The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1905-06-14

result of Mr. Guerry's campaign, at
| the time Mr. Smith was in the OppOsi-
! ton, the people elected house OF rep
| resentatives who could and did pass
measures that were opposed by these
corporations. The franchise tax bill
! became law at the last legislature:
the bill to take away passes from the
! Judges of the supreme and superior
courts also was passed; the bill to tax
! foreign capital engaged in business IN
! this state passed the house at its ses-
! sion in 1902 In 1904 the bill prOvid-
ing for the assessment of property OF
corporations returned to the comp
roller general for taxation passed the
| house. In 1898 there was introduced
into the house of representatives a bill
requiring all foreign railroads Oper-
ating in this state to become incOrpor-
ated under the laws of Georgia. 1t
was we'll known to the people OF the
state that the southern railroad had
purchased at foreclosure sales large
part of the railroads of the state.
That in violation of the laws of the
state these railroads had been merged
into one corporation, created by the
state of Virginia, and that this cor
pOratiOn was operating these railroads |
in this state without authority from |
and in open violation of the law. The |
great issue was Joined between the |
people of the state and these corpora !
tiOns and trusts over the passage of |
the bill. These corporations fully !
realized that the enactment Of this |
measure into law would forever and |
at once put an end to their power in |
the government of Georgia.; and in the
fight they brought to bear all the re-
sources in their power. This bill |
contained the very germ of state sOYer-
eighty, the great democratic principle
that the state had the right to control
all corporations carrying on business
within its borders. 1t was on account
of this great principle that this bill
was so desperately opposed by these
corporations. 1t was defeated in 1898,
and again 1900; but in 1904 the house
of representatives passed this great
measure by an overwhelming vote,
and when it's fate was hanging in the
balance in the senate, and these cor
pOratiOns were putting forth every eff
fort in their pOWe" to defeat it, the
Atlanta Journal came to their aid, and
in a leading editorial of that paper
doodiICu tllO Pl lACipISS VI IlllS Dlll III
most bitter terms.
81 now call on the Atlanta Journal
to republish that editorial, and, in
view Of it, to explain to the people of
Georgia what right it has to dictate
the candidates who shall stand for
these principles?
81 protest most earnestly that these
great principles are too important, too
vital, to the best interests of all the
people of this state to be sacrificed
by the petty rivalry of two men and
two newspapers for the control of pol
itics in Georgia.
81 now state to those men who be-
lieve in true democratic principles,
and who are seeking disnterestedly to
break the present political power OF
Georgia, that the real and true friends
of these principles WILL at the proper
time, put forward a declaration of
principles and will name man who
will represent these principles in the
democratic primary for governor in
1906. JOSEPH H. HALL"