The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1899-10-27
TO RECOMMEND
BALLOT REFORM
Governor Of Georgia win Take
a Strong Position.
FEATURES OF HIS MESSAGE
Chief Executive Will Also Advise
EquaIizing and Reduction of
Burden Of Taxation.

In his forthcoming message to the
Georgia legislature Governor Gambler
will recommend such an amendment
to the constitution as will restrict.the
ballot to the virtue and intelligence of
the state. The governor will point
out the evils that have grown up as
the result Of traffic in the ballot, and
will lay it down as a self-eyident
proposition that the man who would
sell his ballot is not entitled to it.
The cOrrupting influence upon the
body polite of the purchase and sale
Of votes and the evils growing ont Of
such a system are pointed out in
strong language in the draft of his
message
The steps taken by sister states to-
wards restriction of the ballot are re-
ferred to, and while there is no sup-
gestion of any particular plan for Sc
curing the desired end, the governors
idea that the mass of the ignorant ne
gro vote should be eliminated is made
clear
He is decidedly specific, however, in
his declaration that the distinction
should not be of race color, and that
it should not be based on property
qualification that would eliminate
man for lack of this worlds goods.
Virtue and intelligence-good citizen
ship-that should be the test. It is
understood that several bills looking
to such an amendment to the consti-
tuition have been prepared by members
of the Legislature, and this franchise
matter promises to become one of the
most interesting before the general as
sembly.
Tax Commission Upheld.
Governor Gambler naturally devotes
considerable space in his message to
the necessity for tightening the bur-
dens of taxation wherever it is possi-
BILE, and for economy in the expendi-
ture of the peoples money. That was
one of the chief planks on which he
made his campaign, and his whole re-
cord has borne out his professions in
this regard. He will tell of the
work of the tax commission, whose
report will be presented during the
early days of the legislatures session,
and will commend the whole subject
to the careful consideration of the
states lawmakers.
With regard to the public schools of
the state, Governor Gambler will urge
that they should be more closely re-
stricted to the elementary branches,
as is contemplated by the constitution
and IN the acts establishing the public
school system. He thinks there has
been too much of tendency toward
higher branches; and this, he thinks.
is perversion of the intent of the
public school system, and one that
does grave injustice to the people who
are really meant to be benefited by the
public schools.
Crime and mob violence will be
dwelt on at some length. The gov
ernor points out the expense of the
administration of the criminal laws in
the state, showing that the cost is
more than half a million dollars for
melting out justice to the negroes
alone. He points out the injustice of
charging the acts of the criminal class
against the race, and tells OF the many
leading negroes who are as law-abiding
as the whites, and who join them in
condemnation not only of mob vio-
lence, but of the terrible crimes that
have melted such violence.
At the suggestion Of very many me-
chanics and artisans throughout the
state, Governor Gambler will recon-
mend the establishment of bureau
of labor statistics as n part of the ag-
ricultural department.. Most of the
states of the union have such depart
ments, and the statistics they gather
have proven of great value in many
ways.