Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-06-26

Of 1uries. She, therefore, ordafns such
court procedure as she deems fitting to
he crime. the local conditions or the
emergency.
In her law governing the case under
review she did not choose to fix status
half fish and half fowl, to adiudicate
IN a civil court acts done under mill
tary government which the civil author
tiles had requested to superSede their
own. Here was no usurpation of the
rights Of a free people; they made the
status themselves.
There was no degradation OF their
manhood. That manhood is as upright
and as self-respecting in decreeing the
temporary supremacy of the military to
stamp out anarchy as it is in times
of peace when the civil process is
properly the only authority. The sup
preston of anarchy is the right and duty
Of a free, law loving people, and there
come times when they must shoot it
TO death just as they shoot down for
eign invaders
Enemies Of Law.
And no specious pleas by enemies CT
law and no theoretical treatiseS by
alarmed sentimentalists should weigh
against the logical process which law, in
times of peril, must take to insure its
supremacy over the hydra Of anarchy
And, while hold in high honor the pa
trtotic devotion Of some of our best
citizens who have deemed the use Of
the military as menace to the Sc
curity Of our institutions, yet I must
say firmly that the man at headquar-
tiers, who, the Constitution declares,
shall be a conservator of the peace
throughout the State, and the man on
the scene Of danger, are better fitted to
Judge whether the soldiery Is needed to
protect life and property, as is provided
by the Constitution and the statutes,
than can be any people living many miles
from the zone Of peril.
Now, as to the personnel of the mill
tia, call your attention to the fact that
its members are not foreigners or hire
lings. They are not the Governors SOL
diers, organized by his order to display
his power; they are your soldiers, by the
mandate of your Constitution, organized
to protect your homes, your lives your
civilization. They are your own flesh
and blood, your sons or brothers, who,
thrusting not themselves into the arena
of danger, but called thither by the OPP
Grafton of your statutes, leave their oc-
equations, sometimes losing their pres
ent income, and submit to inconven-
ience, endure -privations, and stand
shield. you and to uphold the dignity Of
Part Of Government.
Instead. therefore. OF being held as
thing apart, the Constitution makes
them an integral factor of your gov
eminent; instead Of being an excres-
cence, they are your strong arm never
to be exerted save when your other ele-
ments OF strength are inadequate or
helpless; then, with the force Of thun-
And in their patriotic Willingness to
lay down even life itself to protect
you and your laws, they embody the
words of our Divine Lord: Greater
love hath no man than this, that a man
lay down his life for his friend" (John
1919 And should any of them lose
lives in the service for which your very
Constitution has ordained their organi-
cation, they merit the paraphrase of the
simple, yet sublime, epitaph which his
cOuntrymen placed over Leonidas and
the Spartan band who fell at Thermopy-
lee in defense of their country, viz:
Go, stranger, tell 1t in laced8mon that
we died in obedience to her laws"
Let me say, therefore, that Georgia's
name should be the synonym of good
faith; that when she guarantees inn
partial and complete protection she
must make her guarantee good; that
the uniform of a soldier who unseldshly
leaves home comforts and hazards his
life for the protection of the laws Of the
State and the lives of her people Is a
badge Of honor And a twenty year
old youth. standing in uniform with gun
in hand for the protection of the law.
Is more to be honored than are 10000
men who directly or indirectly lift
class tyranny, for that youth repre-
sents not militarsm in It's formal sense,
but he is the ultimate resort of the law.
UNFOLDING the Law.
The present law prescribing the man
ner Of using the militia of the State was
passed unanimously by the Senate and
almost unanimously by the House of
Representatives. Both factions united
in enacting it after considering It for
more than year. Undoubtedly a pot
ent factor in securing the enactment of
the law was the knowledge that, while
many. good people are moving into
Georgia, yet there are also elements with
practices and views widely at variance
with these adhered to by our native
population.
Consequently we must assume that 1t
. Il nf ms Of
the people of Georgia that the military
must be used as military when emerg-
encies demand The General Assembly.
therefore, does not have to apologize
for making this law; and the Gov
ernor does not have to apologize for
ordering its enforcement And the
militia does not have to apologize for
obeying the order the Governor trans
mitted to it. Each performed a high
duty which the people for their protec-
ton had ordained.
Some of the happenings in Georgia
during the present year have trended
Inevitably toward bringing your Consti-
tuition into contempt. 1t is for you.
therefore, to say whether you are going
to surrender this State to anarchy or
whether you are going to preserve It
for law. 1t is for you to say whether
you are going to allow one class, with
less than 10000 members, preferential
privileges to the detriment and danger
Of the remainder of the public with up
wards of $50 900 voters or whether YOU
Will enforce your process against all
law breakers alike.
Mobs and LynchIngs.
1t Is for you to say whether YOU will
allow barns to be burned, residences dy-
namited and people driven from their
homes, thus destroying property valua-
tions and depriving certain counties Of
needed laborers; and whether you will
allow mobs to force sheriffs and jailers,
before the muzzles Of guns, to surrender
prisoners in the States custody, who are
then taken out and unlawfully killed
Is for you to say whether you will
allow the statutes you enact to be made
a mockery or whether all men in all
classes shall obey them in the same
manner. You have the power to enact
laws which will control every situation
have portrayed.
Yet, l am In the line of duty and self
respect when l say: Do not make II the
governors duty to enforce a law and
hen condemn him for doing 1t. ANY
Governor, true to his oath, will enforce
II regardless Of condemnation And do
not, even by inference, command a mil
ltiaman, a sheriff or other agent Of the
state to imperil his life and possibIy
lose 1t, to protect your lives and prop.
erty and uphold the dignity of vour
Constitution, and then fire into his hack
from the State House whence his orders
came. Do not enact laws which Won
intend shall not be enforced or which
you would allow to be hammered viii
There is no middle ground between law
and anarchy. -
The people of Georgia are Jealous If
their liberties, but they are not going