Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-07-06

clared that the adoption of the
amendment would destroy both the
character and the purpose OF the SO
ciety; that II would no longer be
Southern society but an interstate
society. the r. Puribus Unum So
ciety. tho Amalgamated Association of
Selected Celebrities-anything In fact
but that II would not be a Southern
socisty.
Or. MekeIwsy Is Secretary.
The result was that the amendment
was defeated. President Hobson re-
signed, and MIR. Bennett was unani-
mously elected to succeed him. DR.
A. J. McKelway, well known in At
lanta, Is financial Fecretary OF the So
ciety. Speaker Champ Clark is the
first vice president.
Something of what the Southern
Society is, and what II Is doing Is
contained in the following interview
by Mr Bennett:
The objects Of the Southern So
ciety are to bring together at the
National Capital Southern people; to
promote friendship and Fellowship
among them; TO nOurish, cherish and
| perpetuate Southern ideals and ideas
| TO aid in interpreting the South to
itself and to the nation at large; to
develop and promote any good cause
connected with the South-whether
educational philanthropic, patriotic
OF useful In any line. When the so
ciety grows in strength, membership
and power as II should, Il will be an
easy matter TO discover good things
for 1t TO DO.
The society Is In no sense section
al, except In the broad sense that It
is made up Of southerners. There Is
nothing narrow or limited or section
al about II In any way that could
possibly he objected to- In its re-
cent meeting at the National Thea
ter. the society acted as the host of
| the nation The society paid all ex-
penses and entertained two thousand
citizens OF Washington. selected with
out regard to where they came from.
| Every Representative and Senator
was invited, the diplomatic corps was
we'll represented, the house was filled
to its capacity, and the addresses were
| in a vein that could not but be ap-
proved and appreciated by any well
balanced man or woman in the United
| States. The strongest eulogy on the
! South was delivered by William Jen-
nings Bryan, OF Nebraska, Secretary
| of State
There have been two other meet
|
| in prominent roles. one was the
noted banquet at the Raleigh Hotel
in celebration OF Washington's birth
| day, February %, 1912. and the other
was at the Pan American Building
| in the Hall of the Americas, when the
society last fall gave a reception to
the national convention OF the United
| Daughters Of the acy-the
most noted perhaps of the great en-
tertainments given In Washington to
| that great organization OF Southern
women.
Cites 5igness of Field.
Those Of us who are endeavoring
to direct the society's movements are
fairly staggered by the bigness of the
field that it represents This field
covers a representation at the Nation
al Capital of sixteen Of the leading
States Of the Union, containing a pop
ulation of more than thirty millions
having 500, 100000 acres of territory
possessing greater fertility and va
sized territory on the face of the
globe. having one crop (cottonJ
worth a round billion dollars a year
and constituting the greatest natural
monopoly that the Creator has given
TO any people.
THAT the South now furnishes the
President OF the United States and
half Of the Cabinet and is on the
majority side of both House and Sen
ate is only one Of many phases of
its Importance and possibilities
That the Southern Society has some
thing 10 stand for and can easily find
something TO do that will be well
worth while needs no demonstration,
The society regards the South as the
nations best asset. and desires 10
make that asset available to all good
purposes"