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GEORGIA NEWS HI PARAGRAPHS.
Governor Smith has written State
Treasurer R. E. Park a letter author
izing him to distribute the money ac
cruing from convict hire for the first
quarter of 1909, and the last quarter
of the lease, amounting to about $93,-
000, to those counties which did no.
take convicts under the old law. Gov
ernor Smith takes the view that
since the near beer tax fund has in
creased to more than $200,000, theit
Is no necessity for retaining this mon
ey in the treasury for the expenses
of the prison department. On the oth
er hand, it is said the prison commis
sion thinks the near beer tax should
be used to purchase a state farm for
the white convicts, and that as much
as is necessary from the amount re
ceived from convict hire should be re
tained for the expenses of the peni
tentiary department. It is said to be
the governor’s purpose to draw a war
rant for the amount at an early date,
and direct its distribution in accord
ance with the custom prevailing un
der the lease plan.
The bureau of animal industry of
the United States department of ag
riculture has finally consented to re
turn to the work of destroying the
cattle tick in certain Georgia counties,
wtih the understanding that the state
will co-operate in the work to a rea
sonable extent through appropriations
and otherwise. The department, how
ever, is not going to wait for that,,
and with a view to arranging for ini
mediate prosecution of the work in
five north Georgia counties which
have been recently quarantined
against infected cattle, Dr. E. M.
Neibbert, rerpesenting the depart
ment in Georgia and South Carolina,
had a lengthy conference with Assis
tant Commissioner of Agricultuie R.
F. Wright. It is the understanding
that the work is now to be prosecut
ed in five north Georgia counties,
Stephens, White, Habersham, Fannin
and Franklin. Any infected cattle
found in these counties are to be put
in quarantine and the premises clear
ed of infection. Moreover, the coun
ties themselves are to be strongly
quarantined against cattle coming in
from the outside. The state has em
ployed a number of inspectors, but
has now only a very small fund for
this purpose. The government bu
reau, however, will put at least two
experts on ihe work, and it will be
prosecuted with all possible dispatch.
Governor Smith has addressed a
letter to the railroad commission urg
ing that body to order a reduction of
5 cents per 100 pounds in the rates on
cotton shipped from interior points to
the Georgia ports. The governor call
ed attention to this matter in connec
tion with the port rate hearing which
is to come up before the commission
in May. He stated that in his opin
ion the rates on cotton from interior
points to the ports are now unrea
sonably high, and he considered a
general reduction of 5 cents per 100
pounds. The commission may take
the matter up in connection with the
port rate hearing, but in view of the
importance of the question it is alto
gether likely that a special hearing
upon it may be had.
The number of famous artists who
are to sing at the great Southern Mu
sic festival, in Atlanta, May 4, 5 and
€, has been increased until they now
number sixteen. Of these who have
been recently added, Geraldine Far
rar is one of the most celebrated and
popular. She is the one American
singer who has risen to a popularity
in Europe equal to that of any Eu
ropean genius. She began her train
ing when she was just twelve years
old, at the age of ninetene she was
singing before the emperor of Ger
many and winning his enthusiastic
applause. She has now returned to
her native land and will appear for
the first time in the south. The oth
er additional singers are Zonatello,
the great Italian tenor; Antonio
Scotti, the greatest baritone in the*
world; Ricardo Martin and Mary
Lansing.
It has been decided to disband
Company 1, fifth infantry, national
guard of Georgia, known as the Ath
ens Guards. Adjutant General A. J.
Scott has already ordered the com
pany to turn in to the state all of
the military property in its posses
sion, and the formal order of disband
ment will be issued within the next
few days. General inefficiency is giv
en as the cause of disbanding the
company which has been long in the
state service. The Guard were in
spected by Major F. L. Palmer on
March 30, but it is stated the com
pany has ben in bad shape for some
time. So far as it is known now,
this is the only company in the state
which will be disbanded as the result
of this year’s inspections.
