Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-08-05
CLERK of the Su6sr,or Court of
Mitchell County Says That
Wingate's Commission Has
Not Yet Been Received
Camilla, Ga, July 80. 1910.


To the Editor of The Journal, Atlanta.
! Ga.
! Dear Sir: 1 notice in your issue Of July
i % that you have a letter published from
Mr. Benjamin NJ. Blackburn. secretary
executive department. addressed, to you.
relative to the matter of w. ]. Wingate,
who was recently elected justice of the
peace for the 791st district, in this coun-
ty, but has never yet received his COM
mission. As had some connection
with this matter, and as some of the peo-
pie In this county have the impression
that have been somewhat negligent IN
the matter, 1 would appreciate 1t II you
would publish this letter and give 1t the
| same prominence that was given MT
Blackburn's letter.
In Mr.. Blackburn's letter he makes the
statement: mo returns Of this election
were ever received at the office OF Sec
rotary of state" Mr.. Wingate was elect
ed on Saturday, April 1G, and on the fol-
lowing Monday the managers of the cleo
ton brought in the returns to the court
house, and filed them in my office; and l
advised them that one of the returns had
| to be sent to the governor. They did
not know exactly how to do this, and
asked me to mail it for them, and 1 did
so. Our superior court was in session
here that week. and I knew that the
grand jury would select several notaries
public and ex-officio justices Of the
peace. and consequently / did not mail
the returns of Mr.. Wingate's election I'M
| til after the notaries public had been
| selected by the grand jury, so that
could send them all In at once. The
court was in session almost the entire
nd he nd
their presentments until the latter part
of the week. On the Tuesday following,
April 426, 1 mailed the governor the names
of these notaries public: Mr.. Joe Stevens,
of the 79l st district, and Mr.. z. H. Jones.
of the 1194th district, as required by the
law, together with the election returns
of Mr. Wingate's election. They were
all in the same envelope, the election
returns of Mr.. Wingates election, the APP
pointments of the notaries public. The
code provides that these be sent to the
governor, not the secretary of state, and
they were sent to the governor.
The following letter shows that this
letter was duly received at the COVER
nor's office:
- Department of State,
Atlanta, July 20, 1910.
Hon ]. @. Wood, Camilla, Ga:
Dear Sir: 1 enclose you an election
I
county There is no evidence that the
ma nagers took the oath required ny law
enclose you a blank-will you please
see that the managers sign the oath, and
otherwise fill out the blank properly?
! 1 cannot certify the party elected to
the governor for commission unless the
/ law is fully complied with.
| THIS RETURN WAS TURNED OVER
TO THIS OFFICE TODAY, AS 1T WAS
4
SECRETARY OF THE EXECUTIVE
| DEPA RTMENT. I mention this fact to
| clear this office of any negligence in tn e
matter, as the election was held on the
10th of April, 1910
| Yours truly,
PHILIP COOK,
Secretary of state.
| Per Johnson.
As my letter to the governor was mail
cd April IS this shows that IL lay in the
office of the secretary Of the executive
! Just exactly three months.
When I found that the commissions
were not issued 1 wrote the governor in
reference to the matter on May 20, and
he replied that he would see where the
! fault lay and instruct that the commits
sions be sent PROMPTLY.
again wrote the governor. on May 25,
calling his attention to the fact the no
public and the returns from the election
had been sent him on the 26th OF April
The commissions was finally issued to
all three-Mr. Jones, Mr.. Stevens and Mr..
wingate-but the commission issued to
Mr. wingate was made out to him as a
notary public instead of as elected Justice
of the peace In other words commissions
were issued for two notaries public in
the same district for terms Of office run
ming at the same time, and no commission
was issued for an elected justice Of the
peace at all. Then 1t was that the ordi-
nary wrote the governor, on July II, call
/ ing attention to this mistake. and return
ing the commission for correction, and
this letter from Mr.. Cook published
herewith, is the last results that have
been received from this correspondence.
Mr.. wingate has not yet received his
commission, but II now seems that 1t will
undoubtedly be issued some time In the
next day or two.
I merely wish this letter published for
the purpose of showing the people in this
county that the delay in the issuing OF
this commission is, in no wise, to any
fault or negligence on my part.
Yours truly.
]. T. GREEN,
Clerk Superior Court, Mitchell County.