The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1905-04-05

lima plan also claim that under the
local option law 120 rural counties of
Georgia have declared for prohibi-
ton. These are small counties and the
voters are composed largely of indie
pendent farmers. who act and think
for themselves and can and will pre-
vent the election of any man for gov
ernor who is friendly to the whiskey
interest; that they have majority of
all of the votes east in convention
and can shape the policies of the par
ty. 1t is claimed that if the South
Carolina plan is adopted the large
counties of the state, all of which, as a
rule, are wet, could and would control
the election of the governor, who
would, if they demanded, veto any leg
islation friendly to the prohibition in
terests. They claim that the preponder-
ance of strength now eXerted by these
rural counties would be lost by them,
and that the farmers, who compose
their voting strength, would be in the
hopeless minority in shaping the poll
cy of the state and absolutely power
less to prevent any legislation I'M
friendly to their interests. They also
claim that it would be specially I'M
fortunate at the present to adopt this
plan in view of the fact, it is asserted,
that the small cities and towns in the
rural communities are suffering from
excessive freight rates and inadequate
depot facilities, and that they need all
the power they now have to shape
such legislation as will give the rail
road commission extended power and
bring about better. condition of af-
fairs.
Il cannot say now whether the small
counties are prepared to act upon the
suggestion made and surrender their
present preponderance of strength in
shaping the policies of the party to
the will of the few larger counties. 1t
seems to me, however, that it is a mat !
t ~ we'll worth the attention of the peo- |
pie of the whole state, and especially |
those of the smaller counties. This !
matter has never been considered by /
the state committee since | have been |
chairman, but [ understand that it |
has been brought to the attention of I
the committee on more than one Occa- |
sion with the view of having a general |
state primary on the South Carolina |
plan, in which the votes would be |
counted in aggregate and not on /
basis of county representation. 1t /
seems, however, that in each instance
the committee has promptly refused to
act on the suggestion that the smaller
counties absolutely surrender their
power in shaping the destiny of the
state by becoming subservent to the
will of a few. The committee seems to
have acted on the idea that it would
put the smaller counties entirely out
of business, as the aggregate vote of
a dozen cities could control the cleo
ton of all state house officials, as the
voters in the large cities are brought
more compactly together and are much
more easily organized, and cast a
larger vote than the
farmers in the rural counties.
Speaking for myself, personally
will say that having been born and
reared in one of the small counties of
the state, and having lived in the rural
districts, 1 am willing to trust the
welfare and interest of Georgia to the
farmers$ mechanics and labOrers, who
the voting strength of the
smaller counties. 1t has never been
that they have ever been
bought or can be bought, nor that po-
litical corruption and political trad
ing has ever gained foothold among
their citizens.