The board of trustees at a meeting
in Thomaston made selections of the
plans for the rebuilding of R. E. Lee
Institute and Auditorium, which was
recently burned. After thorough ex
aminations of some eight to ten plans
submitted the plans and specifications
of Architect Eugene C. YVachendorff
of Atlanta were adopted.
According to estimates that will be
placed officially in Bradstreet’s com
mercial reports, the population of
Macon is conservatively placed at
50,000. The change will come in the
next feports that will come in the
early spring.
The programs for the five concerts
of the Southern Music festival in At
lanta, May 4, 5 and 6, have been
completed. They include the most
popular as well as noted musical com
positions that have ever been written.
Owing to the fact that such a large
number cf opera singers are to take
part in the performances, each pro
gram is full of variety. It is said that
the festival will he a summary of the
greatest music than can be heard in
the biggest opera houses all over the
earth.
State may Stamp Out
Rabies by Dog Muzzles.
Atlanta, Ga. —If a plan for muzzling
dogs for the period of one year, sug
gested by Dr. J. Edgar Paullin, in
charge of the Pasteur department of
the state board of health, in a paper
read before the Georgia Medical As
sociation at Macon, is carried out by
legislative enactment during the com
ing session of the general assembly,
it is believed that, rabies and hydio
phobia can be practically stamped out
in the state of Georgia in a short
time.
Dr. Paulin's address w T as received
with great enthusiasm by the mem
bers of the association, and a resolu
tion of Dr. Eugene Smith of Atlanta
to authorize the committee of the as
sociation on public policy and legis
lation to support and strongly urge
the passage of a law at the next ses
sion of the legislature for the muz
zling of all dogs was passed by unan
imous vote.
The alarming increase of rabies in
the state during the past year makes
necessary some such legislative en
actment as that suggested by Dr. Pau
lin, more than 500 cases of rabies
communicated to persons by the bites
of rabid dogs were treated by him
in the Pasteur department of the
state board of health during 1908. This
number does not include those (for it
is sad to relate that there are such),
who ignorantly rely on the supposed
power of mad-stones and die in the
vain search for relief from such
methods.
So thoroughly did the paper read
by Dr. Paulin voice the sentiment
of the association that a vote of
thanks was passed by the organiza
tion, with the request that the ad
dress be published in such form that
it may be disseminated broadcast to
every nook and corner of the state.
That rabies is rapidly on the in
crease throughout the state of Geor
gia and throughout the entire nation
cannot be doubted. Thi-s appears to
be conclusively proved by a recent
report of the United States Public
Health and Marine Hospital Service
on the subject of hydrophobia. Dur
ing the past year, Dr. Paulin has ex
amined the heads of between 500 and
600 dogs, fully 60 per cent of which
showed unmistakable signs of rabies.
The muzzling of all the dogs in the
state for one year, it is claimed, will
practically wipe out rabies in the
state. In this particular it is sug
gested that each city sell a muzzle
to the owner of every dog instead
of charging a dog tax and in this
way as much revenue can be raised
as by the tax system and much more
good can be accomplished.
During one year all the cases of
rabies in the state would be developed
and exterminated by this method, it
is claimed, if a rigorously enforced
law is back of the movement and
every dog is muzzled.
As Georgia lias South Carolina,
Tenessee, Alabama and Florida as
neighboring and adjacent states, ra
bies would undoubtedly be introduced
into the state by border passage. This
be prevented by legislation for muz
zling in every state or by quaran
tine.
Georgia Railroad Seeks to
Increase Passenger Rates.
Atlanta, Ga. —General Manager T.
K. Scott, General Passenger Agent A.
G. Jackson and Major Joseph B. Gum
ming, attorney for the Georgia Rail
road and Banking Company, appear
ed before the railroad commission,
and presented argument in behalf of
the company’s petition asking permis
sion to increase its rate of passen
ger fare from 2 1-4 to 2 1-2' cents
per mile.
