The Absolute Proof

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of the

Capital Removal Issue

Camouflage and Dodging cannot cover up or hide the truth; these are the Documents which leave
no further room for it

BUMKECO: WACOM, QA.

IRREFUTABLY KILLING THE CLAIM THAT "THERE IS NO CAPITAL REMOVAL ISSUE"
Outwardly and publicly, in speeches and in printed matter, the whole front of the fight, as they present it to the public, is pitched by the opposition to the effort to Submit to a Vote of the People the settlement of the Capital Removal Issue, on their allegation that "there is no such issue." In neverending repetition that statement has been made by the law yers representing Atlanta, the real estate agents and the em ployees of the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce and the Geor gia Chamber of Commerce from its Atlanta Headquarters that "there is no issue."
Any question dealing with the policy, the property, the business or the money of the State which has aroused a wide spread and considerable interest, and on which there is even a modicum of difference of opinion, is an "issue." The matter of submission of the Capital question to a vote of the people, as one of the rights to which the masses of Georgia citizenry is entitled is, on that basis, an issue in the State though an infinitesimal minority is indifferent to whether it is submitted or not; only one city is actually opposed to its submission. The vast majority of the people of the State want it sent to the ballot box and there settled one way or the other. -
Herein are the documents to .absolutely prove that state ment beypnd the remote possibility of the Atlanta opponents to successfully attack it.
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Fifty-Two Sixtieths Want It Voted On
To determine whether or not the people in the various communities in the State are really as interested in settlement of the question, the direct request was made on sixty com munities, indiscriminately selected, for a frank and candid expression of opinion. Six of those communities are opposed to submission of the question six-sixtieths of the people are either indifferent or opposed to the matter going to the ballot box. Two of the inquiries brought no reply and therefore are not counted in the percentage who desire submission to a vote and final settlement of the question. Fifty-two out of the fifty-eight replies received demand submission of the ques tion to a popular vote in Georgia.
That settles the question unmistakably of whether or not there is an "issue," and whether or not the people are entitled to vote on it.
To make it even more definite, though, the actual expres sions are herewith presented. They speak for themselves just as the voters of the State are entitled to speak for them selves at the ballot box, instead of being checkered and de prived of their right by any small set of men or any one community.
The Macon News, in an earnest endeavor to fix absolutely the sentiment and desire of the people of the State, sent sixty telegrams to sixty newspapers of the State, indiscriminately picked from the list of weekly publications, asking for their expression as reflective of the temper of the people of their territory. The weekly newspapers were selected because it is conceded they are the mirror of the population sentiment in their communities.
Here are the replies, the objectors being intentionally pre sented at the top of the list, in order that they may be force fully emphasized as objecting, and not lost to mind, as they

