The Savannah morning news., 1904-06-23

IA L. y ONE ZO. lJU4.
your consideration Of the growing SEM
timent in our state in favor of placing
around our primary elections every
safeguard necessary to make them alb
soluteiy fair in every particular. These
elections are now practically the equl-
valent of general elections in Georgia,
and no voter should be allowed to vote
therein unless constitutionally and in
pursuance of law eligible to do so, and
every vote deposited should be sacred
ly guarded. and with sorupulous hon
esty counted. recommend, there
fore, that you pass an act making all
election and registration laws extend
to primary elections-municipal, coun-
ty, state and federal-so far as the
same may be applicab bic, and provide
for the infiiction of appropriate penal
ties upon any person violating any
of said avs in registering for or vot-
ing at such primary election. Appro-
pirate legislation should also be en-
acted providing for contests before
proper executive committees of the
party. and giving authority to SAID
committees. or under their direction,
to subpoena witnesses, administer
oaths. and do such other acts as may
be necessary under the rules and reg
ulations of the party, to ascertain or
declare the person or persons entitled
to receive the nomination of the party,
and to provide for appeals. The pay
of managers holding the elections. and
the clerks serving thereat, should, In
the case of primaries, as in general
elections, be borne by the counties
or state. and the use of money, by a
candidate for Office, to influence vot-
ers to support him, should render him
ineligible to hold office. Public Of
flee is a public trust, and the man
who seeks to purchase it demonstrates
his unworNhiness to fill it. The price
of an office should be measured by
the worthiness of the man to fill it,
and not by the money which he has,
and his willingness to purchase it. Any
other rule must inevitably lead to the
result that only the rich may aspire
to Office
For Immigration Commission.
AS to immigration, the message
THE scarcity of labor during the
growing and harvesting season has be-
come a serious problem to the farmers
of Georgia, and similar conditions
throughout the Southern states have
checked the production of cotton. The
worlds demand for this most used of
faster than the supply. European
countries are making systematic and
persistent efforts to develop new cot
ton fields in other lands and although
at present these are not profitable,
they may become sources of supply,
and compete with us in the production
of the staple. as Egypt and India have
already done 1t behooves us, there
fore, to meet the worlds demand for
cotton. We have land enough, and the
only obstacle in our way is the lack
of labor to make the crop. There is
in this state a vast extent of virgin
soil, cleared by sawmills, which is as
fully productive as that under cultiva-
tion, and would be quickly brought
under the pillow, if there were suff1-
Cient labor to cultivate it.
To Encourage Immigration.
Beyond question, it is wise to en-
courage the immigration to our state
of thrifty American people. This has
been the policy of Western states. and
their growth in wealth, productive
power, and all that makes "a common
wealth great, has excited the wonder
and admiration of the world. Irnnigra-
ton may be best encouraged through
a state commission, and l recommend
that one be established. Some of our
philosophical citizens, composing the
Greater Georgia Association, have be
gun this work at their own expense.
and with funds raised in thirty towns
and cities, not directly interested in
farming, they have advertised the re-
sources of the state, and made them
known to millions of people. Several
thousand persons have manifested in
terest in Georgia, and many have al
ready become citizens The state
should not leave this work to a few,
but should take it up and make it a
department of government. The great
need for immigration legislation is
shown also by the fact that Georgia
has given $4,000 of her people to other
states, and has received in return only
100, 600, the net loss being 222,000. This
tremendous drain upon the life's blood
of a commonwealth should cause Sc
rious concern, especially when Tabor is
already short lin our fields and fac
tories. An examination of the state
ments of the various banks throughout
the state will show the rapid accurnu-
lation of money, and that the deposits
subject to check are much larger than
ever before. Georgfans have ample
funds to develop the resources of the
state. The great need of the hour is
more men, rather than more money.
Drawing People Away.
1.-THE railways of the West are work
ing hard to induce our population to
leave us. Texas alone has $4,000 Geor-
CLANS. If we do not set counter in
f1uences to work, the drain will in
crease, and the labor problem will be-
come far more serious than it is at
present. 1t is a well-known fact, that
the agricultural population of the
Northern States are very much dis
satisfied with their present homes. on
account of the extreme cold winters
and many of them are turning their
faces to the inviting fields and genial
climate of the Southern States. Several
of these states have already inaugural
ed immigration work, and unless Geor-
gia makes an organized effort, she will
be unable to secure her share of these
people, who, as a rule, make useful
and desirable citizens. A commission
composed of one from each congress
sional district, and required to meet
quarterly or semi-annually, would
probably bring about the most salts
factory results, and at the same time
be the least expensive plan. Only
small appropriation to cover the ex-
penses of these meetings, and to pay
for clerical hire and advertising the re-
sources of the state, would be needed"
For New Counties.
The need for a revision Of county
lines and the creation of new coun-
ties, the Governor regards such as
to call for amendment to the constitu-
ton providing for the creation of new
counties up to a fixed limit, or by
such other legislation as will meet a
condition of serious and permanent
hardship the sections of the state en-