Among other things, the officials
showed that last year the lessees fail
ed by $290,000 to earn sufficient rev
enue to pay the annual rental of
$600,000. The commission heard the
arguments made, and postponed fur
ther hearing of the case until Thurs
day, May 13. In the meantime the
secretary of the commission was in
structed to send out notices to all the
cities and towns on the line of the
Georgia Railroad in order that any
who may desire to do so may be
heard in opposition to the railroad
company’s request.
Governor Smith Net a
Candidate for Any Office.
Atlanta, Ga.—Governor Smith will
resume the practice of law after he
retires from office as chief executive
of the state.
That much is now known positively,
from statements which the governor
is said to have made to intimate
friends.
”1 am not a candidate for any of
fice, and do not contemplate enter
ing any contest,” the governor is re
ported to have said to a friend a few
days ago, while telling of his plans
for the future.
But it is known that the governor
will continue to take a lively interest
in the affairs of the state and will iet
himself be heard from time to time
on such matters as he considers re
lated to the welfare of Georgia.
Extermination of Cattle Tick
Planned by State Department.
Atlanta, Ga. —Following the confer
ence of the cattle raisers, dairymen,
planters and cotton seed crushers,
held at Athens, where strong resolu
tions were adopted, calling upon the
citizens of the state to co-operate
more strongly with the State Col
lege of Agriculture and the State
Department of Agriculture to induce
more cattle raising in Georgia, it will
be of great interest to learn that the
federal government will lend its hand
in this undertaking, too.
Heretofore, one of the great plans
to the industry has been the ravages
made in certain sections of the state
on cattle by the pestiferous cattle
tick.
THE JPULPIT.
AN ELOCUENT SUNDAY SERMON BY
DR. C. F. J. WRIGLEY.
Theme: Spiritual Blindness.
Brooklyn, N. Y.—Dr. C. F. J. Wrig
lev, rector of Grace Church on the
Heights, preached Sunday morning
on “Spiritual Blindness.” The text
was from Luke 4:18: "He hath sent
me to recovering of sight to the
blind.” Dr. Wrigley said:
The text is part of a quotation from
the prophesy of Isaiah, viz., “The
spirit of the Lord is upon me, be
cause He anointed me to preach the
Gospel to the poor. He hath sent
me to proclaim release to the cap
tives, and recovering of sight to the
blind. To set at liberty them that
are bruised.” When one studies that
passage, says a modern writer, it
recalls the famous tent of the Arab
chief; when folded it could be car
ried in the hand; when opened it
sheltered his tribe. The passage con
tains the keynote of the teaching of
.Tesus, and it shows how unerringly
He selected the very heart of the Jew
ish system upon which to found His
own. It shows us the profound truth
of His statement, that He came not
to destroy, but to fulfil the Law.
Many years ago a modern infidel
philosopher of a shallow kind pointed
out the fact that Moses had made
some mistakes in figures, and also
that he had hot been very well in
structed in science, or he would have
constructed a different cosmogony
from the one found in Genesis. This
same philosopher failed to point out
the pregnant fact that the Law of
Moses was built upon the great ele
mental principle of mercy; that it
stood for liberty and order; that it
had taken (as Munger says) a nation
of slaves, ignorant, barbaric, besotted
in mind and degenerate in body, and
by a shrewdly adapted system of
laws lifted it steadily and persistently
upward and bore it on to ever better
ing conditions and always toward
freedom. He forgot to mention that
from first to last, and from centre to
circumference, it was a system of de
liverance from bondage, disease, ig
norance, anarchy, superstition and
despotism. Jesus Christ, wiih His
keen spiritual vision, sees what the
other fails to see. When He rises in
the little synagogue at Nazareth, He
quotes the elemental truth of the Mo
saic system, and says this is your
charter of liberty, and I propose to
make it the charter of the world’s
freedom; freedom from ignorance,
superstitition, sensuality, sorrow and
pain. It is remarkable again that the
passage quoted from Isaiah has a
double meaning in every paragraph.
