The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-10-30

menace to the safety of the people. Vir-
tue and intelligence must rule or evil will
befall, and the state legislation will grow
corrupt, justice will miscarry in the courts,
confidence in the government will be de-
stroyed, 1awlessness will run riot in the
land, and lynch law will supplant the
courts Of justice.
1T will be a sad day when these calami
ties overtake us. To see to it that they
do not befall the state is your duty and
mine. The people have delegated to you
the power to make the laws for the next
two years, and upon me devolves the duty
of executing them. We should approach
this duty fearlessly and honestly.
THE ballot box must be more closely
guarded. Our election laws should be re-
vised and improved in such way as to
render effectual the voice Of virtue and
intelligence of the state, and to prevent
the balance of power from finding lodg-
ment in the hands of an ignorant or cor
Tupt minority. Severe penalties should
be enacted as well for those who, direct
lv or Indirectly, buy votes, as for those
who sell them. These penalties should
so to the extent necessary to correct the
evil of depriving both the buyer and the
vote seller of the right to vote or hold Of
flee, without regard to party, creed. race
or color. This would be a severe remedy,
but when the safety of society demands
it, it should be unhesita tingly applied, for
ii would deprive no honest and intellI-
gent man of his right of suffrage, but
would affect only the ignorant and vicious.
Another matter of vital Importance IS
the question of taxation. In times like
these when a universal paralysis has set
tied down upon all business enterprises
and the products of the farms of the
state upon which all our prosperity de-
pends scarcely bring in the markets of
the world the cost of production. When
~ g I.,.r fv, f11~r1 anp -
when the fair fields in a large portion of
our state have been blasted by flood and
storm and honest men beg in vain for
work that they may buy bread, il be-
hooves us to practice the most rigid econo-
nv in every department of the state de-
partment establish no more Institutions 70
lie supported by the state, and see 20 1t
that not a dollar of the states revenue,
10 matter from what source derived. IS
diverted by legislative enactment or other
wise from the purpose to which it is now
applied.
1.-The burden Of taxation though less in
Georgia than in some other states, is al
ready as great as our people ought be re-
ouired to pay, and the rate, if possible, to
be lowered, but under no circumstances
should it be allowed to go higher
All Irregularities in our taxing system
should be removed, and the burthen should
be so adjusted as to fail equally on all
classes of property and in all parts OF
the state The lands in no county should
be valued for taxation at higher price
than equally productive and equally prof
table lands in any other county. The
burthen of taxation should not only be
lessened If possible, but so equalized as
to bear alike upon all the citizens and
on all the property of the state, but all
property which now escapes taxation
should be hunted out and made to bear
a proportionate share of the burthens Of
the government
''To devise means by which the hands
Of the tax gatherer may reach the hidden
wealth of the dodger, who enjoys the pro-
lection of the government, but is unwilling
to share its burthens Is a difficult duty
which now devolves upon us; but it can
be performed with benefit 10 the state
and infinite relief to all honest taX-pay-
ers. and we should meet this as well as
the duty of more carefully guarding the
ballot box, fearlessly and conscientiously
looking only to the best interests of the
commonwealth and of the people, and re-
gardless of the clamor OF those who, by
fraudulently Withholding the tribute they
owe to the state, impose heavier burthens
upon their more conscientious neighbors.
I'm this connection desire to call atten-
ton to the admirable suggestions OF the
controller general on the subject.
MANY other duties, gentlemen OF the