The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1908-08-19
riSdictiOn.

AuOIueI CudpIeI Has bttu duu6u
TO the continued story of the effort
20 abolish the City Court of Dawson.
1t was done Saturday at one of the
most interesting political meetings
that has occurred in a long while.
At the request of thirteen of the
eighteen members the chairman
called meeting of the democratic
executive committee for Saturday for
the purpose of submitting the ques-
ton of abolishing the city court to
vote of the people at the state cleo
tion in October.
When the committee was called to
order the following answered to their
names on roll call: M. c. Edwards,
chairman; G. W. Bass, J. L. Hill,
G. NJ. Roberts, A. w. Fleming,
J. H. Sem, G. T. Marshall, E. w.
Aven T. w. Haddock, w. S. Thorn
ton and G. w. Bell ]. G. Dean, A. T.
Wall and w. b. Dismuke were rep
resented by J. r. Irwin as proxy,
j. II. Pritchard by r. w. Aven, and
J. w. Fillingame by H. A Wilkin-
son as proxy. The other two mem
bers of the committee, J. F. Cooke
and j. T. Waller were absent In
the absence of the SECRETARY Mr.. G.
w. Bass acted in that capacity.
Chairman Edwards stated that the
request of the thirteen members for
a meeting of the committee for the
purpose of arranging for an election
on the city court had been handed
to him by Senator-elect J. r. Irwin,
who was one of the most active of
those who wanted to abolish the
court. He said that the meeting had
been called Ito consider such matters
as may legitimately come within the
purvieW of the comm. ttee, and that
ne had Intentionally given the meet
ing wider scope than the city court
question, as the only duty of the
committee is to look after the affairs
and interests of the democratic party,
and not to take charge of matters
generally. He concluded by stating
that as he was Judge of the city court
he would retire from the meeting in
order that the committee might be
relieved of any embarrassment in
what it might do and asked that
some one be called to the chair in
his stead
Get Down TO Business.
The committee requested that he
remain in the chair, and the real
business of the meeting was opened
by the introduction of a resolution by
Mr.. Irwin providing that the question
of abolishing the city court be sub
mitted to the voters of the county at
the next state election.
Mr. H. A. Wilkinson gained the
floor and proceeded to lambast the
proposition by declaring it to be the
most remarkable ever heard Of He
charged that an effort was being
made to have the democratic party
take hand in private and personal
matter, a matter which was in no
sense a party affair. and that the
committee would stultify itself if it
even attempted to deal with some
thing over which it had no jurisdfc-
ton. He defended the court. and
declared that Notwithstanding state
ments to the contrary it was of bene-
fit to the county. He further said
tied by a vote Of the people, as the
court could only be abolished by the
legislature, which had refused to do
so at its last two sessions. You can
vote every day from now until
doomsday' he declared, land never
move the court an inch" He asked
if an election was held who would
count and consolidate the votes. and
who the returns would be made to-
to Mr.. Irwin? The speaker also took
the position that there was no law
or authority to put on the ballots
for the regular state election any
thing but the names Of regular can.
didates for Office and question that
had been submitted by the legisla-
ture to the people Anything else.
ne said, might be illegal and in
validate the whole ticket.
Says the People Have Been Throtled.
Mr.. Irwin took the floor in de-
tense of his resolution, and for sew
eral minutes spoke earnestly in favor
Of the people voting on the court.
1t is not pretended that a vote of
the people would settle the question,
he said, but it would settle one
thing, and that is whether the peo-
pie of the county favor or oppose
he city court. What objection, he
isked, could there be to this? The
ines who oppose giving the people a
chance to express themselves, he de-
clared, are those who would be
financially hurt by the courts abol-
iShment.
He charged that they had fought
before the Legislature a proposition
to submit the question to the people,
and now they were at home contin-