates for
the Legislature, for Judge of the
Superior Court and County Com
missioners on whom levies can be
made to pay the cost of the primary.
In this county there will hardly be
more than one candidate for the Leg
islature, probably four or five for
Commissioner and maybe two for
Judge, and the assessment will have
to be heavy to raise sufficient funds
to pay the cost of holding the elec
tion, which will be in the neighbor
hood of $350.00.”
The Carroll County Times argues
for state controlled primaries. This
may be nearer than we think. Says
The Times:
“The Chairman of the Committee
on Rules, Mr. J. H. Skelton, said
at the meeting of the State Commit
tee Saturday: “We are penalizing
brains and making it so that only a
rich man can run for congress.” And
lie might have, as truthfully said
for any office, as the Times has
heretofore frequently said.
“It is a fact that in many, indeed
in too many instances, only men of
mediocre ability now fill important
offices in Georgia; the abler an 1
better men are debarred because of
heavy cost of seeking office. Our
system is altogether wrong; the state
should conduct all elections both pri
mary and final and defray all ey
penses thereof. It would be per
fectly all right to charge a nominal
fee for all entrants but as for putting
the entire burden of elections on the
candidates, that is an outrage and en
tirely unjustifiable.
“Elections are public functions re
sorted to for the purpose of select
ing public officials and it is the duty
of the state and county to defray
the expenses thereof. It is no more
just to make the candidates pay the
expense of the elections than to dis
charge the duties of the office after
election without pay.
“It is even more unjust to force
the defeated candidate to bear a part
of the expenses of holding an elec
tion from which he derives no bene
fit at all. And that is the main rea
son why competent men refuse to
run for office. The winner may get
hack the money spent while the loser
cannot. So many good men canno
afford to take this risk.
“However the real objection to the
present plan is that it is wrong in
principle and impose an unjust bur
den on private citizens who may de
sire to seek an office of trust and
service.
“The law should be changed by
the next legislature.”
TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT
B r J. D. JONES
Judge W. E. H. Searcy, who held
ar. adjourned term of Butts Superior
Court this week, is one of the ablest
and most popular jurists in the state.
He formerly presided over the su
perior courts of the Flint circuit,
and when the Griffin circuit was
created he was elecetd to serve tha:
circuit. So Judge Searcy in coming
to Butts county was really coming
back home—coming to meet people
that know and love him.
Butts county teachers, including
those in the county and city systems,
attended the annual meeting of the
Georgia Education Association en
masse. The meeting in Atlanta last
week was an important one and much
thought and effort was given to
working out a plan for the prompt
payment of teachers. While the
teachers were away the cildren in
all schools enjoyed a holiday Friday.
It will be pleasing to their friends
to know that members of the faculty
of the Jackson public schools have
been elected for another term of
service. The Jackson schools are
manned by a faculty that is devoted
to the cause of education. The local
school has been maintained at a
high degree of efficiency in spite
of the depression and other handi
caps.
Memorial Day will be observed
next Thursday. While but few Con
federate Veterans remain to join in
the exercises, the people of the
South will ever hold dear the cause
for which the South contended. It
is pleasing to know that Judge A. H.
Freeman, of Newnan, will deliver
the Memorial Day address in Jack
son this year. He is favorably
known as an able lawyer and con
structive citizen, arid will be cordially
welcomed to Butts county.
Voters in the Twenty-Sixth sen
atorial distinct hear with interest
that Hon. C. D. Redwine, of Fay
etteville, will be a candidate to rep
resent this district in the state pri
mary. Doubtless he will be named
without opposition. Mr. Redwine
has been promiently mentioned as a
candidate for president of the state
senate. He is a legislator of years
of experience and would make a
splendid presiding officer. Butts
county friends would be glad to sec
him occupy that office of trust and
responsibility.
