The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1894-09-26
BILL ARP'S LETTER.
MANY GOOD THINGS THAT THE
NEXT LEGISLATURE MAY Do.
William Wants a Reformatory, a
Board of Pardons, More Judges, etc.

nor pass tarln DILL IL can 6LeCt Onlteu
States senator, and will have several good men
to chose from. However they may differ on
the silver question, the people OF Georgia have
confidence in their integrity and will acquiesce
IN whatever choice may be made. II choice
cannot be made, then there are some outsiders
equally capable and honest, upon whom all
could agree.
There is Fleming deBignon, of Savannah,
whom we all would delight to honor, and who
would make all Apollo in the senate chamber,
and there is the speaker Charles Crisp, who
has proved himself worthy of the highest hon
ors that the state or the nation can bestoW,
and there is Mr.. Blount. statesman tried and
true. So we need not give ourselves any great
concern about senator to succeed the lamen-
ted Colquitt. There was time when Georgia
boosted of seven living and notable statesmen
whose names and fame were national. They
were Toombs, Stephens, Cobb, Ben Hill, john
son, Jenkins and Brown. For years we have
been lamenting that this generation has not
produced their equals, but Of late the talents OF
our rising men have been looming up, and We
can even now name seven, who though not as
brilliant and eloquent, are as safe in council
and as sincere in patriotism as those who have
gone before.
But our next Legislature will have enough to
do in looking after state affairs. Some things
have got to be done, and good many things
left undone. There has got to be reformatory
for young criminals Any further neglect OF
providing such an institution will be shameful,
disgraceful inhuman. 1t will cost money, OF
course. So does the lunatic asylum. We can't
afford to destroy the lads under sixteen years
of age by putting them in the changing with
confirmed and desperate criminals There is
an orphanage at Clinton S. c., where the little
waits are taken and schoOled and trained to
useful occupations and almost without excep'
ton they have proved to be good men and good
women and are doing well in the world We
kTun 10 hOJy yEGfn
town. 1t is a noble charity, and [ had
rather stand before my Maker at the Judgment
with Dr. Jacobs record than that of a president
or king. And just so the state can make good
citizens of these lads who are more to be pltied
than orphans for they have been led astray by
bad example or dire distress. There is no need
to argue the question. The argument has long
since been exhausted Some years ago Mrs.
Lou Gordon visited the refOrmatoEg at Elmlra,
n. Y, and ever since her impressive letter was
published have felt that our own great state
was SHINING against heaven in not providing
similar institution.
In this connection we would also urge upon
the legislature the necessity of q board of par
dons. No need to say the governor can attend
to this. He cannot. When some friend of the
convict interests himself and gets the judge and
the solicitor and some Of the jury to sign pc
tition, the governor takes the papers and con-
siders the case as CONSIDERABLY as his time will
permit, but he cannot investigate thoroughly.
But who lends an ear to the poor fellow who
has no friends? What time has the commits
sioner to listen? Is there absolutely no hope
for a repentant man who for years and years
has worked in chains, and is to work on and on
prisoner without hope? | believe in my
heart that there are many negroes and some
whites in the chaingangs who, while they de-
! served their sentence now deserve a pardon.
believe that board OF pardons should 1nyes-
tigate every conviction, and 1t may prove what
/ ho hot
some convicts who should not have been con-
vcted. A frendless prisoner, whether white or
! black with no money and no influential
! friends, does not have fair chance with the
power of the state against him. The solicitors
reputation is at stake, and so is his Zee. Ills
| small salary of 1925 Is not enough to keep HIM
out of temptation. 1t would be better to pay
| him ST. 600 a year and no perquisites-no in
solvent list for him and the sheriff to divide out
| OF fines and forfeitures:
/ And there is anot her matter concerning the
courts that demands immediate attention. The
supreme court with three judges, cannot do
the increased and increasing work that is put
upon them. 1t is simply an outrage to require
| them to do it-729 cases in eleven months.
] There is no court in the United States that has
such burden. That they cannot do justice
to the cases is inst as impossible as it is for a
| farmer to RIM tiye-mule crop with three; he IS
bound to get in the grass. Some folks will
say, 'If they don't like their job, let them re-
sign" and some will say "Who are to be the
other two? Has the ring got them picked
! Out?" Those are childish objections. An non
! est voter will rise above such spiteful feelings
Let us do right though the heavens fall. The
supreme court is no ring, nor is the legislature,
| nor is this partisan measure. 1t is as much
duty and protection to the pOpulist and the
! republican as to the democrat. White and
! black are all interested in the perfection OF
! this high tribunal. It has no politics and has
to1 Of 70
there is that old veteran, Judge Bleckley who
! is tired, but will die game. He had his baby
! boy elected member of the bar as oCiatlon
and seeks to defy the scripture edict OF three
! scora years and ten. But ammo domini will
tell. Some of these days he will drop to pieces
as suddenly as the one-hoss shay and there will
be nothing left but long pile of dust. Let
him die in the harness, but let us give him
more help so that he can die easy. Let every
man vote for the amendment.
1t is curious that an old man never gets SO
tired of work as to be willing to quit. Habits
are like chains, and he is not happy when they
! are broken. He becomes 50 resigned to them
| that he won't resign. My friend, Bill Fort, was
| one day looking at Judge Warren when he was
| old and feeble, and said to me, thoughuully,
"Msior. that grand old man ought to lie down
and die for think that he is tired. Resign he
can't. They never do that. And just think
! how much pleasure he would give by dying. 1t
would make so much room for them. Jackson
would take his place as chief justice, and some
circuit judge would get Jackson's place, and
some lawyer would get the circuit judges place
and some other lawyer would get that lawyers
practice. and so on. 1 wonder if it ever oc-
Cured to the old man how much good he could
do by dying?"
There is another thing that should be done
| for the dignity of that court-no civil case
that involved less than 300, should be allowed
consideration by it. Five hundred dollars is
the limit in the Federal courts-cases under