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Jackson Progress-Argus
PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY
J. DOYLE JONES
Editor and Publisher
Entered as wfond-tliss matter at
the Post Office at Jackson, Ga.
TELEPHONE NO. 186
OFFICIAL ORGAN BUTTS COUN
TY AND CITY OF JACKSON
SUBSCRIPTION RATES
IN ADVANCE
One year $1.60
Six months .76
Singe Copies 06
Every governmental official or
hoard whoso duties include the han
dling of public funds should pub
lish at regular intervals an account
ing of it, showing where and how
each dollar was spent. This is be
lieved to be a fundamental princi
ple of Democratic government.
THE AMERICANS
CREED
I believe in the United
States of America as a govern
ment of the people, by the
people, for the people whose
just powers are derived from
the consent of the governed;
a democracy in a Republic; a
soverigti Nation of many sov
ereign States; a perfect Un
ion, one and inseparable, es
tablished upon those principles
of freedom, equality, justice
and humanity for which Amer
ican patriots sacrificed their
lives and fortunes.
I therefore believe it is my
duty to my Country to love it;
to support its Constitution; to
obey its laws; to respect its
flag; and to defend it against
all enemies.—William Tyler
Page.
Go away, blackberry winter, and
don’t come again—until next year.
The ice man deserves a break.
The merit system, if any, as prac
ticed in Georgia seems to depend
on who is in office. Peanut politics
still has Georgia by the throat.
The humble penny will come into
its own when the new tax bill goes
into effect. Soft drinks, amuse
ments and many other things will
cost more.
Ellis Arnall is a Georgian to
watch. He will he heard from in
the immediate future. He is one
public man who is not nfraid to say
what he thinks.
The average man will never be
satisfied until the Royal Air Force
is strong enough to pay the Ger
mans back bomb for bomb, building
fo*- building, life far life.
Wit' Europe cut off from travel
tl s year this should be a banner
season for all American resorts.
“Fee America first" and “sec Geor
gia first" are timely slogans just
now.
’’ardons have been too easy to
obtain in Georgia and n vast racket
has grown up around turning loose
criminals. The present governor,
b' ” ever, does not want the law
changed.
The state has prospects for an
a 1 ndant berry crop this season. It
wi’l be a good thing if the berries
ern be saved, not only as a part of
national defense, but for home con
sumption.
It will cost the state a pretty
p* -ny to hold the June election.
Counties must stand the expense of
heVots, election papers and pay for
r nsgers. This money should have
be n saved and applied to more use
ful purposes.
“I’m in trouble and want help
and want it quick,” exploded Sor
g* Sam as he hitch-hiked from
Rock Bottom Farm to confer with
hi® grocer about the food budget.
“I want some kind of government
assistance about the milking,” said
Sam as Ire stretched to his full
height of six feet. "Milk is a right
acearce article at our house since
way Liz done took the rheumatism in
fear wrist."
Take It Or
Leave It
By J. D. JONES
On June 3 voters of Georgia will
be called on to ratify or reject six
ty-nine amendments to the state
constitution. With just a few ex
ceptions, all of the amendments are
local in application. These purely
local issues should be settled in some
other way. What is needed is one
amendment, or one law, to give this
right to local communities and not
burden voters of the entire state
with issues they know and care noth
ing at all about. One amendment
in particular should be buried so
deep in will not he heard from
again. That is the amendment pro
viding for four-year terms for gov-
ernor and other statehouse officers.
Robert Toombs and the other great
Georgians who framed the consti
tution of 1877 knew what they were
doing when they provided for two
year terms. It is a truism that good
officials can be re-elected. Four
years is far too long to be afflicted
with the wrong type of officer.
Georgia already has a dictatorship
as absolute as any to be found in
Europe. The General Assembly,
with a state debt as an excuse, sur
rendered every right as representa
tives of the people and turned the
state lock, stock and barrel over to
the governor, with the right to hire,
fire and suspend duly elected offi
cials, to shift funds from one de-
partment to another, and generally
to run the state as he thinks it
should be run. Now that sort of
business might be all right with a
good governor in office, but think
what would happen if the wrong
type of executive were in power.
