The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1921-05-17
JUDGE sEARCY SEVERITY
ARRA|GNS GOV. DORSEY
,c STATEMENTS IN PAMPH-
04 TnT UGRATUITOUS, UNWAR-
pANTED AND UNTRUE"
DEFENDS STATES GOOD NAME
.. Turist Charges "Unjustifable
w Wrong Has Been Done to Georgia
.nd IT'S People. A Scathing Refuta-
+ion of Charges.

rDTEFTN.-Charg1n that state
u4[ made in Governor Dorsey
mem, 1h,at issued recently under the
P pau Statement as to the Negro in
tue, we're not only "gratuitous,
Ueo Iass 60 and untrue" but were a
ulI| HdidoaIa Indictment of Georgia and
I"ya ao,i 3ns~" and showed reckless in
U 49,. &c. 10 the character OF the judi
QUE !r,i - > Indge w. E. H. Searcy, jr., OF
Claiy i,1;1t Circuit, has issued state
. ,,eo+ i; in which he severely arraigns the
governor. Judge Searcy says IN part
o"The charges made in your state,
,,ant as to the cases, this town and
COUNTY, the officers and the people,
and the Judge of the circuit are graf
,,;tors unwarranted and untrue:
'', The charge that a circuit Judge
l,,,;tbort naming him) promised be-
W. rial a committee of citizens that
~ world put an accused person IN
the tba chajngang when tried is a whole
sm Indictment OF the superior court
;rdoes OF Georgia by the governor OF
liz state In defense of them l as
snn,e that am the judge referred to,
and in defense of myself l denounce
+he charge as unworthy the source
whence it came.
CHARGING further that the governor
bac nublicly indicted the entire judi
r r;ary Of the state without inquiring of
the Judge really referred to as to the
truth OF the charges, Judge Searcy
asserts the governor should have
sought to verify his statement before
making it public and goes on to say
that there was a reckless indifference
70 the character of the judiciary or its
rqoutation, adding: I'm either event
YOUR conduct is inexcusable and un-
The pamphlet to which Judge Scar
cy refers was written for the gov
ernor by Marion NJ. Jackson, acting
for the Atlanta inter-racial committee,
and has been circulated from Mr..
Iackson's office In it, great many
cases-more than a hundred-were
cited in abstract to show that there is
considerable mistreatment of negroes
in the state, and that certain condition
or form of peonage does exist in Geor-
gia Some of the comment and cita-
ton tends to show not only an alleg-
ed laxity in enforcement OF the law,
but dissemination in some of the
counties to punish crime.
Governor Replies to Judge.
In letter in reply to Judge Searcy
Governor Dorsey says: Il had hoped,
and | still hope, that men in your po-
sition would recognize what is known
to us all, regardless of the matter cit
ed by me, that the negro has been sub
jected to misreatment in Georgia and
that the time has come to inaugurate
new policy, if we are to retain our
own Seli-respect and maintain our po-
SitiOn as civilized people before the
world"
The governor says he caused an
myeStlgator-a white citizen of GeOr-
gla in whom | have every confidence
to go to Epson county to investigate
the facts surrounding the case. The
facts embodied in my statement are
based upon his report in writing to
me as governor of Georgia. This re-
port is now before me. The name OF
the man who kicked the negro girl
IN the stomach; the names of seven
leading citizens who testify as to the
good character and reputation Of the
negro and who unite in expressing
the opinion that the case against him
was one OF persecution" The govern
or does not give the name of his in
yeStlgator nor of those from whom
the investigator obtained the alleged
Information on which he based his re-
port
Searcy Makes Hot Rejoinder.
p Following publication of Governor
iD'U0FSey reply Judge Searcy sent the
IoaqWng telegram to the governor:
Before answering your letter tc
me- again 1ndicting your state and its
courts and people, | demand as mat
.Tr OF right, to say nothing of fair
pay and justice, the names of your
investigator and of the four citizens