The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1908-04-22
is DENOUNCED BY PRESIDENT
DUCKWORTH OF THE STATE
FARMERS UNION.
He Imputes Want of Candor to Gov
ernOr. AstOnished at Special
Privilege Given Foreign
Immigration Agent.

immigration Agent.
President R. F. Duckworth, head
of the Farmers Union of Georgia,
has given out an intensely incisive
communication dealing with the or
der of the railroad commission OF
March 27 and made public on April
IA, when Correspondent Ulm of The
Macon Telegraph and The Augusta
Chronicle got on the track of it and
secured it for publication.
AS is we'll known the Farmers
Union has strongly combatted the i'm
migration movement, urging among
other things that it was not only a
threat to Georgia labor, but that an
other of it's effects would be the
cheapening of the price of cotton.
President Duckworth evidently
takes violent exception to the order
of the commission, at the issuance
of which he expresses his astonish-
ment
His statement is as follows:
President DuckwOrth's Statement.
ITO the Public: In the state pa
pers of April IA l find, much to my
establishment, an order issued by the
railroad commission of Georgia on
March 27 as follows:
March "a, 1908. File 1888.
Mr.. John A. Betjeman, Chairman,
Albany, Ga.-Dear Sir: The commu-
nication addressed by you to the rail-
road commission of Georgia making
application for the suspension OF the
order of this commission relative to
the issuance of free transportation,
so far as you as chairman of the
Georgia immigration Association are
concerned, has been considered by
the commission, and it is the opinion
of the board that the issuance OF
transportation by the railway COM
panies in this state to you as chair
man of the association referred to
does not come within the class OF
transportation prevented by this Or
der, and if any railroad company ID
this state should be inclined to ISSUE
YOU transportation upon the account
stated this will be their authority
to do SO, it being now held that such
issuance is not in conflict with any
rule or order of this commission.
This authorization, however, is sub
ject to repeal at any time, but OF
any such action all parties will have
due notice.
"'By order of the commission.
[Signedl Geo. F. Montgomery,
Secretary
Duckworth's Comment.
when the governor told us that
he believed he could convince the
people of his position we thought
that he meant in a public discussion
of the question, and we told him that
we would be glad to see him try It..
I'm fact, we thought that If he
wanted to discuss the question be-
fore the public the Farmers Union
would be glad to have a representa-
tive present to present its side or
the question, but from this clipping
it seems that the governor did not
mean that he would meet fairly and
-suuarely upon the stump the views
of the Farmers Union and discuss
the question before the public, but
that it was his purpose to nave the
railroad commission to assist the
bringing of immigrants by furnish
ing free passes to the chairman of
the Foreign immigration Associa-
ton.
ut looks to us like scheme by
which the administration hoped to
thwart the will of the public and
force upon the people foreign immi-
grafton, which they were so strong
ly opposing.
"The Farmers Union is still ready
to meet any man on the stump who
will champion the cause Of foreign
immigration, and we believe that our
reasons will appeal to the masses of
the people of the state of Georgia,
and we will only be too glad to meet
any man (whose reputation or fol-
lowing is worth consideration on the
stump in a discussion of this ques-
ton, let it come early or late.
"R. F. DUCKWORTH,
Georgia Pres. Farmers Union.
Union City, Ca, April Is, 1908"