Fitzgerald enterprise. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1895-1912, 1904-06-28
CITY COURT.

AS CO1LOL VI IaC CnICl ~ 1SO
was in Atlanta last week and was
doing little talking for a city
court for Fitzgerald. The Allan
ia Journal man some how got the
impression that he was a mem
Der of the senate.
The Journal of the 23rd quotes
him on the city court proposition:
Senator J. E. Mercer, editor
of the Fitzgerald Enterprise, and
one of the leaders of thought and
commerce in his section, is one
of the figures of the present
session of the senate. Senator
Mercer is always alive to the in
terests of the people he repre-
sents and is one of the best post
ed men in his portion of the state.
Just now Senator Mercer is in
terested in the creation of city
court for Fitzgerald. In speak
ing of the situation therehe says:
"A fine rain Tuesday evening
put new life not only into the
crops but the people, for our i'm
mediate section had suffered
more than any other part of the
state. Fitzgerald continues to
grow, large number of build
ings are going up and the great
est confidence prevaites with our
business men and among the
people generally. This will I'M
doubtedly prove the best year in
the history of our truly wonder
full little city. The cotton mills
are putting in new machinery
with view to doubling their ca
pacity. A compress is being
erected and will be ready for the
very first of the new crop. Our
other industries are all doing
well. Our population has vastly
more than doubled since the CEN
sus of 1900.
Speaking of new counties, 1
am gratified to note that the gov
ernor has called attention in his
message to the question, for one
of our greatest handicaps con-
sists in the necessity for trip
of II miles through the country
to attend court. Several other of
South Georgia's best towns labor
under the same difficulties, and
everybody realizes how impos-
sible it is to change county sites,
so we must change county lines.
Our case is more urgent than
any other perhaps in the state.
The county site is not only mac
ceSslble to an aggravated de-
gree, but unlike the other little
cities we have no city court, and
every month it is necessary for
lawyers, 1itigants, witnesses,
ETC., to go the 11-mile journey to
attend county court, for which
we furnish much more than half
the business. I believe Fitzger-
aid is the only town in the state
with 1000 inhabitants that has
not the advantage of a court at
home with the single exception
of Cordele, and they have two di-
rect lines of railroad to the
court house, with convenient
schedules, besides I understand
they will ask for a court. But
as everything comes to those who
will not wait, but get out and
hustle for it, we, of course, ex-
pect to get all that's coming to
Fitzgerald. You can hardly real
ize, at least many of our home
people do not apparently realize,
that we now have a population
within two or three miles of our
city hall greater than the popula-
ton of the county at the time the
colony was founded eight years
ago. We could give many good
reasons for a city court for Fitz-
gerald, such as reducing the
terms ofour superior courts from
two weeks to one, and handling
class of criminals with which we
have to deal with a promptness
that would have wholesome in
1uence, but these matters will
have attention at the proper time.
You can just say that the best
town in South Georgia is making
not only progress, but strides of
progress, and we have learned to
enjoy overcoming obstacles and,
of course, we expect to put this
one out of the road, and may un-
dertaka RI do Gu ,sioh% oVry, =, ~