Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-06-25

holds itself as being higher than the
Unions in Minority.
J The labor unions have but a small
| minority of the people OF Georgia, yet,
] by combinations which work through
! strikes and kindred methods they are
| aggressiVely levying a toll upon all the
| other elements Of our citizenship In
/ other words, they have organized a
/ trust and demand that all other people
! buy labor at whatever price they choose
/ to put upon it-and that price Is higher
I than other workmen in like occupations
| receive and higher by far than the peo-
/ pie have ever paid before And con-
| tempOraneously, they are endeavoring
4 to force from employment all similar
| workmen who do not join their orders
/ To attempt, as non-union men, to COM
| pete with them as laborers means to be
| treated with open eontumely, attended
| sometimes by personal violence. To
| hire non union men means for employ
| ers to be boycotted and not infrequent-
| ~ to suffer serious damage to their
property.
Equal Opportunity choked.
Therefore as the labor unions have
combined against all other classes in
1 their determination to defeat the equal
/ ity of opportunity assured by the laws
/ Of the State the necessity is forced
| all other classes to stand together
/ in the refusal to concede to the unions
/ the preferential privileges they are en-
deavoring to exact for themselves alone.
| And, as the unions have their pass
/ words, the password of all other citi
zens should be: The Law
II is not improper here for me to de-
| clare that not all of the members Of
| the labor unions are wilful violators of
| law. A very large percentage Of them
love their State and would not know
( ingly do any one an injustice, Yet they
/ are the victims Of a system which is
| breeding anarchy which has already
/ put the States Constitution in con-
4 tempt which has relentlesly Wronged
| hundreds of thousands of their fellow
| citizens who have not offended them,
which, in plain words, has applied
| lynch law methods to millions of dol
/ lars worth of property. | pass no harsh
| criticism on them, but every person
/ who reverences the law must condemn
| the reckless disregard Of the rights OF
| the public which has characterized
| their leaders. And the State must,
| with unmistakable C1earnes. not only
! condemn these acts, but must force the
she will not suffer such occurrences to
"l-aw Should Protect"
| 1t is a cardinal principle of civiZa-
| ton that wabiding people should be
protected in the enjoyments of life.
| liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
| The State does not interfere with her
orderly citizens in the possession Of
| these rights, and it is the intent Of her
Constitution that no one within her
| borders shall be permitted so to inter-
| fere
have no more interest in this matter
| Georgia; but, as her Chief Executive,
whose duty to obey her laws by en-
forcing them is supreme over every
ambition and personal interest, / have
noted the recurring instances Of open
contempt of her Constitution, Of inCou-
venience and damage recklessly in
| fiicted upon multitudes of her citizens
| by one class, and Of brutal assaults upon
working men who were engaged in obey
| ing her laws and serving the people by
operating the public utilities which she
/ had chartered and whose operation she
| had commanded, and / would be I'M
| worthy Of the confidence with which the
! electorate has honored me should | far
| TO lay these facts before you and can
| upon you TO enact such statutes as will
! force all classes and all individuals TO
! equal allegiance 20 the State and equal
! obedience to her laws
/ Upwards Of two millions Of people in
/ Georgia will look with no patience upon
/ the continuance of a condition which
! leaves their basic rights in life at the
mercy Of the star chamber of the labor
union.
: Compulsory Arbitration.
! Under the conditions / have por-
/ trayed IL has been made the duty of
the State, therefore, TO protect her citi-
zens from such unlawful happenings
in the future. Compulsory arbitration
should be required by law, and neither
the management nor the employees Of
a public service corporation should I'M
der any circumstances be permitted to
paralyZe or otherwise interfere with the
powers Of the public for the transporta-
ton Of persons and property, or for any
! other service for which the corporation
was chartered.
I, therefore. respectfully impress upon
you the Importance of enacting such
laws at your present session to the end
/ that the masses Of the people shall not
again suffer from the acts of any who,
| for their own selfish interest would Inn
| pede commerce travel or other public
need or convenience. And the same law
should govern every factory wherein
4 capital and labor come in conflict.
! / also respectfully suggest that you
amend Section 1864 Of the Code Of Geor-
| gia by requiring the Railroad Commits
sion to promptly advise the Governor
| Of the stoppage of performance Of the
duties for which II was chartered by
| any public Service corporation when
| combinations of persons unlawfully pre-
| vent It's operation, thus damaging the
| interests of the public, and that he
thereupon issue a proclamation requlr-
ing the sheriffs Of all counties in which
said public service corporations work
| ing property lies to summon posse COM
| tatus to protect said corporation in the
| performance of its chartered duties; and
1 that, in the event the resistance to law
| by disOrderly parties be too great for
| the civil authorities in any county or
| counties to overcome, the judge or
! judges. sheriff OF sheriffs shall promptly
| notify the Governor who shall there
upon use the militia, or such portions
| Of II as may be needed. to enforce the
| States laws which require the operation
| Of said public service corporation or
! corporations for the welfare Of the peo-
| pie.
Suspension of sherIffs.
also respectfully suggest that you
enact a law authorizing the Governor
| to suspend a sheriff whenever he finds
It proven that said sheriff has willfully
I failed to do his duty in protecting the
| people of his county against acts OF
! lawbreakers, and to appoint a sheriff
TO serve until after a new sheriff is
/ chosen by the people at the next regu-
lar election.
Such a law prevails in several other
States, and that II is needed in Georgia
was proven in at least one glazing in
stance during the period Of the strike
on the Georgia Railroad last year.
II should be furthermore provided that
a sheriff thus removed shall not be eIig-
BILE for election to any Office in the |
county Of his residence until at least /
two years after he has been thus re- |
moved by the Governor
Laws Affecting the Militia.
The Constitution Of Georgia, Article /
10. Section I. says:
"A well regulated militia being essen I
tiai TO the peace and security Of the |
State, the General Assembly shall have /
authority to provide by law how the
militia Of this State shall be organized /
=