The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1907-1917, 1910-05-26
BILL HOWARD'S MUD TURTLE
SUPPER PARTY.

noarQ OF Henry F1Sh6rS famous DOS
sum" suppers, given at Newman. Ga.
Well, "Pussy-foot B1ll'' and his lieu
tenants decided to go Harry one bet
ter. So, when Pussy-foot came
through GAINESVILLE, from Hartwell,
on May 9Th, he gave it out that he
would speak here on Saturday night,
May 18th. GAINESVILLE is situated
on the line of Hart and Franklin
counties, midway between Hartwell
and Gainesville. and is easily accessi-
BILE from all points in the two coun-
ties. So, no doubt, Pussy-foot fig
ured it out that he would have the
big blowout of the whole campaign
at GAINESVILLE Saturday night, May
14th, as he had given eleven days
notice. So what few supporters he
has in this section got very busy and
went to work with a vim to adver-
tise it. They put out the most ia
nous mud turtle catcher in the parts,
and he soon had nine of these nasty,
vicious beasts, or reptiles, corralled.
They then went to advertising far
and near that there would be a
MUD TURTLE supper at the hotel
Saturday night in honor of Bill
Howard. The best cooks were en-
after the highways, byways and
hedges had been secured for guests,
10! and behold, when the time came,
there were only twelve guests; two
from Athens, one from Lavonia,
three Farmers Union men (who
don't like you because you exposed
Duckworth) one bank cashier, one
Independent farmer. and the others
miscellaneous. After this famous
supper was over, Pussy-foot and the
guests marched to the school build
ing. This march reminded one more
OF death march, or a funeral pro-
ceSSiOn, than anything I ever saw.
There was a good crowd of several
hundred awaiting the arrival of the
lOng-adVertlSed speaker When he
entered the house not a word of
cheer greeted him; not handicap
or foot stamp He silently and
cat-1ike marched down the aisle to
the rOstrum. Then one of the guests
of the TURTLE SUPPER, after much
effort and seeming embarrassment,
introduced him to the crowd as Mis-
ter (not Honorable) w. M. Howard,
the next Congressman from the 9Th
district AS Pussy-foot stepped to
the speakers stand there was weak
effort at cheering by the guests of
the TURTLE SUPPER, and one OLD
METHODIST BROTHER (who don't
like you, because you are exposing
the mission frauds). This is the first
time I ever saw Pussy-foot Bill total
ly embarrassed. I have seem him in
the court rooms and on the hustings.
and heretofore he always seemed to
be in his natural element when he
faced a crowd. But this time he
looked tired and dazed. He had
something like hamper basketful of
Congressional Records and loose pa
pers that he fumbled through, and
read few extracts here and there
that he thought would suit his case.
He very laboriously went over the
Athens negro postmaster case and
fully demonstrated that he was in
full sympathy with Mr.. Hanna and
the Republican party in that case, as
all his advice in that was to say moth
ing, or do nothing, on the idea that
the classic city of Athens was humili-
ated by having negro postmaster,
as that would hurt the feelings of
Mr.. Hanna and the dear Republican
party. But if they had done anything,
they must get up something against
the negro Morton's character. That
negro was as good as a white man,