Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-07-22


II campaign Macon brings her capital
- removal scheme. to a test in the
House, only to find herself fatally snort OF
the requisite votes. The utmost strength sne
could muster by dint of strategy and storm
was ninety-seven ayes in membership OF
one hundred and ninety-three. H1ndenDufg
was never farther from Paris than this from
the two-thirds majority which Constitution
al amendment must receive. AT the pinnacle
of their efforts the high noon Of their hopes.
our aggressive neighbors met this Marine OF
failure and rebuff. Why?
Not from want of energy or acumen.
Rarely is an ambition prosecuted with so
much vigor and political adroitness. What
might not this Zest and care accomplish II ap-
piled to some useful end! In deserving
cause they could not have failed. They did
fail for the obvious reason that the prof.
ect to which were tied was without
merit No amount Of pluck or ingenuity
could save it, it was so inherently unsOunG.
That our Macon friends themselves at last
so realized is evident from their eleventh.
hour abandonment of the proposition on
which they had pitched their campaign. They
set out with the idea of Bibb countys voting
a million dollars .of bends to defray the cost
their scheme involved. They pooh-poohed
the conservative estimate that it would take
from three to five million dollars, and per-
haps great deal more, to duplicate the pres
the legal and moral barriers against applying
the proceeds of sale of the present capitol
to. building new one, or to any other &C.
count than that of the public debt. They
ignored, long as the pressure of public
opinion could be withstood, the interests of
the States taxpayers who finally were to set
tie the bill. Then, upon the verge of the
test in the House, they receded from their
contention that million dollars of Bbb
county bonds would suffice, or that the Bib
county electorate could be depended upon to
vote an Endorsement of even that eXpendi-
ture. All in triee, with a juggler's ease
they shifted to the proposition that Bibb
should issue three millions in bonds, WITH
OUT HER VOTERS, BEING GIVEN ANY
SAY IN THE MATTER WHATSOEVER.
This is really like swapping airplanes
IN mid-ocean. 1t leaves the State at
loss to know just what the capital-mov-
ing promoters have in mind; indeed, it is
seriously to be doubted that they know them
selves. First one million dollars then three
million; first ferVid demand that the
people be given an opportunity to vote
then bland proposal that the people of Bib
county be saddled with the hugest debt in
tnelr history without once being consulted at
the polls! To be thoroughly consistent the
RemoVal1tes should now offer still another
amendment to the effect that they be given
unlimited power to lev State taxes and draw
upon the state treasury until their air castles
every one are turned into mundane structures
adjoining beautiful TattnalI Square.
Whoever may have felt disappointment
over the decisive failure of the removal prof.
ect in the House, in one quarter no doubt
there is exceeding joy; we mean amongst the
thoughtful folk of Bibb county. For they
can have no more relish than the people Of
the State at large for scheme that would
yoke them under tax burdens and give them
nothing substantial in eturn. The resources
of that splendid county and of the splendid
city of Macon can be turned to better
account than undermining neighbor
and rend1ng the State with needless strife
The General Assembly has so declared: the
rank and file of Georgiahs have so recognized,
surely. the champions of the removal
project will not hang back from the call for
generous and united cooperation for Geor-
gas common good. Their loss in this ill-ad-
Vlsed adventure is truly rAeir city's gain, as
we'll as their States. They can turn it into
noble victory for constructive patriotism if
they will; and knowing them to be lieorgians
all, we believe they AiIl.
1t looks as if Macon would have to keep