The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1889-11-06

claim. What then is the use Of the
Cain. What then is the use of the
investigation ? Why consume time
and spend the peoples money in pro-
scouting an inquiry which must
result in nothing if, as you declare
in advance, you do not admit the
validityofthe claim and will not pay
itS The people would hold us to
just responsibility for such trivoli-
ty.
And fit is proposed to guaran>
tee or warrant the future lessees
against all claims for betterments
in order to lease the property to
the best advantage, then that can
be done as well without ascertain
ing the amount of the pretended
claim.
Therefore, there is absolutely
no necessity for the adoption of this
report Not only is it unnecessary,
but it is not sustained by precedent,
1t is generally, If not universally,
true that persons having claim,
against government, State or Mas
tional, have to present the same to
the Legislature or to Congress as
the case may be. And, so care
fully is the public treasury guard
ed that even just claims often
meet with the delay incident 10
! deliberatejand thorough investigas
ton, and are collected only after
urgent ard protracted suit.
But this report seeks to reverse
the order of things and to send
forth the Legislature in search of a
phantom claim against the State
as Jason went in pursuit of the gols
den fleece. What is there in the
character of this claim or of those
who make it, to call for such extra
ordinary proceedingsf Is the Leg
islature prepared for such a mis-
sion? Is it ready to bow at the foot
stool of this lease and ask in def
ferential trims what amount of
money it is the pleasure of its
Highness to have from the State of
Georgia. TRUST not.
Why then adopt this report2
" hat good can come OF it | cons
fcss | can see 40 good, but harm
rather. Such action would be un-
wise and dangerous in its tenden>
cies. True it is that the report
does not admit the validity OF the
claim for bettermen ts. But it looks
to negotiation and that might lead
US to aIpointswhere we would wiave
that soft negation and begin to
compromise with wrong. Let Us
avoid this result by disagreeing to
this report and thus refusing to
take the first step in a wrong direce
ton.
Such is the weaknessssof poorfrail
humanity that ic is always pnsofe
TO daily with wrong whether it be in
the shape of wrong claim or wrong
in any other of its protean forms.
The poet happily illustrates this
tendency in the trite but apt quo>
tation:
"Vice is monster of SO trightful
mien
AS to be hated, needs but to be
seen;
Yet seen too oft, familiar with
her face,
We first eldure, then pity, then
embrace"
Now ] desire to say that / mean
no personal disparagement to the
present lessees. They are gentlemen
OF high character and responsibility
but ! must be permitted to remark
that if the accepted history of the
matter aud statistics are to be
credited, they have made quite
enou h out Of the State.
Surely margin of ten thous.
and dollars per month on the rem
tai ought to be sufficient to give
safety even to avarice. Desola.
ted aud impoverished by the war
as Georgia was, she still was
forced by stress of circumstances to
bare her shoulders to that burden.
We learn from sacred history that
the Isrealities were permitted to
despoil the Egyptians, but there
was limit even to the privilege
OF plundering the enemy. And in
all conscience, shall there not be
an end to the spoliation of Geor~
gia2
1t is hoped that the Iessees will
not press any claim for better
ments, but il they see proper to do
so it will be fer the Legislature to
set bounds to it and to say in the
language Of authority thus far
shalt thou come and no fart her.
! think / know the sentiment Of
the people OF Georgia on this sub
ject. II there be any one matter
| against which they are unanimous,
ly fixed and principled it is that OF
paying for betterments. They
Numbered the mandate from the
polls last October and woe betide
the public servant who heeds it
not.
Sir, it may be well to remember
that tLere was time in the early
history of Georgia when an out
ragged and indignant people came
together and destroyed from the
face of the earth the records OF a
great wrong that had been done