The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1910-06-30

! tutional right to vote. negroes sufFi.
Gent in number to easily hold the
balance of power in case Of q close
division of the whites have quail.
fed.
Governor Brown holds that the
white citizenry of Georgia is honest.
intelligent and responsible, and that
each unit of 1t should have available
the power to protect his rights bv the
! freeman's weapon, the ballot: ano.
therefore, recommends that the limit
between the close of the registration
books and the date of elections he re-
duced to thirty days.
The ends of good government de-
mand that the person who makes
venal use OF the franchise shall be de.
MED the privilege Of voting, but be.
cause he is per Sc voter is no
ground upon which to base a suspicion
of Yenality. The law should be aim
ed at the criminal and not at the
honest man. 1t is not fair to disfran.
chise possible fifty good citizens in
order to catch one venal voter.
1t will, the governor believes. be
admitted that those voters. excepting
negroes, at whom stringent regula-
tions are aimed, will be found almost
exclusively in the cities. Not that the
citizenry of our MUNICIPALITIES is not
of high ordef, but owing to the
thick population election evils may
be more easily perpetrated in them
than in rural communities. Governor
Brown therefore makes the suggestion
that if discrimination is to be made
it be in favor Of rather than against
the rural voters; that if severe re-
strictions Phust be had, that they be
placed upon the cities alone. In many
states THAT are noted for their pro
gressivel legislation with regard to the
ballot yno registration is required in
purely rural communities
Th9 governor thinks that if reg
istration should be required in rural
COM nunities, better provision for the
convenience of the voters should be
made, and he suggests that registrars
Should be provided for each militia
4 district, or the tax collector should
be compelled to visit in person or by
agent each militia district on some
fixed or advertised days before eacn
primary or general election for the
purpose of affording each voter this
facility without extreme inconvenience
Prompt Payment Of Teachers.
In his first message Governor
Brown called attention to the propri-
ETY. of deyising some plan for the
prompt payment Of the school teachers
OF the state, and suggested that there
| be an amendment to the constitution
authorizing the issuance Of about
! 100000 of bonds, the proceeds of
which to be used to create perma-
nent loan fund for the payment of
teachers salaries to be returned to
this loan fund in December when the
taxes are collected. The governor
renews this suggestion and states he
considers not the means, but the end
| important, and should the gen.
eral assembly adopt some other
practicable method by which the
same result may be secured, it will
receive his hearty concurrence.
State School Department.
/ Governor Brown directs the atten-
ton of the general assembly to need
of better laws governing the system
Of popular education in this state. He
maintains that the state school de-
partment is barely more than cler-
ical bureau organized for the purpose
of distributing the educational fund
appropriated by the state, and for
that purpose even it is not as well
provided for as its Importance de-
serves. This department, which is
expected to supervise the distribution
of two and one-half millions Of dollars
or approximately one-half Of the
states total revenue-annually, is
/ operated at less than $4,000 annual ex-
/ pense. It's head, who is supposed to
| be the head of our public school sys-
tenn. gets a salary which is smaller
than that paid to the superintendent
of schools in many towns and coun-
ties.
Governor Brown thinks the stare
board of education should be so re-
organized as to be composed OF ex-
I perienced educators, and It's authority
should be extended the state scnovi
commissioner should be made state
school superintendent, in fact as well
as in name, with authority to give,
under the supervision OF the state
board of education, some direction in
the modes by which the school ap-
organizations should be expended in
different communities
Better Taxing System Needed.
Governor Brown believes that re-
form is needed in the tax-levying
methods of this state. He points out
that the present system is old, cum
bersome. crude, inadequate and un-
lust. and shows that under the pres
emit system it is impossible to secure
uniformity or equality OF taxation.
He recommends the enactment OF
legislation providing new system
Of taxation. with boards OF equalizers
for each county, and state board of
eoualizers upon whom shall devolve
the duty of assessing all property now
reouired to be returned to the comp
ltrolller general, as well as equalizing
the assessment in the various counties
of the state.
Anticipating that the cry may be
raised that this will increase taxes,
the governor, in his message, states:
mo greater sophistry could be en-
Moved to deceive the unsuspecting
mind. It will not mean that the to-
taI amount of taxes paid shall be
more, 1t will mean that some who
are now paying less than their snare
win be compelled to pay more, while