T. J. Dempsey, Jr., former Butts
county school superintendent and
now state high school supervisor,
has been named to represent the
i
Georgia Department of Education at
the memorial services in honor of the
late Dr. J. S. Stewart. Mr. Dempsey
is one of the most alert, active and
accomplished school officials in the
state. He is devoted to the cause of
education and friends predict he will
occupy a place of high honor and
responsibility in the state department
before many years.
Captain E. S. Settle, who repre
sented Butts county in the lower
house of the general assembly at the
last session, is being mentioned for
that post again this year. Captain
Settle in his first effort at lawmak
ing was a conservative and useful
member of the house. His prior
service will be of value to him should
he be re-elected for another term.
Mr. Settle is a popular citizen and
well known military man and in the
event he decides to run for the house
will have the support of a large fol
lowing.
The tax receiver is winding up his
work for the year and on the first
of May the books will be turned
over to the board of tax equalizers
for review. Lest you forget—have
FRIDAY, APRIL 20 1934
you given in your state and county
taxes for the year? This is an im
portant matter and in some counties
the commissioners give notice that
unless tax returns are made there
will be a penalty. Mr. J. Edward
Carmichael, Butts county tax receiv
er is making a capable and
official and has made the usual
rounds of all the districts for the ac
commodation of property owners.
WITH THE EXCHANGES
Carswell and Talmadge
The people defeated George Cars
well for govei-nor on a platform of
diversion of the highway funds anit
now then they* are going to re-eleqt
Gov. Talmadge on the same platform.
You can’t always tell about thesj
Georgia voters. —Madisonian.
Why Not Abolish Work?
If Boss Green of the American
Federation of Labor succeeds in lim
iting the hours of labor industry to
30 a week it won’t be long before
he will demand it to be cut to twenty
or maybe fifteen. And, then after
awhile, things may be fixed so no
body will have to work except the
factory owners. We have not reach
ed the height of glory yet but we
seem to be on the way.—Sylvester
Local. *
Everybody To Blame
In all the conversation about the
depression there is a tendency t$
blame somebody else. Yet, isn’t it
true that we—all of us—are re--
sponsible? Didn’t we indulge in
excesses of spending and loaning
when opportunity was provided?
Didn’t we forget about providence
from time to time? It is well
enough to say this group or that
group did things that were wrong,
but let’s be frank and admit our
own shortcomings. Usually a man
can see the major cause of his own
troubles by looking in the mirror.—
Dawson News.
Another Forgotten Man
The public is very easily fooled
in connection with the activities cf
those champions who rush to the
rescue of the rank and file by pen
alizing the corporations and making
a target of those who are supposed
to be prosperous. The fact is if
such forms of business are to survive
and the investments of stockholders
.are not to be lost, the looting of big
business will be sifted down to an
a
additional charge on the bills of tub
consumer, w-ho along with the tax
payer, is the forgotten man.—Mon
roe Advertiser. *
First Impressions
First impression are not always
correc.t On a recent train trip, we
observed a young couple enter the
car with a oaby less than a year
eld. The husband remained with
the wife and baby until time for the
train to leave, kissed.them goodbye,
and left. We thought, “What a
domestic picture.” Time passed, the
train moved, and the baby went to
sleep. Mother got out her cigar
ettes, lit one, and proceeded to read
a magazine, what time she was not
engaged in a conversation with the
male passengers. All of which may
have been all right, but we are glad
we do not .have a cigarette-smoking
mother or wife.—Tifton Gazette.
Where State Falls Short
While we are congratulating our
selves on the state being nearer out
cf debt than it has been in some
years, it would look a great deal
better if the aged Confederate sold
iers and their widows were getting
their pension money regularly and
that the teachers were being paid
regularly also. Everybody is
glad that the state is able to make
a good showing but it doesn’t look
so good when the public servants
going unpaid and when the old people
having served long and honorably in
war and in peace are not getting
the little amount which the state h*.<
abligated to pay them. Until the
pensioners and the school teachers
get their pay it doesn’t look to us
that we are in such heaithy condi
tion financially as we have heard. —
Adel News.