The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1914-10-13
SLATON WON'T CALL
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
THE GOVERNOR SAYS THAT RE-
LIEF FOR THE FARMERS
LAYS AT WASHINGTON.
THE STATE GAN DO NOTHING

TO Force the Farmer BY Tax or Penal
Statute to Grow Certain Crops
Would Be Death Blow to Private
and Individual independence.
Governor Slaton has issued the fol-
lowing statement;
Relative to the requests that are
being made of me to assemble in ex-
traordinary session the general as
sembly of Georgia it is proper that l
should make a public statement as to
my attitude. These requests came in
the form of personal letters, of reso-
buttons endorsed and adopted at
county gatherings by trade bodies,
and by chambers of commerce.
Representatives in congress Of
the United States have taken the po-
sition that congress can do nothing
and assert that the burden of avert
ing the impending calamity rests up
on the individual states.
ITO this last proposition I heartily
dissent, for I believe the great legis-
lative source of relief is congress.
If the government does not now as
sist the South when the president and
a large proportion of the cabinet and
the chairmen of the powerful COM
mittees of the house and senate are
from the South we may expect little
benefit by exaltation to office of
Southern men.
Il need not say as governor that l
am deeply interested in the question
now imperiling the business inter-
ests of the state. I recognize fully
the gravity of the situation, but
further know that a bad situation
could be made worse by doing the
wrong thing.
Curtai1ment Prevailing Idea.
The prevailing idea so far ex-
pressed as a sovereign remedy is the
curtailment of cotton production by
law. The farmers of the South have
made more cotton than the market,
restricted by European wars, will alb
sorb. The crop of cotton may not
exceed the worlds need, but the
world is not in a position now to take
it, 1t is no doubt truth that the
farmer would have more wisely
planted had he devoted a greater
acreage not only this year but past
years to foodstuffs for man and beast.
The effect of the war emphasized the
power of this policy in the past.
THE request that I call an extra
session of the general assembly as
sumes that the Southern farmer will
repeat this same policy during the
ensuing year. The suggestion is that
by law he must be saved from his
own folly.
1T is a curious thing that those
who exalt the farmer as the embodi-
ment of character, patriotism and in
telligence should declare that the
curtailment of the crop is essential
to his welfare but from lack of intel
ligence he will not do so, and we
must place a Jail penalty over him to
prevent him from raising cotton on
his own land Either this must be
done or a prohibitive tax must be
placed upon him to insure action on
h s. 6a+ - n &c
benefit.
when the farmers presented their
cause to the banking and currency
committee they objected to fOrcible
curtailment and declared they were
not prepared for revolutionary man
agement of their farms, and that in
thousands of instances great distress
would be occasioned by it.
Won't Recommend Such Law.
81 could not as a lawyer conscien-
tiously recommend the enactment of
such laws and dare not do so as gov
ernor. The president of the United
States has declared againts suggest
ed legislation on the ground that it
would violate sound economic policy.
Assuredly the governor of a state
should not recommend the violation
of its fundamental law
THE attorney general of this state
has advised me that the plans of cur
tailment by prohibitive taxation or
penal statute are unconstitutional
The suggested plans challenge the
intelligence of the Southern farmer
and is in violation of the principles of
liberty.
The struggles of the people for
500 years have been to achieve freed
ON of thought. of contract, and of
action, and temporary sacrifice is
preferable to this advancement of
governmental power which menaces
the freedom of every individual.
1T would be an easy step to force