might be if they were scattered along among those on the other side, and thus buried under the avalanche of replies demanding the vote:
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The Six Objectors
Quitman Free Press.^--We are opposed to capital removal and deplore agitation. (The editor and owner for years was employed by The Atlanta Journal, and is a former Atlanta citizen.)
The Walton Tribune, Monroe.--The people of Georgia brought in their verdict in the location of the State Capital forty-two years ago and there is no reason or justice in tam pering with that verdict now. As a native of South Georgia and one proud of her history and achievements, I believe that a majority of the people are not only opposed to the removal of the capital, but emphatically disapprove submitting it to a vote, because, first, there is no good reason for moving the capital, and second, because the movement would be attended with endless discord and strife. Ernest Camp, Editor.
Elberton Star.--Am opposed to submitting the question of removing the capital, as we do not believe majority prefer removal.
Tribune-News, Cartersville.--Opinion is the people of Georgia do not care to vote on this question, believing the State could spend much less than it would take to build a new capitol plant and have State buildings in the City of Atlanta that would be a source of pride to every citizen of Georgia.
The Sun, HartwelL--Sentiment not in favor of putting to a vote. Let it stay.
Lumpkin Independent. Majority of our citizens are op posed to submitting the question of capital removal at all.
(That concludes the entire list in opposition. One of these indicates an expenditure for improvements and the erection of buildings that will be a pride to every Georgian, in Atlanta, but does not take into consideration the presentation to the
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State of $4,000,000 value in Macon, as against necessity for vast expenditure by the State for "improvements and re pairs" on the old property in Atlanta.)
This Proves the Issue
Following is a presentation of the irrefutable fact that there is an overwhelming demand upon the Legislature to submit this question to a vote of the people. It is the spoken voice of Georgia which the Legislature is sworn to heed:
The News, Commerce.--Macons request for a vote on capital removal embraces the fundamental principles of De mocracy. Atlantas methods to defeat an expression of the people at the ballot box is a kindred spirit to that which led the kaiser to fight the world that he might rule it. If the General Assembly denies the people of the State the right to settle this question, then the Assembly will mutilate the Con stitution of the State, which says that this question shall be settled by the people at the ballot box. If the General As sembly is moved by pressure from Atlanta to deny this vote, then Atlanta will assume to herself the right to say where the capital shall be located. Georgias sons crossed the waters and went to France and fought to make the world safe for Democracy and now, that they are come home, they are con fronted with an effort on the part of the people of Atlanta to rule the State, just as the kaiser sought to rule the world. J. F. Shannon, Editor.
Jones County News. The members of the Georgia Leg islature are but the servants of the people, and if they are faithful to their trust, whether as individuals they favor Macon or Atlanta, they will not hesitate to give the people an opportunity to say by their ballot where they prefer the capi tal located. To do otherwise would betray their trust and do agreat injustice to the people of the State. If Atlanta was willing to do the fair and square thing, she would readily see the justice of this position.
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Monroe Advertiser, Forsyth.--The question should be submitted to the people. It is the view of the editor that this course is the only one to be followed, and stop the agitation. The only fair settlement is by the people. Macon desires such a settlement and if Atlanta does not, it shows that she fears the peoples verdict.
The Progress, Sandersville.--Many of the people of Washington county have expressed a desire to have the re moval of the capital submitted to a vote of the people so that it can be settled and thus removed from politics. Many of our citizens will vote in favor of the proposition.
The News, Brunswick.--Heartily in favor of referring the question of capital removal to the electorate of the State as this is the only equitable and definite way to settle a ques tion in which the people have a vital interest.
The Journal, Marietta.--If there is any serious demand by a large number of the people of the State, there should be a submission of the question to the people. No other course would be Democratic.
The Herald, Butler.--People generally in this section seem favorable to removal.
The Herald, Augusta.--We are in favor of letting the people say what city they want it located in, or simply whether they want it in Atlanta or Macon.
The Messenger, Cairo.--We think submitting the capital removal question to the people of Georgia for a vote is the least that can be done. This is entirely the best way of settling the matter permanently.
The Advertiser, Forsyth.--Division of opinion so wide spread only fair settlement would be by vote of the people.
Times-Journal, Eastman.--The capital of the State ought to be located where it will serve the States population most conveniently and cheapest. Macon is the logical place for the capital of Georgia and there is no valid reason why it should
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not be located there. Thousands of dollars would be saved to the State every year, and still more thousands to its citizens were the capital situated in the Central City.
The Graphic, LaGrange. We favor submitting capital removal question to a vote of the people.
The News, Adel.--Under existing conditions we favor submission to the people of Georgia the question of capital removal. It ought to be settled for all time.
The News, Vienna.---In favor of submitting capital re moval to a vote of the people.
The News, Mitten.--We favor submitting the capital re moval question to a vote of the people. The people through out this part of the State also, favor submitting the question taa vote.
Wheeler County Eagle, Alamo. Give the people a vote on the capital removal question. It is the thing we need and most desire. The capital should be moved to Macon.-
Wiregrass Farmer, Ashburn.--Our opinion is, people of this section want removal. Let them vote.
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The News, Hazlehurst.--It is nothing but right the people of Georgia should vote on capital removal question.
Progress-Argus, Jackson.--We heartily favor submitting removal of the capital to a vote of the people. This is not only Democratic, but is simply justice to the voters of Geor gia, who should have the opportunity to pass on this matter.
The Tribune, Dublin.--Nothing but simple justice and in accord with the principles of Democracy to allow the people to vote on capital removal. Whether Georgia voters agree that Macon should be the capital or not, we want an oppor tunity to express ourselves. Referendum in Laurens county would be in favor of the removal bill overwhelmingly. (This expression states exactly the issue as presented to and pend ing in the Legislature.)
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Miller County Liberal, Colquitt.--Allow the people to vote on it. Macon should be the capital.

