Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-05-19


Samuel L. Olive, Judge W. E. H.
| searey, Jr-; and others Who haze
| pamphlet on race relations in Geor--
| gia-
| The governor does not recede from.
| his position modify his conc1u-
| sions set forth in the pamphlet
| He takes the position he, took at
the outset, and reiterates that pc.
sition, which Is that ut IS mistake
to suppress the facts, but the part
of honesty and wisdom to look them
squarely in the face"
1t will do no good, he asserts.
| for the newspapers of Georgia to
| declare that Georgia is no worse.
when it comes to 1ynching and mob
violence, than other sections of the
country, for that is not correct,
as our record is exceptionally
bad"
So far as the judges of the su@
perior courts of the state are COM
cerned, Governor Dorsey makes the
point that he sent them at once,
upon its issuance, copies of his PAM
phlet. and cites the fact that Judge
Andrew ]. Cobb, of Athens, for
mer superior court judge and former
| supreme court judge, was one of
the men to whom he submitted the
pamphlet prior to it's issuance, and
! that Judge Cobb approved it and
approved it's issuance.
Quoting at length from a letter
received by him from another su.
perlor court judge. whose name he
does not give, the governor shows
| that This in6pa hoo rffI i,oda =
pamphlet after reading it,
You have probably stuck the bow
of the ship Of state inc a hornets
nest" this judge wrote the governor.
but that will pass. Southern peo-
pie are proud and quick to resent
criticism but after the storm has
passed they will rectify their
wrongs. Every southern white man
who will face the facts knows that
the negro is not treated with that
| Justice which should crsracter,ze
our dealings with race. which ara
the wards of the Caucasian race"
This view expressed by the un.
named superior court judge, in the
governors opinion, will be the final
view taken by 95 per cent of the
people of Georgia. He declares it is
futile to attempt to show that his
pamphlet was exaggerated.
Replying to Senator olives crit.
cism that the pamphlet is calculated
to disturb farm labor conditions,
| Governor Dorsey declares that his
| leading motive, second to the motive
| of justice, was the. Improvement or
farm labor conditions, for the reason.
as he asserts, that hundreds of nee
groes are fleeing Gom Georgia farms.
and two counties have left in them
no negroes at all.
Experience has demonstrated" the
governor declares in this connection,
that small minority of IawIess
people are driving the negroes away
by their senseless cvruelties and that
the law-abiding class, which Is over
whelmingly in the majority, must
put stop to these cruelties."
Futher in this connection, the gov-
| ernor declares that the cruelties are
! not confined to farms, but recently
work on a railroad was stopped be-
| cause negroes were employed and
a lumber camp was threatened with
dynamite because it employed nee
groes.
The governor asserts that such
| conditions cannot continue and exc
presses the belief that conservative
men like Senator Olive and Cover.
nor-elect Hardwick will "see the WIS.,
dom of dealing with the situation
along the lines suggested by me-"
AS to Judge Searcy, of Flint ju.
dicial circuit, who was very severe
in his criticism, Governor Dorsey's
comment is that the judge has lost
his judicial calm" and that the
heated tone Of his communications
| strengthens the governors conclu-
4 sions as to the cases in Judge
Searcy's circuit and verifies his
judgment as to the wisdom of with-
holding the names of his informants.
There was not case cited in the
pamphlet, says the governor in con-
| clusion, which was not supported
by a signed letter or report, and
this evidence is open to the inspection
of judges, solicitors, members Of the
legislature, editors, preachers and
other leaders of opinion to whom he
appealed. He declares unequivocal-
ly that issuance Of the pamphlet was
wise, because outside papers are
praising Georgia instead of criticiz-
| ing. He closes with the statement
| that he is confident of a final ver-
dict by the people in support Of what
he has done.
Text of Statement
The text Of the governors state.
ment is as follows:
Addressed to People
| ITO the People of Georgia:
| Hon. Samuel L. Olive, president OF
| the senate, is correct in saying: The
| governor states that the negro has
| been lynched and cites five cases.
| Nothing could better illustrate the
| moderation of the statement made by
| me With reference to the treatment
| of the negro in Georgia. While
mentioned only five cases, since 1885
| mobs in Georgia have shot, hanged,
| burned or drowned Ais negroes, some
| of them women. Since these figures
were compiled, in the last sixty days
| a mob has taken a helpless old ne
| gro woman from her home and
drowned her by night.
THE senator is mistaken in say.
| ing that the Case No. 5, the burning
CONTINUED on Page 6. Column -
NOTICE TO OUR