Centralization has gone far enough
in this country. Rights ought to be
restored to the people. The best
and safest thing for voters is to de
feat all the amendments. By doing
this they will hurl back in the teeth
of the legislature a problem that is
theirs—the duty to allow local com
munities to settle their own affairs
in their own way and in their own
good -time. The constitution has
been amended too much already.
Voters should put a stop to frivo
lous amendments.
As rational defense is b(eing
speeded up to meet the grave inter
national situation it serves to revive
memories of Woodrow Wilson, pres
ident during world war number one.
Wilson is a world figure ami his
record looms large on the horizon
in these troubled days. He fought
for an ideal, which if it had been
followed might have prevented the
present conflict. The sacrifices that
Wilson made during and after the
war is a reminder of the tremen
dous responsibilities the president
must face in times like these. Sure
ly as he treads on new ground and
makes decisions of vital importance,
with the future of the nation at
stake. President Roosevelt should
have the understanding and sympa
thy of all loyal Americans. He
should be spared the sacrifice that
Woodrow Wilson was called on to
make—a martyr to a just and right
eous cause.
National Cotton Week, May 16-
24, holds vital interest for the na
tion as a whole and the cotton belt
in particular. Cotton is the prob
lem child of the present European
War. Exports have been largely
cut off. What to do about cotton,
new uses for cotton, stimulation of
domestic markets, a fair price tor
producers, all of these things will
come to the front during National
Cotton Week. Cotton is the na
tion’s great cash crop. Hundreds
of millions of dollars are invested in
textile plants and hundreds of
thousands of workers are engaged
in manufacturing and shipping cot
ton. Anything that affects cotton
affects the whole country, and es
pecially the South where the crop
is principally grown. Under war
conditions the consumption of cot
ton has been largely increased and
THE JACK SON PROGRESS-ARGUS, JACKSON, GEORGIA
it may be that still new uses will
be found for cotton products. The
producers ipre concerned about fair
prices, parity prices, and legislation
with this in view has been intro
duced in congress. If imports of
silk were cut off entirely it might
wake up the women of the South
to wear and use more cotton prod
ucts. At any rate National Cotton
Week is a good time for all of us
to consider the debt we owe to the
crop that feeds and clothes the
world, and to help as far as prac
ticable in promoting the entire cot
ton industry.
Only recently the claim was made
that 30,000 Georgia families did not
have a garden. A still greater num
ber did not have a cow or hog and
some families were without chickens.
That’s a deplorable state of affairs
under war conditions. Georgia farm
families served by the Farm Securi
ty Administration are being provid
ed with poultry, cows and hogs.
The Extension Service is urging a
good garden on all farms and there
is a payment for this work. Food
is bound to be much higher and
Georgians should do everything pos
sible to meet the situation by grow
ing more food, livestock and poul
try.
A good thing to let alone is the
demand for federal funds to op
erate state schools. The Georgia
county commissioners in session last
week indorsed a federal fund of
$300,000,000 for all the states to
help in running the schools. When
the federal government puts its
money into an agency it dominates
that agency. Georgia may be poor
but it is proud and with a little ef
fort can finance the schools with
out help from Uncle Sam. Social
and racial equality will be advanced
tremendously when the government
puts federal funds into operation of
the schools. Those who doubt that
will have their eyes opened if fed
eral funds are ever granted the
states for school purposes. We have
no patience with the plan. It is a
good thing to let alone and the
politicians who run hat in hand to
Washington to beg for federal funds
should be told where to get off.
Most of the criticism about pub
lic assistance relates to the high
salaries paid in state headquarters.
While names of beneficiaries are
being published, it might be advis
able to let the public know the facts
as to the big salaries paid state of
ficials who administer the agency.
Butts county is losing precious
time by failing to provide vocation
al education in all schools. This is
the type of training now in demand
and it is training boys and girls
here should have. What is holding
back vocational education? Can
some of the official boards explain?
In their utter confusion and lack
of information as how to vote in
telligently', voters of Georgia can
do a good day’s work by voting
against all the constitutional amend
ments. Thousands have already ex
pressed their intention to swat all
the amendments in the June elec
tion.
Not since carpetbagger days has
Georgia had a governor elected for
a four-y'ear trem. Great men have
served the state unselfishly and
well, and those entitled to re-elec
tion were given indorsemnt terms.
Why change the law at this late
date? It is another effort at cen
tralization. Unless voters guard
the liberties they have soon they
will have no liberty to guard.
