The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1907-1917, 1915-07-22
PAGE -FOUR
A LETTER TO GOVERNOR
HARRIS.
HARRIS.
Blue Ridge, Ca, June 20, 1915.
Hon. N. e. Harris,
Atlanta, Ga.

Atlanta, Ga.
Dear Governor: I notice that you
have continued the order Of Cover
nor Slaton, and martial law is still
being maintained in Atlanta and
about the home of Ex-Governor Sla-
ton, at an approximate expense to
the State of 200 per day. No mat
ter has been so constantly discussed
in Fannin County as the action of
Governor SlatOn, committing the sem
tence of Leo M. Frank from the
death penalty to life Imprisonment.
] have been in several sections of the
county within the last few days.
But very few people have expressed
themselves as favorable to the Cover
nor in this matter. 1t can be safely
said that SO per cent Of tie people
of this county condemn in unmeas.
ured terms his act, ascribing to him
Interior motives. If one will take
time to investigate, the same state
of feeling will be found to exist in
practically every section and COM
munity of the State. Consequently,
the great majority of the people of
Georgia believe that you are not JUS
titled in mourning this great expense
to the State, especially in view of the
financial conditions which now con-
front the people of this State. He is
now a private citizen. Evidently he
is perfectly able to pay any necessary
expenses incident to protecting his
life and property. If not, he might
call upon the Jews. The Israelites
could be assessed as they were in the
case of the Frank defense, to raise a
fund to pay for his protection. Be-
sides all this, the people think that
he has no right to demand prOtec-
ton from the State, and at the cost
Of the whole people, since in his &C
ton, committing the sentence Of
Frank, he has put himself in oppOsi-
ton to the enforcement of the law.
He disregarded the verdict Of an hon
est and impartial jury in Fulton
County, who heard all the evidence
and gave almost thirty days OF their
time to q hearing Of the case; he set
aside two decisions Of the Supreme
Court Of his State; treated with scant
courtesy the solemn judgment Of the
Supreme Court of the United States,
and trampled on the finding Of the
Prison Commission. He has given
the world to understand that there
is one law for the poor in Georgia,
and another for the rich and power
full. He, in effect, has said to the
people Of the State, which has in the
past hOnored him over much, that
little Mary Phagan was only fac
tory girl, and that the Jewish grad
uate Of Cornell University, who muir
dered her when she would not sur
render her virtue, has not committed
a crime worthy Of death. She came
of a class which represents possibly
90 per cent Of the people of Georgia
the working classes.s Governor
Slaton has thus shown his regard for
the great majority of the people af
Geragia. In fact, the people of this
section of the State, in SO far as
have been able to get at their senti-
ments, think that if the so-called
mob should get hold Of the ex-Gover-
nor and do its very worst to him per-
sonally, it would not matter very
much. Nor are our people blood
thirsty; nor Go they belong to the
lawless element of the State. They
merely feel righteously indignant.
They seem to feel that his taking
off, or at least his removal from the
State, will do more to bring about
the absolute enforcement, imparti-
ally, of the law in Georgia than any
thing else which could possibly hap
pen. It would tend to bring about