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3 E HEARST’S SUNDAY AMERICAN, ATLANTA, GA., SUNDAY, JUNE 1, 1913. GEORGIA, THE EMPIRE STATE OF THE SOUTH-By John M. Slaton though, these refunding bonds will be taken up right here in Georgia—every one of them! The ability of municipalities to contract debts is firmly limited by the Constitution of Georgia, thus further guaranteeing those who come here to live, as well as those who al ready live here, against excessive and oppres sive taxation. Georgia is magnificent, in her good deeds —she gives more for State pensions than any other Southern State. As the old Confederate soldiers grow more and more grizzled and gray, as the weight of years bears down upon them heavier and heavier, Georgia remembers their heroic youth and young manhood, and the great sacrifices they made for the cause they believed to be just and right. What Georgian, true of heart and noble of Governor-Elect Enumerates the Things Which Go to Make Up the Greatness of the Com monwealth—He Treats of Her Vast Indus trial Progress and Natural Resources, as Well as the Civic Virtues of Her Sons, in a Clear, Concise and Interesting Manner. JOHN M. SLA TON Governor-Elect of Georgia. G EORGIA is known as “The Empire State of the South,” and rightly so. Georgia IS the Empire State of the South—supreme in her leadership in Dixie, secure in her future, great in her present, and glorious is her past. I love to think of the things Georgia has done, and to picture in my mind the great things she yet is to do. To me, she ever has been an engaging study, and contemplation of her history, her people, her achievements and her pos sibilities never has disappointed me. In deed, the more I study Georgia, and Geor gia folks, and Georgia ways, the better and more patriotic Georgian 1 become. In 1802, Georgia ceded to thq United States 88,000 square miles of territory. She reserved to herself 59,479 square miles, which is her.present area. The Empire State of the South now is the largest State east of the Mississippi River. In 1911, the value of the agricultural products of Georgia was fourth in the Union. Illinois, Texas and Iowa alone exceeded her in this. Nowhere on earth is a more vanted or healthier climate to be found than Geor gia boasts. She has every climate known to man, save that of the frigid zones. And I think she can very well dispense with the latter, even if she does, therefore, have to do without an annual crop of ice bergs and polar bears. I think every patriotic Georgian will do well to study the State’s debt, and the State’s businesslike methods of financing » the same. I believe I am abundantly warranted in stating that no Commonwealth in the Union gives such ample guarantee for the payment of its debt. Georgia, to begin with, has a clause in her State Constitution forbidding any in crease whatever in the State’s bonded debt. Such debt as we have may be re funded, if the State likes, but it can not be added to. Her debt is approximately $6,600,000, while she owns outright the great West ern and Atlantic Railroad, which is easily worth $20,000,000. This within itself is sufficient to pay the bonded indebtedness of the State three times over and more, and it is pledged, together with all the State’s property, even including the Execu tive Mansion, as security for the same. I found in a recent trip East that these facts have served to give Georgia a quality of credit among financiers abroad second to no other State in the nation, and equaled by not more than one or two. Georgia has a clause in her Constitution guaranteeing the people against the impo sition of a tax rate higher than five mills. Taxation therefore, can not become excessively burdensome in Georgia. I believe that when we come to refund $3,679,000 of Georgia bonds, due in 1915, we shall be able to dispose of them most satisfactorily. Georgia’s splendid reputa tion for financial soundness will stand her in good stead then. I find that Georgia’s will ingness to back her bonds so substantially has brought about a feeling of genuine and helpful friendliness in the big money centers. I hope, purpose, would have it otherwise? But that is not all. Georgia, while ten derly caring for her old soldiers, does not neglect the boys and girls of the State, upon whom rests the future greatness of the State. She gives more from the State treasury than any other Southern State to her pub lic schools. Indeed, very few States of the Union give so much to the cause of educating its children as does the Empire State of the South. The University of Georgia is the oldest State university in the United States. And as astonishing as that statement may be to some, it is even more remark able that Wesleyan College, in Macon, is the oldest female college in the world. In the matter of good roads construc tion, Georgia has performed wonderful things. In 1911 she gave, including the value of her convict labor, just about $4,500,000 to the cause of good roads. In this she was exceeded by one State alone—-New York, the Empire State of the North. Georgia’s great port of Savannah shipped more cotton in 1911 than any oth er port in the United Slates, save one. Not only has the State the magnificent port of Savannah, hut amazing work is being done in and near Brunswick, and at other points along her seaboard. If her possibilities were exhausted along that line of endeavor, the result would astonish the world. Georgia distributes her products with prodigal hand in many directions. Her factories are supplying overalls to workmen in Panama. Her marble quar ries furnished recently the material from which was fashioned the beautiful new capitol of Minnesota. A magnificent municipal building in Philadelphia was erected a short time ago, and into it went Georgia material almost to the exclusion of all other. The mountains of granite are paving the streets of many cities of the nation—paving them with material that outlasts that to be found anywhere else on earth. Her kaolin mines are supplying crock ery manufactories everywhere—it is of a quality unsurpassed. Georgia's