The poor may be thogc poor in pocket
or poor iiusoul. The slaves may be
slaves cf a worldly master or slaves
of their own passions. The blind may
be blind of body or blind of spirit.
Which does Christ mean? Undoubt
edly He means both, for the Saviour
never emphasized suffering without
calling attention to the fact that suf
fering came from sin. He cared for
bodily wounds, but His great sym
pathies went out to the sin-sick soul.
Now, blindness, like lepresy, was
a type of sin. The blind were not
only disbarred from the priesthood,
but were not allowed to take part in
the Temple service. Blindness, like
leprosy, was supposed to be incur
able, except by the direct act of God.
Blindness was therefore a type of sin,
because sin could only be cured by
the direct act of God. Sin was spirit
ual blindness, because sinners had
always been marked by dull spiritual
apprehension. Abraham in his day
had been able to see Christ, and to
see the city having foundations. The
spiritually enlightened under the Mo
saic dispensation had been able to see
Christ in the ancient ordinances, and
the prophets had cried out against
their countrymen, who were more stu
pid than the ox and the ass, because
these creatures knew their makers
and the owner’s crib, but the children
of God did not know their Father and
could not find their Father's house.
St. Paul, when he had found it im
possible to make his people receive
Jesus as the Messiah, declared them
to be spiritually blind, and then made
some remarks about spiritual blind
ness that apply very well to the men
and women of our own day.
Now, it is to this large class of
spiritually blind people that Jesus ap
peals, in all His miraculous works
upon the blind. He heals the blind
in body to show that He can heal the
blind in spirit. He heals the type,
that man may believe that Hecanheal
the really blind, viz.,theblind in soul.
Moreover, it is extremely interesting
to note that in every separate instance
where He uses His supernatural
power to heal the blind, He teack.es
us some important lesson concerning
the relation that exists between God
and His children, and how all men,
if they will, may be healed of spirit
ual blindness. Notice the first in
stance: Two blind men meet Him at
Capernaum. They knew their need,
and cried aloud for help, and the
Saviour did not appear to notice
them, and when He did not notice,
they followed Him persistently, fol
lowed Him into the house and de
manded help. It is a case like that
of Jacob at Peniel. The antagonist
of the patriarch would not bless, and,
therefore, he would not let him go.
It was a certain faith, a faith that
grew stronger as the apparent indif
ference of God became more dread
ful. It was a case of the Kingdom oi
Heaven being taken by violence.
These men give us a picture of those
who have known what it is to see,
and who can appreciate what it
means, if anybody can give them the
power to see again. They have known
the meaning of goodness, and of spir
itual vision, and they have known the
unhappiness of evil and spiritual
darkness, and they want to be lifted
out of darkness into light again, it
there is anyone able to accomplish
that miracle. They feel themselves
helpless, and so this faith, as they
hear of the power of Jesus grows,
and when He apparently neglects
them, it becomes a compelling faith,
which gains whatever they wish.
This miracle is nothing less than an
eternal provision to the soul that is
separated from God, and knows that
it is so separated. It is the divine
promise that such a man may have
whatsoever he will. “As yet ye have
asked nothing in My name; a«k and
ye shall receire, that your joy may
bo full.”
The next instance is that of the
man born blind. It is an entirely
different case and yet a typic-1 one.
