The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1893-07-27
SECTIONAL sPtRIT WRONG.

| lie offices, and demand tor future
recognition. We regfet very much
to see any effort TO arouse sectional
feeling between our citizens, and ne
submit that it is indefensible and
should be discontinued. In the first
place, public offices DO not belong to
any particular section, but they are
trusts to be administered for all the
| people, and in which administration
all are equally beneiciaries. In the
selection of public servants, there
fore, section should not be regarded,
but only the interests of the people
of the entire commonwealth. Who
can best serve the State mot
North Georgia or South Georgia
should be the paramount considera-
ton. We are one people from Ty-
bee to Tallulah, bound together by
the same interests, the same sacred
memories and patriotic aspirations.
That man is not a true Georgian
who endeavors to arouse sectional
feeling and encourage SECTIONAL
strife. Sectionalism in all its forms
is most dangerous to the States
prosperity, as we'll as to the happi>
ness Of the citizens. Its bitter les~
sons have been taught to US through
revolution and ruin. 1t is wrong,
unpatriotic, narrow and bigcted, and
taught with untold danger to the
State. Let us get on higher plane
OF craftsmanship and patriotis,n and
discountcnance all efforts to array
one section against another in I'M
seemly strife for office. Let there
be only geographical sections in
Georgia. We must not be under
stood as making any attack on our
brethren of the South Georgia press,
for these general remarks apply
equally as well to some of our ex>
changes i'll the northern part of the
State who claim that their section
has not beec sufficiently recognized.
But We wish to show that the CONS
plants Of South Georgia are not
supported by the facts.
Beginning with the rehabilim ent
of the State after reconstruction,
there have been seven governors,
five out of seven at The time of their
election, were from South Georgia,
to-wit: Governor r. B. Bullock, of
Augusta; Governor James NJ. Smith
who was from Columbus Alfred
Ii. Colquitt who has always been
identified with that section since his
first election to Congress until now ;
Alexander Il. Stephens, and our
present Executive, W.. Northen.
These five were all from South
Georgia when elected, leaving north
Georgia only two, Governor Me-
Daniel and Governor Gordon. Look
! at our present State House officials
General Phil. Cook, Secretary of
State, Southwest Georgia Harde>
man, Treasurer, South Georgia;
Wright, Comptroller General. south
Georgia; Bradwell, State School
Commissioner, South Georgia Ter
rell, Attorney General, Middle
Georgia Fort and Powers, Rail-
road Commissioners, South Geor-
gia Trammel!, Railroad Commits
sioner and Nesbitt, Commissioner of
Agriculture, North Georgia. Thus
it will be seen that our State Capt.
tol is filled with sturdy timber from
the southern part of the State. We
certainly do not complain of this,
for these men are all faithful and
efficient servants of the entire State.
Let us continue the investigation a
little further. Who uow occupies
third position in the national gov
eminent? Charles F. Crisp, of
Americas, Ga. Who was selected
for the NEST delicate and important
diplomatic mission? j. II. Blount,
of Macon, Ga. Who were ministers
from Georgia under CIeveland's
first administration Lawton to
| Austria, and Jackson to Mexico !;
both from Savannah. Theseinstan-
ces are sufficient to utterly overturn
the assertion that any injustice has
been done South Georgia in the
matter of Offices. But we do NOT