Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-07-02
GOVERNOR BROWNS
INITIAL MESSAGE
Document Contains Between Six
and Seven Thousand Words and
Is Conservative in It's General
Tone.

/ eight thousand words. and deals with
many perplexing problems of state ac-
cording to the views of the chief ex-
ecutive. 1t is conservative docu-
ment. dwelling. in parts, upon the pro-
visions of the platform upon which
Governor Brown was nominated, and
referring frequently to constitutional
provisions of law.
The message in full, follows:
STATE OF GEORGIA,
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT.
ATLANTA, July l, 1909.
To the General Assembly:
At the threshold Of the assumption
/ of the duties which the call of a free
people has imposed upon us, 1t is we'll
, to remember the constitutional limita-
lions of each department of the state
government and, while maintaining the
integrity and Impotence Of each with
in it's proper sphere as the surest safe
guard Of our republican institutions,
to so generously cooperate that our
united labors may enlarge the bene-
nts of the public service, and thus
fulfill our obligations as faithful serv-
ants of the people
/ While the executive may recommend
! legislation, the duty and the responsi-
bility of making laws must, and should
rest upon you as the chosen agents Of
the people to give legislative expression
! to their will.
/ In full recognition Of this RESPONSE
bility. and in a kindly spirit of comfy
and cooperation. 1 beg to lay before
you certain matters which to me seem
timely and expedient
A CONSTRUCTIVE GEORGIA.
In endeavoring to solve the problems
confronting us as the result of events
reaching back into the years 19O5-'0G,
we must ever have in mind the motto
words of our great state: Wisdom,
Justice. moderation" We must putt be-
hind us animosity, discard denuncih-
ton. and accord to those who difftr
with us the right to hold individual
opinions and to exercise individual
judgments-the right guaranteed to all
by the spirit of our institutions and
the letter of our laws.
Moved by this spirit, let me quote
4 to you the following words from the
Democratic platform, whereunder the
people of this commonwealth entrusted
, the administration Of their affairs TO
our hands:
I'VE pledge, not only to citizens #
/ this state, but to citizens of other
states. that all capital invested in
legitimate enterprises in Georgia.
whether foreign or domestic, corporate
or private, shall have the equal pro-
lection of the laws. and the equal
/ friendly consideration Of those who
! administer the laws"
; The above words are but an amplifi-
cation of the principle enunciated in the
I bill Of rights Of the constitution OF
] Georgia:
Protection to person and property is
the paramount duty Of government and
shall be impartial and complete"
] Hence we find the synonymous words
! equal" and Impartial in the two
mandates which declare the will OF
/ the sovereign people
Equality and 'impartiality," there
fore. we may esteem the key-words IN
the states relationship to the citizen
equality of obligation by the citizen to
the state; equality Of opportunity for
the citizen with the citizen; and equal
, ity Of the protection to the citizen by
the state. And this equality or i'm
partiality the state explicitly DEGREES
does to the citizen. Just as there shall
be no discrimination against a citizen
in favor CT other citizens, so there
shall be no discrimination against one
species of legitimate property in favor
of other species of legitimate property.
All must obey the law, and all while
obeying the law, must be protected in
| equality of rights. And IL there he
found abuses in the handling Of prop
erty, we must apply the hands OF the
law to those who abuse their trust, in
( stead of impairing or destroying the
income Of the innocent; for events nave
proved that when we destroy. or seri-
ously curtain that income. we force
out Of employment thousands Of Geor-
4 ria's sons Of toll. whose wages, while
provfding sustenance for their fami-
lies. are distributing benefits in every
community wherein they dwell There
fore. upon equality, or fairness, is built
I'D prosperity and the state whose laws
command or permit the contrary in
vites catastrophe With equality as a
standard let the peoples will be done.
In fraternity and cooperation let us
move forward a constructive Georgia.
| But we cannot have a constructive
! Georgia II we have not capital And
we have not. as the possession of Geor-
( CLANS. capital sufficient to develop her
water powers: to erect factories for the
J opera ton of which we have so many
: varied resources; to build railroads of
which some of our counties have not
one (while none of them have all they
/ need) and TO furnish more banking
capital, of which we are vastly behind
our necessary limit The shortage thus
| existing reaches not merely into every
Industrial ard commercial center. but
into practically every farmers home in
| Georgia.
! Therefore. to induce foreign capital
hither. we must guarantee 10 IT not
only the protection of its principal. but
as certainly the protection of its power
1 to earn a rec sonabIe income That pro-
| lection must be. as our state consti-
tuition says, Impartial" II must be
as our convention platform said.
equal" The capitalist from outside of
4 the state must have the guarantee that
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