Fitzgerald enterprise. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1895-1912, 1905-09-28

If any evidence of the desperation of the
opposition to the candidacy of 1oke Smith was
wanting, it is palpably present in the Censttu-
TONS reports on his campaign.
More through curiosity than anything else,
we went to Abbevlle, Tuesday, to hear his
speech, to see the people and witness their
demonstration. AS we passed from the depot
to the hotel, between II and II O'Clock, we saw
evidences of unusual interest in the occasion OF
Mr.. Smiths visit and overheard discussions
about closing the business houses. When the
hour for the speaking arrived, they we're closed
and the large court room. one of the largest IN
the state, (and, by tn way, one of the finest and
best furnshed) was positively crowded, every
seat taken and all standing room occupied back
to the stairway. The gallery, built and ordl-
nariy reserved for the negroes, is in two Sec
tons aud, by requiring the colored contingent
to occupy one section half of the gallery was
filled to overfowing with the sturdy yeomanry
of wilcox county. It was most representative
crowd, with liberal spripkling of ladies'.
Mr.. Smith spoke about one hour and thirty
minutes, and that he had the crowd with him
was not doubted by any anti-Smith man. if
there was one present. We could not more
than estimate the number of people present,
but it is safe to say that it the largest gath
ering of representative people that has assem-
bled in that county in number of years.
But what we started out to say is that the
reports published in the opposition press are
not only misleading, the veriest misrepresen-
tations, but almost libeous
We quote four lines from yesterdays Con-
IL
dation:
"The most sensational feature of
his speech was his attack upon Colonel
Estill, of Savannah, who has many
friends here"
Mr.. Smith did not make an attack upon Col.
Esti1l. He did not attack any body, and espec-
tally Mr.. Est11. He did, in generous and
reasonable way, criticise the Constitution and
its editor, the Governor, Judge McWhorter and
others. He confined himself strictly to facts in
these criticisms and appeared to be devoid of
bitterness. To the amusement of all of that
vast crowd, he held up copy of the Constitution
containing the cartoon of himself as saint re-
ceiving the divine call To be candid, the att
tacks of the Constitution on him are grounds
for about the only spice he injected into his
speech. -
The people who listened to him Tuesday
went to the court house apparently inclined
toward him, and came away from the speaking
apparently determined to carry that county for
him for governor. AS to the frankness and abb
solute candor of this statement, we refer to the
many good men present
n
We are in receipt at 1890 this morning. of
the Grand Jury Presentments of September 10th,
and it will be impossible to get them earlier than
in next Saturdays Enterprise, just two weeks
after they we're recon mended published in this
paper. We regret exceedingly that we could
not publish the presentments a week ago, but
until today, entirely too late for this paper, it
has been impossible for us to procure the copy.
The Grand Jury recon mended that the present.
ments be published in the Enterprise Oci11a
STAR and the Irwin County Courier.