The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1924-04-15
Georgia's Many Complex Dilen1nas;
Ho1v a States Exchequer Was Sealed


by the more inviting fields OF business
and the professions opened up by the
development of the New South, stepp-
ed aside almost unanimously IN favor
OF the time-serving type OF politician.
Even the capable politicians steadl-
ly were destroyed in the tres OF FAC
tionalism which they kindled and tann-
ed for their own glory. Hoke smith,
defeated for reelection to the United
States senate, settled in Washington
and returned to money-making. Even
Thomas w. Hardwck, the best po-
litical strategist OF them all, went
down. rose again, and then went down
apparently for good He now holds
departmental position under the rePuD,,,
licans in Washington. Little Joe
Brown, once the unique leader OF one
of the strongest factions, has buried
himself among his books. Jack Sla-
ton, at one time the most promising
of the younger generation OF public
men, still is Swallowed by the notori-
GUS Frank case in the denouement Of
which he had a hand, however cour-
ageous, that since has meant his po-
litical relegation. Representatives OF
the great Georgia families, like the
Cobbs, the Adamses, the JacksonS
now rarely are heard OF i'll the politics
of the state. In fact, in all the states
public life, though it still contains
many good and some talented men,
there is not one figure that is OF more
than state and only few that rise
above purely local importance. For
the first time virtually in the history
of Georgia the state has not so much
as one member OF congress whose
head rises above the stature OF the
average
The New Era.
Georgia, whose political history is
one OF strong leadership, by men like
James Jackson, William II. Crawford,
| Alexander H. Stephens, r o b er t
! Toombs Albert H. Colquitt, Joseph
+. Brown, Henry Turner, now IS VIZ
tually without political leaders. And
in journalism, politics twin brother,
the states poverty is almost as pro-
nounced 1t has many live dailies that
are fine commercial successes but gone
are the editorial pages which reflected
the personality of a Grady, a Lamar,
a Pendleton, a Patrick Walsh. or even
Thomas w. Loyless, who, still sur
viving, recently quit the game i'll dis
gust.
If one had to select the states dozen
most admirable editors one would
look to its weekly press, now remark
ably renascent, for at least ten OF
! them.
The time was never more opportune,
or the field more promising, for po-
litical Moses to arise and show peo-
pie the way out Of many complex dl-
lemmas.
For a sort of new era is beginning
in the state. The boil weevil is pro-
ducing a rural revolution. The negroes,
upon whom the state is dependent Tor
common labor and upon whom the
lower type of politicians has relied too
freely for agitational pretext, are leav-
ing in thousands. Yet the state is not
poor-it is so well off that there nc
longer is excuse for even the pose OF
poverty. The writer, when travelling
through the southern section OF the
state a year or two ago when the
, Joint operations of boil weevil and fl
nancial depression were causing what
appeared to be all but universal bank
iruptcy, heard on every hand the fol
=. lowing:
1--WE have everything except mon
ey."
The Grass materialism which domi-
mated the first and second now counts
for less with the third post-civil wal
generation which is becoming vocal
In the realm of education, where vast
paucity still is to be found, no com
munity is making more comparative
progress.
Political Decline.
The least progressive OF all fields Of
state thought and activity is the po-
ilitical. And the average Georgian has
passion for politics, and i'll times oil
emergency perception supreme. Dur
ing most of the time, however, poll
tics with him is game, the sport OF
sports, which ne pursues more out OF
a spirit of fun than of fundamentals.
The state just now seems to be
marking time politically while await
ing a new leader. Toward national
politics the people of the state are
even more non-plussed than in the
case OF state affairs. For McAdoo, a
native OF Georgia, they naturally have
a sentimental fondness. However, uh-
less someone more afirmatlvely to
their liking permits them to. assert a
genuine desire in the premises they
probably will leave the matter OF the
presidential nomination largely to the
politicians. as they have done in the
past And if the politicians fight it out
among themselves, or reach agreement
without a fight the decision will be
based on little having truly to do with
political principle 1t will rest more
on state than on national politics and
! will connote more of incidental mat
tiers, like the states membership on
the democratic national committee,
than of things fundamental.
And though a growing number OF
Georgians are straining at the CHAINS
which bind them to one party and are
threatening after every national cleo
ton to break away from tradition the
state will continue for some time to
come to sustain the tradition OF the
solid south
100000 POUNDS TOBACCO
/ EXpECTED AT RTACKSHEAR