The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1907-1917, 1914-06-11

better than we now find it, yet
Governor Slaton seems to be able to
borrow all the money we need. An
individual who has a credit of $10,-
10000 with his home bank can in
dorse the note Of some friend and
thus reduce his credit at his bank to
the extent of the note so executed.
The State of Georgia can do the same
thing. II the proposed scheme is
adopted by the people and Georgia
assumes the outstanding debts of the
cities and towns the credit of the
State will be reduced to that extent
Mr.. Harris informs us that cit
would be a great thing for the peo-
pie Of Georgia if the present debt of
the incorporated cities, towns and
villages could be wiped OUT
A GREAT THING TO WIPE OUT
INDIVIDUAL INDEBTEDNESS BY
HAVING 1T ASSUMED BY THE
STATE OF. GEORGIA!
A corporation is nothing but an
artificial being. 1t is a creature Of
the law. A municipal corporation is
creature of legislation. Such
corporation can become loaded down
with a huge debt and cit would be
great thing for the PEOPLE of
Georgia to wipe out that debt.
Hon. VIM. j. Harris, who is evil
IDENTIFY running upon a platform to
burden the country people Of Geor-
gia with still more oppressive taxa
ton for the purpose of beneftting
the towns and cities, tells us that his
duties as Census Director permitted
him by chance to discover this mar
velous scheme. He found that Mas
sachUsetts had fixed the precedent
and the towns and cities Of that State
had learned how to saddle upon all
the people the debts of a few. Clio
rious Democracy discovered by the
Census Director!
Of course, VIM. J. Harris is not
presumed to know anything about
the laws and constitutions Of the
different States. If he had been &C
quainted with any law or any princi-
pie Of our existing system he would
not have made that remarkable
statement to the effect that a rail
road lawyer was disqualified from
serving on the jury where his road
was directly or indirectly interested.
No lawyer is disqualified to serve on
ANY jury. No lawyer has his name
in the jury box. If any person in
Georgia is to escape the terrors of
the law due to his ignorance thereof,
VIM. J. Harris, Census Director, is
entitled to the high honor.
But back to his precedent: Mas
sachusetts had a Webster, but not a
Bob TOombs. Webster was not the
equal of the Mirabeau Of the South.
Massachusetts had no Toombs to
make for her a Constitution limiting
the dangerous power of taxation
Georgia has such Constitution, and
II ever another convention is called
to revise the present Constitution it
would be wise to preserve the present
article on taxation. Massachusetts
has had but one Constitution, and
that is the original charter granted
by the King which the people adopted
as their Constitution in 1776. There
fore, Massachusetts is not supposed
to be blessed with a wise system OF
taxation, because the King had some
well known proclivities for fixing
upon his subjects "unwise and unjust
taxation"
Certainly Mr.. Harris has but little
respect for the Intelligence of the
people of his State. Does he for a
moment believe that his city scheme
would be Endorsed by the country
folks? Does he for one moment
think that fair minded citizens of
the towns and cities would indorse
his ridiculous proposition?
NnI u T,e,,,o l. IL