Times-Enterprise, Thomasville.--We favor submission of

questions involving large expenditures to the people of Geor

gia. The desirability of preventing continued agitation for

removal of the capital is reason that it becomes a measure of

State-wide importance sufficient to justify a vote.

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The Times, Thomaston.--The Legislature should give the people of Georgia an opportunity to settle the capital removal question at the polls.

The Citizen, Dalton.--Can see nothing wrong in giving

the people an opportunity to vote on the capital removal ques

tion. It seems to be the only way the question can be settled

for all time, and the sooner it is done the better for the State.

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The Enquirer^Sun, Columbus.--The Enquirer-Sun en

dorses the plan for submitting capital removal to a vote of

the people.

The Gazette, Tifton.--By all means, the question should be .submitted to the people and let them settle it.

The Times, Faldosta.--We are in favor of allowing the people to vote on all questions of importance and State-wide interest. All things being equal, we are in favor of bringing the capital back to Georgia.

The Gazette, Barnesville.--Think the capital removal question has reached the point where it should, in fairness to advocates and opponents, be submitted to the people of the State. This is the only way, since the issue is up, to get it settled. There is no reason why the question should not be submitted and passed upon .without bitterness on the part of the citizens of the two cities. The people of the State may consider the matter as it affects them, and then vote as they please. (That is precisely what is being asked, regardless of its individual bearing on either Macon or Atlanta an un hampered vote of the people.)
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The Free Press, Carrollton.--We favor submitting the matter to the people and believe a great number, possibly a majority, of North Georgia citizens, are willing for it to be settled this way.
The Advertiser, Quitman.---We are most emphatically in favor of submitting the question of capital removal to the people of Georgia for a vote. The issue has been discussed for several years, and now it would be the best for all con cerned that it be settled one way or the other.
The Leader, Cuthbert.--To submit to the people of Geor gia the privilege of voting on capital removal seems the. only fair way of settling the question, and it should be settled as soon as possible.
The Georgian, Montezuma.--We are in favor of submit ting the question of capital removal to the people for a vote.
Cofee County Progress, Douglas.--The Legislature should not fail to let the people settle the capital removal question as soon as possible.
The Ledger, Columbus.--By all means the people-of Georgia ought to be permitted to vote on the question of re moval of the State capital.
The Enterprise, Douglas.--We believe the capital "re moval question should be submitted to the people now, be cause the States property in Atlanta must be remodeled at once or sold. Lets have the matter over. No one should object to letting the people decide.
The Clipper, Warrenton.--The opinion of leading men in Warren county is that the people here are almost a unit in favor of submitting the question of capital removal to the voters so as to have the matter settled one way or the other.
The Sentinel, Cordele.--Let the people settle the question as to where Georgias capital shall be located. It is the only equitable and permanent means of settling the question.
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The News and Sun, Griffin.--We heartily favor submit ting the question of capital removal to a vote of the people, and settling it once and for all. The question is a live one. Let the people have a voice in the matter of settling it.
The Journal, Cochran.--We are thoroughly in favor of the people deciding the question and deciding it right by removing the capital to Macon, the most convenient and accessible place to the greatest number of people.
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Post-Searchlight, Bainbridge.--Editor Post-Searchlight, representative from Decatur county, favors the bill and is helping all he can.
Dispatch and News, Hawkins-ville.--We hope the. Legis lature will allow the people their right to vote on the question of capital removal. Regardless of the results of an election, we want to see the question settled. (Which is just what the movement is trying to do.)
