The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1916-03-01
The Remedy.

Editor Dawson News: And there was
no king in Israeli every man did that which
was right in his own eyes. Judges. BE
not deceived. God is not Knocked; whatso-
ever one soweth that shalt he also reap.
"Ye have Sown the wind We shalt reap the
whrlwind.' Two thoughts should be ban
ished from any discussion of mobiSm-the
pessmistic view that says law is dead y
and the view that we must remedy broken
law by enacting more laws. There was just
as much law in Israel in the times OF the
Judges as there was in the time of Joshua;
the trouble was not in lack of law, but in
lax enforcement of law. Neither laws nor
penalties were changed, but mobocracy
thrived because of no one who cared to take
the trouble to attend to the duties laid upon
them, nor to assume the authority as heads
of the tribes, the Sanhedrin-One from each
tribe constituting the executive head-was
not abolished, but its members were remiss
in their duties, hence misrule and anarchy.
Ten years since B. w. Rish and myself were
appointed registrars. One of our first acts
was to issue requests to four men from each
district (there are nine) to come and give
us the names of men in their districts who
were not legally entitled TO registration.
OF the men three came, but only one would
give us any information. The men we ask
ed were the foremost citizens of their dis
tricts, men of property and probity. This
just by way of illustrator as to lack of in
terest taken by the best men in the vital
things of government. | have lived to see
the kinsman of the only man who paid a
reward for the negro Sam Hose, lynched in
Coweta county for murder and rape, lynch
ed for the same crime on a Negroes testi-
mony, and a negro who was not worthy to
black Sam Hoses shoes-Jim Conley. The
crime that startled Macon within the last
month was caused by the best citizens not
taking part in electing officers who would
dare enforce law, and no amount of spas
modic hysteria is going to cure it. In Ter
rell recently a girl was ruined for life be-
cause a man in the ministry was sent to
the legislature from a neighboring county
who could not vote for raising the age of
consent in girls from II to Is years be-
cause Il have a son who might get caught"
and who opposed compulsory education be-
cause my niggers would take their children
from my field" And this man. and his ike
from other counties, will go back because
Il am prohibtionist." God save the mark!
1t is time for mass meetings of the best
citizens who will put forward men for office
who will regard their oaths, for boast as you
please of the white primary it is too ex-
pensive, even for the minor offices, for the
best qualified men to offer, knowing the ex-
pense, to say nothing of the abuse and neg
lect of the business of making living for
those dependent upon them, that Offering
for office entails. I am free to say that
no office in the state save that of solicitor
general pays for the best fitted men for the
place. Take that of jurOr-no man worth
the money that should be earned by men
fitted by probity and knowledge of its du-
ties to say nothing of its drawbacks, is paid
for serving. For note the oath taken, and
let him live up to its spirit and find YER
diets without regard to the personal stand
ing of the accused, the fear of punishment by
ostracism, by blackballing, by Withholding
reward for labor, or withholding trade, or
the hope of reward by its opposite, and see
if you will live up to your oath, and how
many you can trust in your neighborhood
that will.
There is but one remedy for this state OF
affairs It is of slow growth, but it is what
makes English law feared, and what made
America establish its independence and pre-
served us as Iaw-abiding and God-fearing
for the first three-quarters of a century OF
our national life. 1t is found in Deuteron-
omy 9Th chapter, eth, Sth and 9th verses:
And thou shalt teach them diligently unto
thy children, and shalt talk of them when
thou sittest in thy house, and when thou
walkest by the way, and when thou Hest
down. and when thou rfsest up. And thou
shalt bind them as a sign upon thine hand
and thew shalt be as frOntlets between thine
ewes. And thou shalt write them upon the
posts of thy house. and upon thy gates
For if we keep Gods law We will keep that
which is founded upon that law-the law OF
orr land. ANDREW P. RIVES.