The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1921-04-05
FRFAsURY CLOSED
AGAINST LEGISLATORS
.,u1cK's VIEWS ON STATE
HARD"NC RECALLS STIR
FlM FIN TIMES WHEN M'DON-
KIN KIN WAS GOVERNOR.
= T Boifeuillet in Macon news

j. - .,.r.IIv understood that Gov
IL >, .,eC+ Hardwick is devoting deep
erno' line Of financial policy
study w. ~ will pursue when he begins
II WINE" ,....;,;stration OF the affairs OF
hi au.,'+ +b, fourth Saturday in june
next ,;,n. believe that he will be
Ulo'7I In the management OF MS
= sa0l ,f5rc will systematic operations
ny" -.rrrs an ample revenue 10 lllee t
anu .,.nan,es OF government; 1t IS nor
the C1 that he will fail in having the
81 thoqls', oi the state employed economi--
ia No. and always with exactness OF
ca,cl' lat S'o ronfdent that his proceedings
!, an gu Characterized by ability, can
VII 6dcijtv and hrmness. There Will
dor' uoI he cIearness to his actions.
away IVA i1ooking over past gubernatorial
,In..,:strations in Georgia | think |
ADMIN; III Charles !. Mcdonald the kind
see !" ovocntive that Thomas w. Hard
u ,n;c T. would be if he should be con-
M ;,nnt4d with great and grave ques-
l lioms Of taxation and finance.
Deplorable Financial Condition.
When Mcdonald entered the excu--
w n6ce he found the finances oil
I'VE I'VE G.,' in deplorable condition. The
u troosS1ry was sorely embarrassed
u T bar( were no funds with which to
lo NV, m the construction OF the West
C@ Ca and Atlantic railroad, the public
1 I 'Ib had been increased to a million
GCE and the gravest and greatest
u2 ~ tbe states troubles was her repu-
% ta+;o C,r had been badly injured by the
r r@r-. and protest in New York
~ an obligation for three hundred
tbonsand dollars, contracted by legis-
IatTe authority. Her credit was i'm
,@S,, At home and abroad. The sit
p l,at;on was intensified by the fact that
the commerce and general business
ri the country had not yet recovered
from the panic of 1886 and 1887.
With fearless resolution and 1nttex1-
HE will Governor Mcdonald put his
sborIder to the wheel and faced the
Storm
The close OF the legislature was
RAPIDLY approaching, members were
only waiting the passage OF the gen.
eraI appropriation bill, when they
would draw their per diem and mile
age out of the treasury, adjourn the
general assembly and go home, leaving
the governor with the bag to hold"
They were lowering around the treas
urer to obtain advanced payments.
Governor Mcdonald promptly took
drastic action by closing the doors to
the treasury against the legislators in
this manner: He directed the treasur-
er to suspend all payments from his
department, except upon apprOpria-
tons actually made, and warrants le-
gally drawn thereon" The governor
explained that he was compelled to
take this step because the legislature
was about to adjourn leaving him
without the means of meeting the en-
gagements of the state, for the per-
torrance of which her faith and honor
had been repeatedly pledged"
The governors proceeding produced
tremendous excitement The legisla-
tors raised a storm of indignant pro-
test and severely denounced his con-
duct as more tyranical than anything
ever performed by President Andrew
Jackson. They cried aloud against his
"hlgh-handed' action. Friends of the
governor became greatly alarmed over
the exciting situation, and pleaded
with him to rescind his order to the
treasurer, and urged that if he did not
recede from his position it meant his
political doom.
He Let Legislators Roar.
But the intrepid governor let the
tempest howl. Like some gigantic oak
in the forest he unshakingly faced the
storm, unSwayed by the winds of pas
sion.
Finally the rushing turbulence of
the hour subsidized, the general assem-
Dly enacted the remedial legislation
desired by the governor, and when the
legislature convened in the following
year ne had the pleasure of informing
me SoIons that the financial condition
ol georgia had greatly improved, her
Cfedit had been established. and
mat the general affairs. of the govern
idity. -
The late distinguished and lamented
Judge Spencer r. Atkinson was near
relative OF Governor Mcdonald. | am
informed that at the recent memorial
exercises held in his memory by the
supreme court of Georgia. former
Governor John NJ. Slaton delivered an
s1q1ent and scholarly. Grafton, in
EEnich he paid splendid tribute to
Governor McDonald's shining quail
utS and eminent services