The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1893-08-16
SECTIONAL SPIRIT WRONG.
An Excellent Article Containing Good 70
Iitical Advice.

ola exchanges complaint that their
section of the state has been neglected.
in the distribution of public Offices, ana
a demand for future recognition. We
regret very much to see any effort TO
arouse sectional feeling between our cICl-
zens. and we submit that it is lndefensl-
Bile 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 pe0-
ple. and in which administration ali are
equally benefciaries. In the SELECTION
of public servants, therefore, section
should not be regarded, but only the IN
terests of the whole people OF the entire
commonwealth. Who can best serve tue
state?-not north Georgia nor south
Georgia-should be the paramount con-
sideration. We are one people from ~
bee to Tallulah, bound together by the
same interests. the same sacred memo
ries and patriotic aspirations. The man
is not true Georgian who endeaVors 10
arouse sectional feeling and encourage
sectional strife. Seclionalism in all It's
forms is most dangerous to the state S
prosperity, as well as to the happiness
OF the citizens. It's bitter lessons have
been taughtto MS through revolution and
ruin. 1t is wrong, unpatriotic, narrow
and bi2goted, and fraught With untold
danger to state. Let us get on the high
er plane of craftsmanship and patriotism
and discountenance all efforts to array
one section against another in uDseenily
strife for office. Let there be only geo
graphical sections insGeorgia. We must
not be understood as making any attack
on our brethren of the south Georgia
press. for these general remarks apply
equally as well to some of our exchanges
in the northern part OF the state who
claim that their section has not been
sufficiently recognized, But we wish to
show that the complaints Of south Geor-
gia are not supported by the facts.
Beginning with the rehabillment 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
M. Smith, who was from Columbus; Al
fred FL. Coiquitt, who has always been
identified with that section since his first
election to congress until now; Alexan-
der I'll. Stephens, and our present execu-
tive. w. J. Northen. These five were all
from south Georgia when elected, leav-
ing north Georgia only two-Governor
Mcdaniel and Governor Gordon. Look
at YOUR present statehouse officials; Gen
Phil Cook, secretary of state, southwest
Georgia; Wright, comptroller general,
south Georgia; Bradwell, sta;e school
commissioner, south Georgia; Terrell,
attorney general, middle Georgia; Fort
and Powers. railroad commissioners,
south Georgia; Ira nmell, railroad COM
missioner, and Nesbitt, commissioner OF
agriculture, north Georgia. Thus 1T will
be seen that our state capitol is filled
with sturdy timber from the southern
part of the state. We certainly do not
complain of this, fer these men are all
faithful and efficient servants of the en-
tire state. Let Us continue the investi-
CATION little further Who now occu-
pies third place in the national govern
ment? Charles F. Crisp, of Americas,
Ga. Who was selected for the most deli
cate and important diplomatic mission?
j. H. Biount, of Macon, Ga. Who were
ministers from Georgia under Cleveland S
first administration? Lawton to Austria,
and Jackson to Mexico, both from Sa-
vannah. These instances are sufficient
to utterly oYerturn the assertion that
any Injustice has been done south Geor-
gia in the matter of offices. But we do
not wish to be understood as making
any complaint, but we simply cite
these examples in answer to the
claim that north Georgia has
been selfish in this matter In
deed, we are confident that if there was
any ground for complaint from amy sec
ton of the state, north Georgia could
make a strong one, but we repeat thai in
our opinion any sectional consideration
of the question is entirely wrong and
should be stopped, and we earnestly
hope that our honored bre hren OF the
press will cease to agitate a subject
wrong on principle, pernicious in pra;-
tice, and unsupported by the iacCs. Let