New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-03-20
TIE PROGRESS OF NON-LNTERFEBENCE

TIE PROGRESS Of NOA-IN LhfEAEACE
A difference of opinion upon a matter of
business between two Georgia gentlemen was
settled few days ago at the Capitol of that
State. Settled with pistols. One OF the gen.
temen is dead. The deceased gentleman, acting
as agent for United States Senator who was IN
some manner interested in a contract for con-
vict labor, had agreed to dispose of that in
terest to certain person. The proceeding
was objected to by another person Interested
in the contract, who informed the Sena-
tors agent that he should kill him if
the proposed transfer was made The
transaction was completed nOrwithstand-
ing, and the Directing person immediately
gave out that he should fulfil his threat at
the earliest moment. The customs which
prevail III Atlanta, Ca, may, without
dlsrespect to the citizens OF that charm
ing locality, of which Heaven forbid that
we should be guilty-at present prices
be said to be peculiar. The dissatisfied
citizen made public proclamation OF his pur-
pose, and armed himself the1efOr. There
are climes where, when u citizen does that sort
of thing, he is requested to deslst, and
efforts are made to calm his murderous
temper. In some places they even go so far
as to disarm that kind of person. That is not
the way in Atlanta, Ga. The Senator's
agent was warned to get out of the way of
his exasperated fellow-man; but it did not
occur to anybody to stop the career of
the exasperated fellOwman. Among those
who knew that murder was threatened was
Governor Colquitt, OF Georgia. Some Gov
errors would have taken steps to have
the intending assassin arrested. Governor
Colqutt did not Knowing him to be
a desperate, as the account runs, he
advised the other man to avoid him
by going to his (the Governor's) office. Mean
time there seems to have been a very general
understanding among the citizens of Atlanta
that somebody was to be killed. The two
men met at length IN the office of the State
Treasurer and began firing at each other.
After five shots the agent of the Senator was
killed.
We very briefly recapitulate the leading
features in this unfortunate occurrence, SIM
ply for the purpose of emphasizing an obser-
vatlon we are about to make upon the grow
ing favor in which the doctrine of local self
government is held, and the cessation of
unfriendly interference or criticism be-
tween the two sections. 1t is not
generally held to be proper thing
at tho North for United States Senator TO
be interested in the profits of contracts for
convict labor, but Sc have yet to see any
offensive remark upon the subject in any North
ern newspaper. The Georgia Senator repre-
sents party which has been shocked beyond
measure at the discovery of business enterprises,
engaged in by men i'll public life, which
could much better bear the light than this
but we have observed no recrimnation on
account of it. Apparently, nobody wants to re-
strikes Northern citizen as "a little strange
that man is permitted to skip about in an
Inhabited city, drawing knives and pistols
and threatening death and destruction,
without interference. And Governor too,
who knows that killing is content plated and
knows that the person threatening is des-
peradO who is very certain to make his
threats good, and. with knowledge of these
facts, does nothing but admonish the per-
son threatened to hide himself, Is not
such a Governor, as Northern people
are accustomed to. Moreover, there is de-
gree of unusualness about this making q bat
tie aground of the State Capitol. and shooting
the desks and documents into state of blood
and disorder, that would naturally suggest
comment upon the contrast shown between
the habits of the citizens of the two sections