cotton is a tremendous fac tor in preserving the international balance of trade in favor of “Uncle Sam,” and with it she is clothing a tremendous pro portion of the world’s people. Her Sea Island cotton is unequaled in quality, and is approached by that of Egypt alone. It is utilized in producing the finest of textile materials. Georgia’s splendid agricultural colleges constitute one of her greatest and most thoroughly approved glories. They are revealing, more surely every year, to the farmers the possibilities of their all im portant calling, and by means of their scientific instruction they give promise of multifold production in Georgia fields. Her Technological School has rendered Georgia independent of engineering and scientific skill from other sections, and she now can and does call upon her own to solve those problems which heretofore have required foreign talent. In Georgia, in the city of Atlanta, is located the second largest mule market in the world. The one market that is larger is that of St. Lonis. Georgia believes in justice to her citi zens. She accords them the rights of property, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. In her courts, no citizen,, however hum ble or poor, is denied the right of initial justice or revierw on appeal. But better and braver than all, perhaps, is the spirit of optimism and hope that prevails in Georgia hearts, and the de termination and grit that continuously are growing and expanding in Georgia minds. Georgia is in heavy majority a State of native-born population. Georgians have been Georgians many, many years, and they love their State with a love that can come only of long residence, and for gen erations. In Georgia there breathes not “th« man with soul so dead, who never to himself hath said, ‘This is my own, my native land!’ ” Her people are sure of themselves, sure of their past, sure of their future. It is that feeling among Georgians which has caused me to believe so firmly and so unswervingly in her glorious des tiny. To me, Georgia’s seintillant star beams ever more brightly than any in all Old Glory’s constellation, for Georgia is my native State, and Georgia’s way always seems so eminently the right way. Georgia constantly and rapidly is in creasing and extending its railroads and facilities of transportation. Georgia’s factories are multiplying by leaps and bounds every year. Georgia merchants are enlarging their fields of activity and reaching out more and more all the time. Georgia has high ideals of citizenship, and lives up to them. Her social life, her business energy, her foresight and prophetic confidences in her self, her superb educational institutions, her churches for every creed and every kind, her every consideration of spiritual helpfulness and worthy commercial ad vancement—these, and all the other things I have set forth, warrant her abundantly in accepting without question the title conferred upon her by admiring sister States, “The Empire State of the South!” In Dixie, Georgia surely and in unfal tering confidence leads the way! ALL DAY SINGING IN DIXIE ■ ■ By Janies B. Nevin G EORGIA rural newspapers nowadays are carrying modest and brief notices of numerous proposed singing conventions here and there throughout the State, although the papers do not call them singing conventions exactly, the anciently approved “all-day singing" being generally preferred. This sort of thing happens every year, pretty soon after the dogwood, the wild honeysuckle, and the sweet shrubs perfume and glorify the spring woods of Dixieland. I do not know whether these all-day singings are common in other sections of the nation, but down South they are annual institutions of the most approved kind, and they serve a great and far-reaching purpose moreover. They are unlike camp meetings in that the singing is emphasized almost to the exclusion of the preaching; and they rarely continue more than one day at a time, whereas camp meetings as a rule run for a week or more. Then, too, at camp meetings the singing is an incident to the proceedings, and takes its place far in the rear of the vociferous exhorting and the praying. It is no uncommon thing to see five or six hundred young people gathered at one of these all-day singings, and generally the girls come in their best bibs and tuckers, the while the ysuth and rustic chivalry is there in its most gorgeous and fetching plumage. They do say—wise old dames, who have watched these all-day singings for many calm and quiet years—that there has been more hon est marriage and giving in marriage fashioned at all-day singings than in all the city parlors ever dreamed of in anybody’s philosophy! And, somehow, I suspect these dear old grand mothers are right about that thing—these all day singings have served no doubt most often to make one heart beat where merely two beat before! Theoretically, anyway, the maiden reared in the farmhouse is quite as uncertain, coy and hard to please as the maiden of urban per suasion. Moreover, they are as wise in their generations, and know, altogether, as well as their city sisters those mysterious ways along which to move their wonders to perform. It may be that there is no sentimental design in the glory of fried chicken, in the substantial majesty of the stuffed eggs, or in the piquancy of the lemon tarts laid out in sylvian shades to tempt the masculine appetite at dinner time— but I doubt it! Yea, verily, I doubt it with a big D that will not be denied! Grand opera is not immensely popular with the country folks, no matter how much Atlanta may revel in it. Caruso and Amato jnay be all right in their way, but they weigh mighty little to Sally Jane’s way of thinking, when Bill is warbling tenor and Bob is warbling bass at an all-day singing conducted in the neighborhood of old Sardis or Mt. Zion Church! These rural people know a trick worth two of grand opera—and the expense attaching lo it is nothing in comparison. As a rule, there are three sessions of an oil- day singing—if sessions is the right word- and each grows in interest over its predecessor. Along about 9 