With the exception of federal aid
funds there appears to be little
highway money in sight for con
struction in the immediate future.
Butts county citizens, according to
information recently released, paid
$62,000 in gasoline taxes last year,
but they will get no highway work
this year, according to present indi
cations. In the meantime paved
highways are being ground to pow
der by giant tracks and buses.
THE LAST STRAW
By VINCENT JONES
Life’s changing ambitions —for
women only—as we see it is as
follows:
At 4—To have a doll.
At B—To have more dolls.
At 12—To lose all dolls.
At 14 —To have a date.
At 18 —To have more dates.
At 20—To get a husband and
have a baby.
At 25—To get another husband
without a baby.
At 35 —To get anew husband
and let the old one have the baby.
At 40—To join all clubs.
At 50—To enjoin all clubs.
Should blackberry winter give
way to dewberry summer, there
would be general rejoicing in this
county where the home fires have
been burning since October.
The MBC, CBS, NBC, and ASCAP
squabble has started Junior holler
ing for wooden blocks again.
An alien German was found drunk
with Navy blueprints. American
joy-juice is an effective weapon in
the war against Fifth Columnists.
We imagine that contractors in
London and Berlin should do all
right for themselves after the war.
Mother’s Day is the one day in
the year when men’s hearts pay
tribute to that which their minds
honor every day.
Georgia voters are having diffi
culty in choosing between political
campaigns every two years or the
possibility of electing an unworthy
man to govern for four years. It
would seem to be more logical to
elect a good man every two years
than to have to wait four years to
get rid of a bad one.
A revision of the state constitu
tion is undoubtedly in order, but
constitutional amendments affecting
local areas only is not the proper
method. To the state at large it
matters not whether Podunk issues
bonds for its new courthouse nor is
the detailed litigation involving
Deep-step’s desire to reissue hospi
tal bonds of more than local inter
est.
Opponents of the four year term
for Governor point out that Arkan
sas Ed would have cleaned the pris
ons in that time had he kept the
pace set in his last six months of
office.
The new swing song, “Beat me
Daddy, Eight to the Bar,” was
slightly revised by the termite who
said to the bartender, “Beat me
Daddy; I ate the Bar.”
A columnist on a weekly newspa
per is a guy who has his ideas on
Sunday but never fails to wait un
til Monday to write his weekly stint.
The Gods of having long
feasted their eyes on the U. S. A.
for new sacrifices, are smacking
their lips in earnest now that con
voys seem inevitable. Or, at least,
in the opinion of the administra
tion, defeat seems inevitable unless
they are utilized. There are no
fools like the ones of ’l7, who seem
to forget that war slogans are all
lies; that with 20,000 modern planes
and a two-ocean navy, we could lick
the whole world; that American
blood is a product of America and
should not be used to enrich Euro
pean soil.
IT IS TIME TO PUT A STOP TO
AMENDING OUR CONSTITUTION
In June the voters of Georgia are
called upon to make more than six
tv-five amendments to the Constitu
tion. In effect most of these so
called amendments are really but
permission given to some county,
town or school district to refund a
debt, that more than probable should
never have been made.
Because of this easy way of cov
ering up some violation of law. such
as misusing sinking funds and de
faulting bonds, all to many local
officers have grown lax and mis-
BUTTS COUNTY IS READY
TO DO ITS SHARE
In financing the Defense Program through
liberal investment in
DEFENSE SAVINGS BONDS
which the United States Government arranged to
issue May 1.
Every citizen and every business house will
wish to participate in this program to keep America
strong financially.
Jackson National Bank is prepared to accept
subscriptions and offers its facilities to all interest
ed in investing in these securities.
JACKSON NATIONAL BANK
JACKSON, GEORGIA.
Member Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
spend public funds, then rush to the
legislature for an amendment to
the constitution. If instead of these
amendments these delinquent offi
cers were sent to the pen for mal
feasance in office, there would be
less misspending of public funds.
The Times suggests to the voters
of Carroll that they can safely vote
against every single one of them.
There may be one or two with some
merit, but for fear you let one bad
one get by it is best to kill all.
A different method of amending
the constitution should be devised.
We make it trifling by trifling with
it.
