Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-05-14
DORSEY MAKES REPLY
TO GEORGIA OFFICIALS
Continued From Page ~

letter. 1t is not my desire to injure
the reputation of any county, town
or official, but I do wish to awake the
people of Georgia to what I regard
as peril overshadoWing all others
threatening our state. This peril,
believe to be due to failure upon
the part of the ma ority of our people
to appreciate what is taking place
and the staggering sum total of
charges made against us as a people
in connection with our treatment of
the negro.
II appeal again to men of your po-
sition and to the press of the state
to unite in this effort, and to refrain
from trying to side-track. the ques-
ton in a controversy over this or
any other single case. I am conf
dent that you and ninety-tive per cent
of the people of your circuit and of
the state desire to do only what is
best for the state and for our people
both black and white.
will you not join me in seeking
for remedy for conditions which
are causing the state to lose laborers
whom we need, giving US an unspeak-
able reputation before the world and
planting the seed of lawlessness
among our people that will prove dis
astrous to our children if not stop
ped?
Respectfully yours,
HUGH M. DORSEY. Governor"
Governor Dorsey has given out
Tor publication the text of a let
ter he has written to the Judge
and solicitor general of the
Toombs judicial circuit. answering
their joint letter to him resenting his
structures upon Taliaferro county for
the alleged abuse of a negro. The
governor will make public Friday
morning letter he has written to
Flint circuit, replying to Judge
Sreacy's caustic criticisms growing
out of the governors pamphlet in
reference to the negro in Georgia.
The governor, in making public his
letters to Judge E, T. Shurlcy and
of the Toombs circuit, remarked
upon his confidence that 95 per cent
of the people of Georgia are law
abiding and entertain only the best
feelings for the negro. His idea
in calling attention to lawlessness,
ne said, arises from his confidence
in the great mass of the people and
his belief that the best means of
remedying conditions is to expose
the facts to the public.
The governors letter to Judge
Shurley and Solicitor Felts follows:
"State of Georgia, executive de-
partment, Atlanta, May II, 1921.
Hon. E. T. Shuley,
Judge Superior Courts, Toombs cir
cult,
''Warrenton, Ga. il.
'Ion. M. l.. Felts,
solicitor General. ToCmbs circuit,
~Warrenton, Ga.
Gentlemen: Replying to your let
ter of May 2, in which you express
resentment at my letter calling your
to the alleged mobbing of
Oscar Edwards. 1 call your atten-
ton to the fact that mention Of this
case had appeared in the press prior
to the publication of my, letter. In
my opinion, in view of the facts,
should have been derelict in my duty
as governor if 1 had failed to direct
your attention specifically to this
case as it was reported to me.
"One reason for this statement IS
in Taliaferro county, appealed for
executive clemency. The Atlanta
Journal for Monday, March 25, 1918,
says:
g The negro was sentenced to be
hanged last Friday on a charge of
granted him a respite until Friday,
April 26. The lynching took place a
few hours after news of the respite
reached Crawfordville.'
"Tha negro who was lynched' had
already been condemned to die. The
respite of thirty days was granted
only in order to give me as governor
the time to get the facts of the case,
which were wholly unknown to me.
If any action has been taken to pun
;sh the members of the mob, it las
not come to my attention. Mr.. w. j.
Sturdivant, to whom you refer, a.
lieve, was sheriff at the time.
"You say that the cause of the
heating of Oscar Edwards was the
use by "he negro of an oath, one
which no southern white man &C
cepts.' am sure that you will agree
Anglo-Saxon, to which you refer with
q pride in which I share, calls for
the resentment of such an insult I'll
the time when given, and never JUS
titles waiting for the cover OF the
,nght to go i'll mob, however small,
to beat the giver of the insult. -.
Accepting as wholly true the
reason advanced for this whipping of
this negro, 1 am sure that you, as
sworn officers of the law, will agree
with me that the law has been V1o-
lated by these men. AS Intelligent
men, you will further agree with ne
that the manner of the violation is
typical of the causes underlying the
415 cases of lynching which have
disgraced our state. Under the cir
cumstances, l feel sure that the court
in which you gentlemen serve VIII
see CudI the nCuOE VI IuS Ia" -
indicated in Talisferro county by
the punishment of the members of
this miniature mob, if the facts are
as reported by you.
"The letter to which you refer was
not anonymous, but I must respect
the request of the writer to with
hold his name, because of his fear
of bodily harm to him. No charges
of peonage in Ta1isferro county
have been made by me to the press
or elsewhere.
my letter to you was written not
in spirit of fault-finding or die
taation, but in the desire to invoke the
aid of you gentlemen, as public Off
Gals, in an effort to put a stop to
customs and conditions which have
brought and which are bringing dis
grace upon our state. I am confident
that you will join me in this effort.
respectfully,
HUGH M. DORSEY, Governor"