Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-09-02
Treasury Received Only
$4,000 From Occupation
Taxes, Not $4,000 as
Dorsey Claims, Is Charge

Leading merchants Of Gainesville
Ga, have sent to The Journal a copy
of communication addressed to the
Atlanta Constitution in which they
resent being called "tax dodgers" by
Governor Hugh NJ Dorsey in his 80.
tense of the collection of illegal to-
bacco taxes by his special agents
state $4,000 to collect $4,000 mel
and score this extravagant waste OF
the peoples money.
The Gainesville merchants de
clare that Governor Dorsey has, re-
flected upon the character Of every
merchant in the state by character
tax dodgers" because they were
forced to pay tax for which they
were not liable and which they paid
only under protest.
Their communication follows:
Letter from Merchants
"Cartersville,. Ga, August. 2S, 1920.
Editor Of the Atlanta Constitution
I'VE, the undersigned merchants,
ask that you publish this article,
giving 1t the same publicity you have
given the slanderous attacks of Gov
ernor Dorsey upon US.
There has appeared in your pa
per repeated assertions by Governor
Dorsey in various cities and towns
in Georgia that the merchants of
Georgia from whom his special tax
collectors collected the occupational
taxes and the illegal tobacco tax
were 'defaulters and tax dodgers.
1--WE resent this unjust, untrue and
unealled-for insult to as. We deny
the charge against as and we believe
we can deny It for all other mer-
chants in Georgia. nut they car
speak for Themselves.
Governor Dorsey not only called
all the merchants who paid the IL.
legal tobacco tax 'defau1ters' and 'taz
dodgers but he so called every ner-
chant from whom any occupataonal
taxes were collected.
SHOW could we be 'defaulters' and
tax dodgers when we did not know
we owed these taxes-not only the
illegal tobacco tax, but also the oc-
cupational taxesq We did not know
we owed these occupationa1 taxes.
"1n fact, Governor Dorsey did moi
know it. He found out afterwards
that the merchants ala NOT owe a
part Of the occupational taxes-the
Illegal tobacco tax.
"If we did not know we owed them
and the governor did not know we
owed them, how could the n1ercnants
be stax dodgers and 'defaulters'l
Does Governor Dorsey state the truth
when he ISLANDERS us In h1g speeches
and holds us mp to the public scorI
and deriEion all over Georgia, and
you spread the SANDER over the
sAM Legal Taxes Should BE Col
Iected"
GAIL Legal taxes should be colleen
ed, but Governor Dorsey has reflect
ed on the character Of every Iner.
chant in the state by thus publicly
cl1araoterizing so large numper o.
them. we believe az a class VIZ
compare favorab1y with any oLne1
GLASS Of citizens, even Governor DOE 2,
officeholders or politicians.
HIf we have any friends IN bar
tow county and Georgia we respect
fully ask them to rebuke governor
Dorsey for his unjust ana un0rue
attacks upon the merchants OF tnt
state; and we ask them to support
Senator Smith and not let you and
the sbitter-end' haters Of Eoke Smith
split the Democratic vote IN thf
state in this critical period In our
history.
think there are some features about
the matter which ought to be
brought to the public attention un-
der the circumstances.
Collected $150,oo0
"Governor Dorsey's special tax col
lectors collected in round numbers
and to use Governor Dorsey's OWE
figures he uses in his speeches.
about $50, 900. But the merchants
did not know they owed these taxes
until the governors collector called
on them; and in fact, there was
about $50, 600 which the merchants
HThe governor paid to his friends
the special collectors, 40 per cent
and to the county tax collectors lC
about s45 900 in all.
1--WE respectfully submit that this
was a grossly exorbitant amount te
pay; and in truth, the governor must
have thought SO, too, for we under
stand that he has reduced the
amount paid the special collectors
and quit paying the county tax col
1ectors anything.
mo merchant in the state OF Geor'
gia--no, not even the country mer.
chants in the small towns-woul6
pay such fees or commissions tc
have their perfectly good, solvent
accounts collected. These merchants
are good and solvent and pay their
just debts promptly; and pay even
UNJUST debts when the governors
agents say they owe them.
Wouldn't you say, Mr.. Editor
that any, merchant or business. MAJ
perfectly good debts on his books
was headed straight for bankruptcy
"Mr. Editor. if the man whom yol
employ to collect your subscription.
and for the advertising in your pa
per, paid 80 per cent fees or com
missions to collect the amounts due
You from good, solvent men, wht
" Anhtc 90