Vote against the whole batch and
kill the entire litter. But especial
ly vote against that amendment that
extends the tenure of office for
state house officers. Two years is
long enough for a sorry officer,
and a good one finds no trouble in
securing a re-election he seldom
has opposition.
We elect congressmen for two
years only, and yet a good one holds,
as did Charles Adamson, 22 years,
William Wright 16, and Emmett
Owen until he died. We have to
hold an election every two years,
so it will cost no more to elect these
officers also.
Asa matter of fact the people of
Carroll just now would be better
pleased could they elect county offi
cers every two years instead of
four.
Vote against all sixty-eight of
these half baked “permits” to do
wrong.—Carroll County Times.
LOOKING BACKWARD
THROUGH THE FILES
New* of 30 Years Ago
There were six members of the
graduation class of the Jackson high
school, Misses Sallie Hammond, Jes
sie and Vera Jones, Mary Land and
Morris Redman and Leland Smith.
DEFEAT ONE AMENDMENT
Georgia voters will be called upon on June third to pass or defeat
sixty-eight constitutional amendments. We believe one of these amend
ments, in particular, should be defeated.
Annual sessions of the Legislature have been tried in Georgia and
abandoned at the insistive demand of the taxpayers and citizens. Even
under the existing system with the General Assembly meeting only every
two years and with but one extraordinary session in a decade, the cost
has climbed to a figure in excess of three hundred thousand dollars for
seventy days! This staggering cost would be DOUBLED by the proposed
amendment to be voted on June third.
Here are the actual figures for the past five years, exclusive of 194tjj,
on which the official figures are not yet complete:
In 1935 the General Assembly cost the taxpayers $ 208,837.32
In 1937 the General Assembly cost the taxpayers $ 230,837.32
In 1938 the General Assembly cost the taxpayers $ 295,677.00
In 1939 the General Assembly cost the taxpayers $ 321,329.83 *
The total for the five-year period was $1,055,996.57
The return from such an investment would consist largely in increased
political turmoil, increased unsettlemment of state business, increased
patronage, and ever increasing cost to the taxpayer.
Georgia is in debt: approximately fifty million dollars in debt. Under
existing constitutional provisions the Governor can call the Legislature
into session, for emergency purposes, limiting the subject to be acted upon,
at any time that is necessary oi desirable. Under existing constitutional
provisions the membership of the Legislature can call itself into extra
ordinary session if it sees fit. Under existing state laws recently passed
the Governor has been given wide-spread powers over state expenditures,
regular and emergency. We believe the conclusion is inevitable by think
ing citizens that there exists no sound reason in favor of annual sessions.—
Journal of Labor, Atlanta.
THURSDAY, MAY IS, 1941
Mrs. Ida Hendrick advertised a
sale of lots between Indian Springs
and Third streets for May 31.
Attending the Confederate reun
ion in Little Rock were Mr. and
Mrs. Walter Jones, Miss Hattie
Jones, C. S. Maddox, S. H. Mays,'J.
M. Ball, Z. T. Buttrill, C. C. Jinks,
W. M. Thompson, B. T. Deason, J,
B. Evans, S. L. Thompson, H. P.
Elder, J. F. Preston, W. W. Preston,
T. G. Preston.
News of 20 Years Ago
Butts county had 917 automobiles
registered, according to information
furnished by the secretary of state.
Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Caston were
advised that the body of their son,
Jesse L. Caston, who died in France
in 1918, would be returned to this
country and interred in the Jackson
cemetery.
The death of G. W. Hausler, 77,
native of Switzerland, who had re
sided in Butts county many years,
occurred Sunday.
The Jackson Woman’s Club agreed
to raise S4OO out of a county quota
of S7OO for Boy Scout work.
A pump operated by a gasoline
engine was installed to take care of
the overflow water in the concrete
wall about the mineral spring at In
dian Springs.
New* of 10 Years Ago
Dr. Gordon Singleton was to de
liver the literary address at gradua
tion exercises of the Jackson high
school May 26.
Miss Elise Barnes, winner in mu
sic in the sixth district meet, was
awarded a SIOO scholarship at Bre
nau Conservatory.
Rural route No. 5 was absorbed
by routes 2 and 3. Carriers at the
Jackson office were W. M. Craw
ford, S. M. Ridgeway, Gordon
Thompson, N. F. Land, V. W. Fret
well, J. C. Redman.