Atlanta Georgian., 1912-07-02
CA. LEG|SLATO
FIGHT BR|STOW
AMENDMENT
South Thinks Bill Gives Govern
ment Too Much Authority in
State Elections.

Declaring the noted Bristow amend
ment. providing for direct election u.
United states senato.s S, was not adopt
ed by the necessary two-thirds vote of
congress. Hooper Alexander today
opened war in the house of represen-
ftatives against Georgia's ratification of
the amendment He offered a resou-
ton. which was adopted. calling for an
investigation of the manner in which
congress passed the amendment pro-
viso, and asked that sister states be
given notice of Georgia fight on the
proposed amendment
There is marked opposition in the
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 will 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 it's
Qualification. 1t is necessary that three
fourths of the state legislatures ratify
the amendment before it becomes
law. 1t was after the reading of this
message that Mr.. Alexander fred his
first gun.
j Test Vote on Falls Suit.
Mr.. Alexander maintains that tho
record shows that there was not a
true two-thirds vote of the national
house upon this question, but only two
thirds of those present, the vote there
fore being Unconstitutional He be-
| ilieves 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-
lah Falls controversy was polled today
when the Shaw resolution. requesting
the governor to bring suit to fully es-
tabish the Tallulah land titles, was
sent to the general judiciary commit
tee by vote of 21 to 1S
This is taken to mean that the sem
ate will regard unfavorably any move
ment to instruct on the Tallulah mat
! ter. The vote on the Shaw resolution
took strangely enough the old Smith
Brown alignment Senator Sheppard,
recognized as the leader of the senate
faction commonly known as Smith,
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
ques tion that only the supreme court
of Georgia should decide.
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 todays vote.
The senate determination to play
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 lively scrap yesterday
: failed to provoke the slightest excite
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
olution was read Not three senators
ont Of the 40 present appeared interest
| ed in the resolution at all
Let the resolution be referred to
the general judiciary committee" in
suucted President Slaton. This was
done
\ number of general bills. chiet
T among tnem one 10 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
stock and bond issue where the stock
has ben given to promoters for fran
! chises 1t also prohibits the approval
of issues in which the stock has not
/ been subscribed at par.
4 Lieutenant Governor Bill Sent Back.
The bill by Mr. McEreath. of Full
ton creating the office of lieutenant
governor by a constitutional amend
meut. when taken up for passage in the
house today brought on a sharp debate.
Joe Hin Han Of Bibn, demanding that
il be sent back TO the committee for
the purpose Of having it changed He
objected principally 10 the provision