The man is hopeless. He has never
been able tc see. He has never heard
of a case where a man born blind has
been made to see, and so he does not
consider the question. He settles
back into a grim acceptance of his
sorrow. He does not ask to be healed,
and because he does not ask, Christ
offers, just because of the man’s hope
lessness and ignorance, Christ Jesus
offers in mercy. Here is the charter
for our missionary work among the
ignorant and hopeless. Many of
them do not know their need, all are
hopeless, hut that is no reason why
the Christian church should withhold
its merciful ministrations. It is of
tentimes the man who laughs at re
ligion and disbelieves in its power
that needs it most, and a religion
based upon the quality of mercy can
not refuse to give even that which
is not wanted or asked for. The Sav
ious put clay on this man’s eyes and
bade him go wash in the pool of
Siloam. The man was more humble
than Naaman. He made use of the
means which Jesus suggested and re
ceived his sight. He is a type of the
hopeless man who does not believe
that his spiritual blindness (if it is
blindness, because he has never been
able to see and does not realize what
spiritual blindness really means),
can ever be relieved by the simple
things which Jesus provides, prayer,
worshin and sacrament, and yet in
his willingness to try them makes his
act of faith, and is ushered out into a
new world of glory and beauty of
which, heretofore, he has never been
able even to dream. He becomes a
partaker of blessings for which he
has not asked, and of benefits pro
vided freely by one whom he has not
known. On the other hand, the blind
man of Bethsaida is not only hope
less. but faithless. He is brought, to
Christ by others, and because Jesus
does not want to reject him, and can
not cure him. He takes him by the
hand and leads him out of the town.
He takes him away from his familiar
surroundings and daily associations.
He lifts him out of the rut from
which he had been unable to extri
cate himself. He takes him into the
solitude, just as He takes men now
into the solitude and loneliness of
sickness or trouble or poverty or un
just suspicion, or pain, and in the
solitude tries to build up their faith,
so that, they may be healed. This is
the only miracle of healing which
Jesus performed where the recovery
of health came by degrees, and this
was caused by the man’s slow devel
opment of the faculty of faith. Jesus
touched his eyes, but sight did not
come; he saw men as trees walking.
It was an earnest, however, of what
Jesus could do, and it gave the man
confidence and his faith became more
perfect, and Jesus touched his eyes
again and he saw things distinctly.
It is the story of the tenderness
and gentleness with which Jesus
deals with the spiritually blind, who
are faithless as well as hopeless.
And lastly, there is the story of the
Blind Bartimaeus which carries with
it such a weight and wealth of sug
gestion for ourselves. It is the story
of a man who wanted to come and be
healed, and was hindered by others.
How often that is true of those who
really want to be healed of spiritual
blindness. A man’s foes are those of
his own household. Jesus was
wounded in the house of His friends.
It is often only by persistent perse
verance and by disregarding those
who should help him that a man is
healed by the Saviour of his spiritual
blindness, as Bartimaeus was healed
of his physical infirmity. I wonder
how many Christians realize the tre
mendous responsibility they assume
when in any way they stand in the
light of the man who is looking for
Jesus Christ.
The man or woman belonging to
a Christian church who deliberately
sets aside the methods of that organ
ization for deepening the spiritual
life is hindering others from becom
ing Christians. What a wonderful
opportunity for good we are throwing
away when, on the ground of cour
tesy to others, we practically abandon
our principles and cause our brother
to offend. Blind Bartimaeus was
healed in spite of hindrances of oth
ers, and men become Christians in
suite of our inconsistencies, hut what
an opportunity we are casting aside,
and what responsibility we incur,
when we diliberately make truth ap
pear unreal or undesirable. To
preach recovering of sight to the
blind; to preach thw- Gospel to the
poor and deliverance to the captive,
read the Saviour in the Nazareth syn
agogue, and as He read men were as
tonished. But why astonished? It
was only a quotation. Yes, but He
spoke with power. That is, His
words were convincing; but why con
vincing? The same words had been
heard many times before. They were
the words of truth, you say. Surely,
but truth has been preached through
the ages. What then was it that as
tonished men? We answer, the fact
that Jesus saw truth in such a way
that other men coming in contact
with Him could not fail to see it also,
and see it in its completeness. We
see truth, says Mozeley, in a frag
mentary way, and fragments of truth
are not convincing. Jesus saw it in
its completeness, and when a man
sc s truth in its completeness he must
follow it. There is no other way for
him to do and remain sane, and so
it was just because Jesus could so
present truth that men must see It
and believe that His great mission
was to preach recovery of sight to
the blind.
The Source of All.
