Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-03-23

Julian McCurry's bill making it a
! misdemeanor in Georgia to spread
/ malicious gossip about women has
! borne fruit abundantly in at least one
| North Georgia county, wherein a
| young man recently was sentenced to
| twelve months on the changing for
| that very offense.
The case was carried to court by
| the young woman's father. and It was
| the first case tried under the new law
| In Georgia.
This law was enacted through the
persistent effort Of Mr. McCurry.
when he was a member Of the State
Senate. He was induced to offer the
bin because of happening in his
| home county. which suggested to him
the need OF just such legislation.
There was some difference of opin-
ion In the Senate when the matter
came up originally for passage, but
Senator MCCurry soon Strengthened
out that. and persuaded the Senate
that through this Nlaw thousands OF
slanderers might be reached in Geor-
gia, and that the law itself on the
statute books would operate to guard
against much gossip Of malicious
charl oter.
Now that the effectiveness Of the
law has been clearly demonstrated
and now that IL generally Is known
that such a law is on the statute
books and that ut has teeth In II,
prosecutions of this character likely
will he pushed wherever seems nee
essary. until eventually careless
handling Of the good names of wom-
en- i'm this State will become rarity
Convictions under the law, more
Faftr IN
penalties At least the first man
convicted u der it got the very limit
of the Judge authority.
The Oglethorpe Echo says that Dr.
l.. G Hardman, of Commerce, un-
doubtedly will be candidate for
Congress in the Ninth District
against the present Congressman,
Thomas NJ. Bell
John n. Holder. Of the same county
already is an announced candidate,
and with Holder and Hardman in the
race-and from the same county-the
betting likely is to be on Bell to win.
At least, that's the way the politi-
clans from up there dope it out"
just now!
The candidates for Congress In the
Tenth District are getting so thick
that they will soon be in each others
way.
Joseph s. Reynolds has aiready an
nounced from Richmond, and Oswell
r Eve, Of the same county, is eX-
pected to follow suit From Warren
County DR.. Wyman Pitcher is dis
cussed as a probable candidate, while
| little farther up Carl Ninson. in
| Baldwin County, already is squarelv
| in the race. In Washington County
Judge b r. Rawlings has resigned
: the judgeship to make the race, and
! Willis Evans is said to be getting
ready to run again.
Pressure has been brought to
bear" on Judge Henry c. Hammond,
! of the Augusta judicial Circuit, 70
stand for Congress, but the judge had
| rather remain In his Nresent posi-
| ton. where he will be allowed to be
Judge without opposition as long as
! he wants to.
John T. West. of McDuffie, is an
other man who has been urged for
! Congress, but he has recently formed
a partnership with Judge r. II. Cal
| lawav and former Congressman
| Howard. and does not wish to play
| politics just now.
! d. G. Fogarty, former Solicitor OF
| the city Court, and Congressman
| Hardwicks campaign manager, has
| been importuned to run, but he has
refused so far to do so.
Outside Of the foregoing more or
less interesting complications and en-
! tanglements, the situation in the
| Tenth seems fairly understandable 10
an innocent bystander.
/ BY a majority of S5 votes the peo-
| pie OF the southern end of Montgom
! cry County have defeated propose
| to cut new county from Montgom
cry. to be known as Treutlin, with
| Soperton as the county seat.
The campaign was a heated one
| and, while the northern end of Mont
gomery voted heavily for the new
| county, the Mt Vernon section went
almost as solidly against 1t.
This does not necessarily concluuC
1 the matter, but It will be used in the
legislature as an argument against
! the proposed new County of Treut-
lin.
II y. \. Cantreu, Of Calhoun, vii
only indicate a Willingness to &C
cent IL. II looks as II he may he the
next Senator from the Forty THIRD
| District. without opposition, MANY
" his friends have lmportuned hin
10 permit the use OF his name as
candidate promising him that II vii
not even be necessary for him tC
make campaign for the position.
MI Cantrel is one of the best
| .Dny,r and most successful LAWYERS
i'm North Georgia universally es'
termed and respected. The next Leg
islature surely should be composed o
the very highest class of men obtain
able for membership as no Legisla-
turo assembled in twenty years hai
had more important matters to conn
before 1t than viii come before tn
one OF 1856. II is, perhaps. o
INST smnh mon as Nh Cantrell tina