a. m. the first round opens, and it is all by way of getting together that one might ask. The “tunehlghster” generally is the most prominent citizen of the vicinity—maybe the justice to the peace longest in commission, the local school superintendent, or in some cases the county judge—but always he must be a singer, and a good one! One need not suspect for an instant that these singings are not in the hands of singers—real, hearty, clear-voiced singers, who understand a good deal more of the technique of music than the average city, person may think. The leader of the day’s singing, having care fully distributed his trusted lieutenants at dis creet points of vantage throughout the congre gation, the singing begins—and it is singing that surely make happy the heart of the Master, if any form of praise does, for it is crowded with real melody, real religious fervor, real enthusi asm, and sureness of purpose! The parson, who is there, realizing his rela tive unimportance for the day, perhaps, but sure of his welcome, nevertheless, looks on, and beams. These are his people, and the children of his people—he knows all their mothers, and fathers, and brothers, and sisters; he has rejoiced with them in their happiness and grieved with them and comforted them in their sorrows, and he knows that the day immediately stretching be fore them is to he one of sunshine and roses and laughter and song. J; is a day w herein religion is to be praised as a thing of love and beauty, with no vehement suggestion of hell fire and damnation and the terrors of the world hereafter, awaiting sinners and evil-doers. And so, by and by, along about 11 a. m., the parson gathers his clans together^ and he preaches them a brief sermon, all brightness and joy—and then comes the second session of the day’s singing, and after that the dinner! One knows exactly what that dinner is to be composed of-*—only one never could find a din ner like it in any city restaurant known to mortal man! In all that wilderness of gustatory delight spread before those hungry, happy countryfolks, there will be not one cold-storage egg, not one dab of near-butter, not one slice of canned meat, and not one fragment of aniline-dyed pickle. The strawberry jam scattered around in prod igal profusion will be real strawberry jam, and not a neat combination of glucose, bluegrass seed and chemical color! The eggs perhaps laid yesterday, the* butter churned this morning, and the ham Just out of a long and honorable period of gentlemanly incar ceration in some neighborhood smokehouse. There w ill be pie “like mother used to make,” of course. Who ever heard of an all-day sing ing without some of mother’s pie? The champagne that goes with this feast comes sparkling and cool from a spring just back there in the woods. It is minus ice, but that is nothing to its discredit. It “frosts” the inside of your glass, nevertheless. And that is why, no doubt, in all-day singings Jill surely knows her business In the gentle art of cooking fine and dandy things to eat—and the way to Jack’s heart having been discovered in the country no less surely than it may be dis covered by designing Jills in the city, why, then —well, there is a good two hours’ interval be tween that dinner’s conclusion and the final singing session of the day, and if in that interval Jill does not do the rest, she’s a strange daugh ter of Eve—which she isn’t at all, never fear! And that is why, no doubt in all-day singings —particularly those dear old grandmothers aforesaid—Insist with one voice that the final afternoon session invariably is the grandest and most inspiring of all, and if you have to miss part of an all-day singing, for goodness sake do not miss the climax of the afternoon! Remember, these all-day singings are not jumped-up affairs. They do not happen of a moment's notice. On the contrary, they are planned carefully months ahead, and in all their various detail. Every Jack knows his very onliest Jill will be there, and every Jill generally knows, in that in- stinctiye feminine sort of way, Just about how artful the day’s angling must be in order to make Jack see the point, and still not suspect he is being shown! Here at these all-day singings, there gather the flower of Dixie’s rural manhood and love liness. Here healthy girls, with rosy cheeks and hearts as pure as the sparkling w'ater from the spring back there in the woods. meet the man hood and the gallantry of their own environment. There isn’t any turkey trrotting. and skirts are not built so tight that the girls cannot sit down—no, and patent leather shoes and sflk socks are few and far between. But moat of the manhood and womanhood present is pare gold, and mighty well worth while! It all is more or less simple, and to some ft may seem more or less primitive, in a way, but, after all is said and done, It Is tremendously appealing and it makes for optimism and hope and a belief in the inherent goodness of man, particularly when left to the calmer and more quiet pathways of life. Far be It from me to decry the city and Its ways. I love the city. I love its noise and con fusion, its passing throngs, its white lights a£ night, its theaters and its grand opera now and then. I truly believe there is more goodness than wickedness in the city, and that he who seeks may find. But I sometimes wonder if we in the city do not pay too dear a price for what we get—for what we get by way of righteous pleasure, of religion, and of helpful occupation? I wonder If it is possible, really and truly, for a gathering of city folks, running largely to youth, to enjoy itself as genuinely and as whole somely as do the country folks at these all-day singings? I presume so—Yes! And yet, there is some thing in these iural newspaper notices, appear ing with regularity nowadays, citing the faith ful to assemble here and there for all-dav sing ings, that leads me to renew my belief that the country folks are, in many, many ways, singu larly blessed in this Dixieland of ours, and that there is much they may be truly thankful for— much that is unknown and unrealized in the city.