When we see the million rain
drops of the shower we say, with rea
son. there must be one great sea from
which all these drops come. And
when we see, as it were, countless
drops and countless rays of goodness
scattered about in the world,'a little
good in this man, and a little good
in that, shall we not say, there must
be one great sea, one central sun of
goodness, from whence all human
goodness comes? And where can
that centre of goodness be, but in the
■ery character of God Himself?
'-’“v. Charles Kingsley.
The Stamp of Civilization.
The mark of civilization is the In
dividual man, his rights and his re
■pousibiHil’?* >Rev. Ccrtlami My»r».
LABOR WORLD.
A clockmakers’ union was recently
organized at San Francisco, Cal.
In Sweden the government has or
dered a general census of the unem
ployed.
A co-operative company has been
organized by workingmen of Brook
lyn. N. Y.
The state of trade is bad in the
larger towns like Stockholm and
Malmo, Sweden.
A movement is under way for the
organization of a pipe trades council
in Minneapolis, Minn.
The awards of the umpires in the
coal trade are adverse to the miners,
both in Scotland and South Wales.
Statements have been made that
Ohio coal mine operators are consid
ering making inspection of their
mines daily.
The Canton of Vaud, Switzerland,
granted the women members of the
National Protestant Church a vote in
church affairs.
The recent Socialist congress, in
Paris, has greatly strengthened the
hands of “King” Pataud and the Gen
eral Confederation of Labor.
W. E. McEwen, Duluth, member
of the United Association of Plumb
ers, for- many years secretary of the
Minnesota State Federation of La
bor, has been made State commis
sioner of labor of Minnesota.
The twenty-second annual repor*
of Oscar S. Straus, Secretary of Com
merce and Labor of the United States,
has been issued containing the laws
relating to labor in every State in the
United States, together with Court
decisions.
The Canadian Department of Labor
in reviewing the industrial conditions
of Canada says that the recent immi
gration restrictions are having a good
effect and that labor conditions were
better at the end of 190 S than they
were at the close of 1907.
■■ 1 ■
SPORTING BREVITIES.
President Taft has become an hon
orary member of the Eastern Yacht
Club, of Boston.
Stanford has in W. M. Wyman, a
sophomore, a quarter miler who 13
good for fifty seconds.
Robert H. Bryson, of Indianapolis,
was elected president of the Ameri
can Bowling Congress in session at
Pittsburg.
“Jack” Johnson and Stanley
Ketchel signed articles to fight twen
ty rounds at the Colma A. C., in San
Francisco.
Only fourteen men reported for the
first day of track work outdoors at
Syracuse, and Tommy Keane said it
was disgusting.
“We hope that Coach Copland will
have as good success training the
track team as he had with St. Ives,”
says the Daily Princetonian.
Commodore Arthur Curtiss James,
N. Y. Y. C., has ordered a bark rigged
auxiliary yacht of 201 feet over all.
She will be built at Quincy, Mass.
Yost says he won’t have any spring
football practice this year, because he
doesn’t think it does any good. The
other coaches seem to favor it, how
ever.
Gunners of the New York A. C. de
feated the representatives of the
Crescent A. C. in a twenty-five man
team shoot at the Travers Island
traps. *
The gross receipts at the Gotch-
Mahmout wrestling match at Chicago
were $38,823. of which Gotch re
ceived thirty-five per cent., or $14,-
088.05, and Mahmout $9705.75, or
twenty-five per cent.
The record pike of Great Britain
was caught with rod and line on the
Hampshire Stour recently. The fish
was forty-five Inches long, twenty
four inches in girth and weighed
forty pounds when taken out of the
water.
Say Old Man Stole 73
Horses in Last Three Years.
Kingston, R. I.—Charged witithav-
Ing stolen seventy-three horses in as
many towns in New Jersey, Pennsyl
vania, New York and Southern New
England in the last three years, Al
bert Fuller, sixty years old, with
many aliases and no known perma
nent abode, was indicted by the
Grand Jury here and held for trial.
The police say his scheme was to hire
livery horses, drive out of town and
sell them, without-making any re
turns to the owners.