The Eagle, Gainesville.--We think the capital should be located for the convenience of a majority of the people of the State.
The Press, Savannah.--There is no question as to the wis dom and justice of having the people vote on the question of capital removal. The present capitol is too small; the State must build a new one somewhere and the people should say where it should go.
The Times-Recorder, Americus. Lets vote and settle the question of the capital removal issue.
Marion County Patriot, Buena Vista.--Macon is the logi cal place for the capital. Marion county is backing Macon to the limit.
The Leader-Tribune, Fort Valley.--The interests of prog ress and pride of Georgia demand that the capital removal question be submitted to a vote of the people of the State.
Southwest Georgian, Fort Games.--We unreservedly favor submission of the capital removal question to the peo-
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pie. This attitude has become more pronounced as a result of Atlantas tactics. The people should by all means be per mitted to decide. , The agitation has gone too far for any other course to be thought of now.
Union. Recorder, Milledgeville.--Believe the sentiment is so strong for the removal of the capital to Macon that the people should be given the right to settle the question.
The Herald, Athens.--The Athens Herald favors sub mission of the capital removal proposition to a vote of the people.
Forest Blade, Swainsboro. The people here believe Macon the practical place for the State capital.
The Dispatch, Cordele. -We want the people of Georgia to have an opportunity to vote on the capital removal ques tion. Until Atlanta is willing for the matter to be referred to the people and settled that city can not claim she is making a fair fight for it. It is certainly no offense against any prin ciple of Democratic Government to permit the people to say where they would have it. Let the people of Georgia settle it.
The News, Milledgeville.--No individual city or section has a right of special claim upon anything belonging to the State, and certainly no locality should expect a seat of govern ment without being awarded it by the people. The conten tion that the capital removal bill is an injustice is absurd. The seat of government should be so located as to afford the greatest economy to the State and convenience to the whole law-making body and the people, without special favoritism to any. As to what the States seat of government should mean to the city or section where it is located is of no concern to the people, and should not be injected into the question.
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It Is a Conclusive Case
Gentlemen of Georgia, this is submitted to you as a con clusive case. There can be no further question that it answers positively, beyond possibility of well-laid, honest and con scientious doubt: This is an issue in Georgia.
Every member of the Georgia General Assembly has taken an oath to serve and conserve "the best interests of the State." That oath does not contemplate the expressed prefer ence or desire of either Atlanta or Macon. The PEOPLE of the State have spoken. They have made an issue which they desire to settle. It is not in the province of the General Assembly, or of Atlanta or of Macon, to tell them which way to settle that issue. That right rests alone with the Georgia voter. You are now earnestly asked: On this show ing, what is the clearly defined duty, under oath, of the Gen eral Assembly of the State ?
Quibbling over verbiage; contentious beclouding by mis applied meaning; heckling of men through the pull of big business does not reach the issue. There is but one clean-cut way to look at it; but one clearly defined thing that can be seen: The people of Georgia in vast majority demand to vote on the question of what disposition shall be made of the States capital. It is a ballot-box proposition and, no matter how much hedging, back-tracking or mind-filling is thrown at it, the whole thing comes finally down to the straight prop osition: "The People Have a Right to Settle the Capital Removal Question by Vote."
Shall the city of Atlanta again be allowed to dominate the Legislature and force that body to either dodge or neglect its duty? The Legislature owes to Macon no duty in the pass age of a bill submitting this problem to a vote it owes that

