Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-07-02
CA. LEGISLATORS
FIGHT BR|STOW
AMENDMENT
South Thinks Bill Gives Govern
ment Too Much Authority in
State Elections.

declaring the noteu BrlStoN amend
ment providing for direct election Of
United States senators, was not adopt
ed by the necessary two-thirds vote of
congress, Hooper Alcxander today
opened war in the house Of represen-
Catives against Georgia. ratification of
the amendment He offered resolu-
ton which was adopted, calling for an
congress passed the amendment pro
vlso. and asked that sister states be
given notice of Georgias fight on the
/ proposed amendment.
There is marked opposition in the
F., Georgia legislature to the BristoW
amendment not in that it gives the
people the right to choose their sena-
tors. but in that it gives the Federal
government authority over these cleo
lions The Southern states oppose this
not only because they fear that ne
groes viii be permitted to vote in such
elections but because the amendment
takes away the rights of the individual
states to manage their own affairs.
Governor Brown today transmitted
to the house the message from con-
gress notifying the legislature of the
! passage Of the Bristow amendment and
asking that the Legislature vote on its
lratification. 1t is necessary that three
fourths Of the state legislatures ratify
the amendment before it becomes a
law. 1t was after the reading of this
message that Mr. Alexander fired his
first gun.
i Test Vote on Falls Suit.
Mr. Alexander maintains that tbs
Irecord shows that there was not
lirue twot thirds vote of the national
house upon this question but only two
thirds Of those present, the vote there
fore being unconstitutional He be-
| lieves that when this point is raised
by opponents of the measure in the
congress the amendment will be de-
feated
What is taken to be as a test vote
on the sentiment of the state senate
| relative to the reopening of the Tallu-
lab Falls controversy was polled today.
when the Shaw resolution requesting
the governor to bring suit to fully es-
| tablish the Tallulah land titles. was
sent to the general judiciary commit
tee by vote of Fl to t8
This is taken to mean that the SEN
ate viii regard unfavorably any move
ment to INSTINCT on the Talulah mat
J ter The vote on the Shaw resolution
| took strangely enough the old Smith
Brown alignment Senator Sheppard.
recognized as the leader of the senate
spoke for immediate action and favored
the adoption of the resolution He
said:
Put this matter outside of politics
1t is not a political question. The
cruX of the argument is a legal ques-
ton. The grants to the Tallulah lands
under discussion. together with the
plats show that all the land was ceded
| by the state, while the original field
notes of the survey indicate that the
surveyor did not run his line to the
stream, but only to the brink of the
gorge This creates the legal ques-
ton: Do the grants and plat tran
scend the field notes? tell you it is
a question that only the supreme court
Hard Fight Expected.
While the resolution did not become
subject to general debate a hard fight
will develop on the political lines in
dicated by today's vote.
The senate determination to play a
hands-off policy with the Georgia dele
cation at the national Democratic con-
vention has again been manifested The
| Alexander resolution which passed the
house after a lively scrap Yesterday
ment in the senate.
In fact the senators who thought that
the Georgia delegation acted unrea-
sonably when it voted against the
! Bryan resolution in Baltimore were in
the smoking rom discussing Wilson's
nomination chances when house res
outon was read. Not three senators
out Of the 40 present appeared interest
ed in the resolution at all
Let the resolution be referred to
the general judiciary committee in
structed President Slaton This was
done
! A number of general bills. chief
among them one to regulate the man
ner in which stock and bond issues are
approved by the state railroad commits
sion went to the senate. Senator Shep-
pard author Of the bill. said the meas
ure was designed to correct promotion
abuses The bill provides that the rail-
road commission may not approve a
stock and bond issue where the stock
has ben given to promoters for fran
chises It also prohibits the approval
Of issues in which The stock has not
been subscribed at par.
Lieutenant Governor Bill Sent Back.
The bill by Mr. McElreath. of Full
ton. creating the office of lieutenant
governor by a constitutional amend
ment when taken up for passage in the
house today brought on a sharp debate.
Joe Hill Hall Of Bid. demanding that
( it be sent back TO the committee for
the purpose OF having it changed. He
obiectcd priuctDallN 10 the DroNision