Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-06-25
)VERNOR, IN HIS FAREWELL MESSAGE ASSALS LABOR UNIONS
Legislature Asked Provide Highways Commission

deprived of liberty without the verdict
Of juries. She, therefore, ordains 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 TX a status,
half fish and half fowl, to adjudicate
in a civil court acts done under mill
tary government which the civil author
tiles had requested to supersede their
own. Here was no usurpatton of the
rights Of q 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 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 Of
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
triottc devotion Of some Of our best
citizens who have deemed the use Of
the military as a menace to the Sc
curity of our institutions, yet l must
say firmly that the man at headquar-
tiers, who, the Constitution declares,
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 l call your attention to the fact that
ma fGr q m q nT
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
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 op-
Grafton of your statutes, leave their oc-
equations, sometimes losing their pres
emit income, and submit to 1nconven-
fence, endure privatons, and stand
ready to sacrifice even life itself to
shield you and to uphold the dignity Of
your laws.
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-
derbolt
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
g,r,N afvsr~v, u doc md
the Spartan band who fell at Thermopy-
lac in defense of their country, viz:
/ Go, stranger, tell it in laced@mon that
we died in obedience to her laws"
Let me say, therefore, that Georgias
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 unselhshly
leaves home comforts and hazards his
life for the protection of the laws Of the
State and the lives Of her people is
| badge Of honor. And twenty-year-
old youth standing in uniform with gun
| in hand for the projection Of the law,
is more to be honored than are 10000
men who directly or indirectly lift
hands for anarchy. class preference, or
class tyranny, for that youth repre-
sents not militarism in its 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 enaCtlng il after considering Ii for
more than year. Undoubtedly a pot
ent factor in securing the ena ctment 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 It
is the judgment of a vast majority 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 Cow
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
mltted to 1t. Each performed a high
duty which the people for their protec-
ton had ordained.
Some of the happenings IN Georgia
curing 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
Tor law. 1t is for you to saw whether
you are going to allow one class. with
less than 10000 members, preferential
privileges to the detriment and danger
Vi the remainder of the public with up
wards of 33O, 600 voters or whether YOU
VIII enforce your process against all
law breakers alike
Mobs and Lynchinus.
II is Tor you to say whether you will
allow parns 10 be burned, residences dy-
nanlted and people driven from their
homes, mus destroying property valua-
lions and depriving certain counties Of
needed laborers; and whether you will
alIoW mobs to force sheriffs and laiIers,
before the muzzles of guns. to surrender
prisoners in the States custody. who are
men taken out and unlawfuliy killed
IS Tor you to say whether you will
aloW the statutes you enact to be made
q 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
l have portrayed
Yet am in the line of duty and self
respect when I say: Do not make it the
ioNeTHoF duty to enforce a law and
men condemn him for doing it. ANY
Governor; true to his oath. will enforce
Il regardless of condemnation. And do
not even by inference command a mil
ttlaman, sheriff or other agent Of the
9late 10 tmperil his life and possibly
use IT, 10 protect your lives and prop
10y ana uphold the dignity of your
s INSTITUTION, and then fire into his back
, IN the state House whence his orders
iG ,5t. 10 not enact laws which you
,ttHen =. snau not be enforced, or which
IGu would allow TO be tempered with.
and anarchy.
dihe people Of Georgia are Jealous Of
hut