duty to the whole State of Georgia. To give the whole peo ple of the State the chance to vote against Atlanta or Macon or any other place they see fit to vote for Atlanta or Macon or any other place they see fit. To settle this issue.
Here Is What The Legislature Has Pending
The bill pending in the Legislature leaves it squarely with the people of the State whether or not they desire to ratify a constitutional provision providing for the removal of the State capital to Macon, surrounded with the tender as a gift by Bibb County and the City of Macon to the State df Geor gia for capitol and mansion purposes of the large tract of land known as "Tattnall Square" (the big park in front of Mercer University), and One Million Dollars in Cash to go into a fund for the erection of the new capitol building.
Heres the bill. It is perfectly plain, and even the clever ness of the Atlanta lawyers and real estate dealers cant pre vent even a reasonably intelligent Georgian seeing all there is to it:
A BILL To be entitled An Act submitting to a vote of the people of Georgia a
proposal to amend the Constitution of the State of Georgia by chang ing the capital of the State from the City of Atlanta to the City of Macon; to provide for making the City of Macon the capital of the State; to provide for the sale of the public property of the State known as the State Capitol in Atlanta, and for the sale of the ground on which it is located, and for the sale of the Governors mansion in the City of Atlanta, and for the sale of the ground on which it is located, for the disposition of the funds and for other purposes:
Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Georgia, and it is hereby enacted by authority of the same, two-thirds of the members elected to each of the Houses agreeing to the same, That the following Article is proposed as an amendment to the Con-
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stitution of the State of Georgia which, when ratified by the people of the State in the same manner provided in Article 16, Section 1, Para graph 1 of the Constitution of the State, shall be valid as a part of said Constitution; namely, Article 14, Section 1, Paragraph 1:
- "Article 14, Section 1, Paragraph 1: From and after the first day of January, 1925, the City of Macon shall be the Capital of the State, until changed in the same manner as is provided for the alteration of this Constitution; and from that date the capital of the State shall be the City of Macon instead of the City of Atlanta.*7

Section 2. Be it further enacted, That when this amendment is rati fied the property of the State known as the Capitol building and the Governors Mansion, both in the City of Atlanta, and the grounds on which they are located, shall be sold by the General Assembly, and the proceeds thereof shall be devoted to the erection of a Capitol building and a Governors Mansion in the City of Macon.
Section 3. Be it further enacted, That, if this amendment shall be agreed to by two-thirds of the members of the General Assembly, of each House, the same shall be entered on their journals, with the yeas and nays taken thereon, and the Governor shall cause the amendment to be published in one or more of the newspapers in each Congressional District for at least two months immediately preceding the next Gen eral Election, and the same shall be submitted to the people at the next General Election, and all persons voting at said election in favor of the adoption of the proposed amendment shall have written or printed on their ballots: "For the Removal of the Capital from Atlanta to Macon," and all persons opposed to the adoption of said amendment shall have written or printed on their ballots: "Against the Removal of the Capi tal from Atlanta to Macon"; both together with the wording of the proposed amendment; and if the majority of the electors qualified to vote for the members of the General Assembly, voting, shall vote in favor of the ratification as shown by the consolidation and by the re turns made as now provided by law in elections for members of the General Assembly, then the said Amendment shall become Article 14, Section 1, Paragraph 1 of the Constitution of this State, and the Gov ernor shall make proclamation thereof.
Section 4. Be it further enacted, That if the people shall ratify this amendment, in the manner provided in the Constitution, the General Assembly of this State shall make provisions by law for the removal of the Capital of the State from the City of Atlanta to the City of Macon, and for the necessary buildings and quarters for the carrying on of the

business and government of the State. Provided: that the municipal corporation of the City of Macon shall offer to the State the property in the City of Macon known as Tattnall Square, or other property in the said City of Macon equally as suitable for locating and building a Capitol and in addition thereto a Governors Mansion, and the State shall accept the same. Provided, further: That the County of Bibb shall have issued its bonds in the sum of One Million Dollars, which said One Million Dollars shall be by the County of Bibb offered to the State to be used in the erection of a Capitol building and Governors Mansion, and the said County of Bibb is hereby authorized to issue its bonds in the said sum of One Million Dollars for this purpose at an election to be held for the purpose, as provided by law, or the said County of Bibb may, instead of issuing bonds, pay to the State One Million Dollars in cash, and the said County of Bibb is hereby author ized to raise this said sum of One Million Dollars by taxation.
Section 5. Be it further enacted, That all laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act be and they are hereby repealed.
If the people of the State want the capital in Macon on that basis, they vote in favor of the above offer. If they want the capital to remain in Atlanta as it now. stands, they vote against the above offer. Thats all there is to it.
Who shall control this simple right, one-third of the Gen eral Assembly and the city of Atlanta or the. whole State of
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Georgia?