Americus times-recorder., 1919-07-08
Atlanta Citizen. Pro-
test Against Capt.
tai Removal.

= THE citizens and taxpayers of
the city of Atlanta and Full
! ton and DeKalb counties
earnestly appeal to the citi-
7 zens and taxpayers of all sections
OF the state of Georgia to join
y in the patriotic purpose of de-
7 feating the pending bills in the
legislature seeking to remove the
: state capital to Macon, and they
, appeal to the various commercial
, bodies, chambers of commerce,
= municipalities and organizations
: Of every kind to urge upon their
> members in the house and the
senate by telegram, by letter and
personal interview to vote against
: these bills, for the following.
; amongst other good and sufficient
, reasons:
|. Because such an agitation
: will embroil the different sec
tions in the state in strife and
/ animosity. divide the people,
commercially and socially, and pre-
, vent the state and her citizens
from securing their share of the
prosperity and development which
is at hand during the reconstruc-
? ton period following the great
war which has just ended. This is
peculiarly a time for a continual
tion of the united. harmonious
elIOIIS Ol all lHe ClllZenS OF all
sections to upbuild Georgia, ad-
, vance her superb prestige in busi-
ness, finance and general growth,
and to discourage all dscord
strife, division and bitterness
2. Because the present location
of the state capital was deter
= mined by a vote Of the people, and
7 with an agreement on the part of
the city of Atlanta that in con-
sideration of its location being
, made permanently there the city
would donate the site where it is
now located, which was done for
: the purpose of the capitol, and
in addition contributed in money
the appraised value of the Mil
: ledgeville capitol buildings, and no
h public necessity for the present
4 removal of the capital exists, but
: it is against the public interest
= and alone sought to crafty the
I ambition of a rival city.
" 8. Because the taxpayers are
b already heavily burdened with
|" federal taxes recently levied to
: pay the war debt. and the state
already has heavy floating debt
: of her own, has no constitutional
right to issue bonds to build the
h capitol and cannot use the sale
grounds or executive mansion eX-
cept to pay the public debt with
out violating her word to her
bondhOlders: the cost of a capitol
and executive mansion at Macon
of equal capacity and facilities
= to that now possessed by the state
in Atlanta, even though all the
: ground is donated, would cost the
state some four or five millions
of dollars at the present prices
: Of construction, and win further
heavily burden the already op-
l..
: time all the other developments
= Of the state are suffering for a
. lack of sufficient support, and
any increase in taxes should GER
tainly go first to schools roads
and the many other branches that
are now insufficiently cared for
4. Because the bringing on of
an election for the removal of the
capital will tend to demoraTize the
public, and will inevitably place
the balance of power in the hands
of irresponsible elements, largely
composed Of those who are now
, wisely disfranchised from voting
. under our constitution, by failure
. to pay their taxes. Such cam
> paign will put unon the state this
. class of PROBABLY one hundred
thousand white and black voters
now disqualified, by causing their
. taxes to be paid in order to get
thelr votes, ana they VIII there
remain a menace and a danger
to our institutions for all time to
come.
5. Because the Federal Reserve
bank, United States court Of ap-
peals, military post, base hospi-
tai, federal prison and the various
other federal activities. and he
line of general business now To-
Gated in Atlanta, enable a citizen
having business at the state CAPT
tol to conveniently attend to mis-
public or important duties by
, making only one rip, whereas, if
the capitat is removed TO Macon
= it would require a trip TO each
place.
g. Because the railroad facili-
. ties of the state are sure that the
location of the capitol in Macon
would inconvenience a greatly
increased number of people over
what its remaining in Atlanta, by
requiring them to change trains
and making the trip difficult to
reach the capitol
For these and other good reasons
that could be urged, it is of the
greatest importance that these
bills in the legislature be defeat
ed and the state allowed to con-
I;r,n 90