The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1901-12-19
A MELANGE Of
LIVE TOPICS
Penned for JournaI Readers
by a Local Scribe.
THE EMPIRIC STATE.

The Standard Dictionary defines
the word empiric as 'generalizing
from limited facts, hence charla-
tanism, etc Georgia is proudly
claimed by it's too partial inhabi-
tants to be the Empire State of
the South" but in view of its real
position in the group of Southern
states, the designation of the
Empire State of the South"
would be more in keeping with it's
actual character.
Our state is certaialy not an
empire so far as territory and pop
ulation are concerned being sur
passed in both respects by Texas.
Hence the conclusion is that we
found our claims to pre-eminent
greatness upon our progressive
ness. A short examination Of con-
ditlons existing in this state will
show that this assumption is not
well supported. Among tine most
important essentials of progress
sive state is the casting aside of
conditions which have been proved
to be out of harmony with the
welfare of the community, and the
substitution in their places of re-
form which have been tried and
found to be beneficial. In three of
these respects Georgia is near the
foot Of the column Of the southern
states.
The purity of the ballot box is,
or should be, the highest object of
a republics concern, because, in a
republic, it is of the utmost i'm
portance thatssssthe public will
should be fairly ard certainly
known. Georgia is one of the three
states in the United States which
has not adopted some form of the
Australian or secret ballot.
Educational facilities are an
other prime condition of a pro-
gressive state. Our common
wealth is nearly if not quite at the
foot of southern states in this re-
spect. The state now owes it's
teachers 81 100000, with no mon
ey with which to pay them, and
with 100000 ~ years. for the
Atlanta depot deducted from the
rental of the w. & A. railway, ne
cessltating a still further reduc-
ton of the direct appropriation
for schools, the cause of education,
In this state, is in a highly unsat-
lsfactory condition. On account
presumably of bad facilities for
instruction only 40 per cent. of
children of school age are enrolled
this year i'll the public schools of
Georgia. In times past the at
tendance mere has been large,
larger proportionately than that
of the New England states.
No state can be great and pro-
gresslve where crime, especially
murder and the nameless crime of
negroes, is as rampant as 1t Is IN
Georgia. One can hardly read the
Atlanta papers nowadays without
seeing horrifying accounts of
blood-shed ard bestiality in all
parts of this community. Men,
like wild beasts, give free rein to
their evil propensities in total dis
regard of the law, a single melee
frequently resulting in the loss of
several lives. A Tennessee Judge
stated from the bench a few days
ago that murder in that state is
terribly common, but that the fire.
quencv of this crime is even great.
er in Georgia than in that state.
Has the administration of law
anything to do with this state OF
atfairs?s ~ $3.50 $3.50 60; , ,e., .
II Georgia desiresssssto be the
Empire State of thesSouth" in
fact as we'll as in name it must
make d radical change in it's meth.
DDS.
X X