Atlanta Georgian., 1914-02-26
BY JAMES 3. NEVlN.

BY JAMES 3. NEVlN.
Taking off our hat to-day to one
w. c. Vereen, of Moultrie-the great
unknown" in the beginning of the
Senatorial race, rs concerns the ad
interim appointment. and about the
best known gentleman in the bunch
in the finish!
No matter what else happened, We
reen certainly has been put on the
political map in large, red and engag
| ing letters!
| Entered as business mans" can
| didate, and doomed as SUCH he soon
| became the talk of the hotel obbies
| and the deliciously uncertain factor
in the Senatorial situation.
And his booster bunch was the real
article! Headed by Thad Adams of
| The Moultrie Enterprise, it never
slept.
1t was on the job all the time
morning, noon and night. 1t never
missed an oppot unity to buttonhole
| sny promising person in sight and ask
him, DO you know Vereen?'
At first most folks didn't. But that
lasted only day or so. Pretty soon
| everybody who was anybody knew the
| Moultrie man, and knew what it was
| his friends were asking in his be
half!
| NeTcet-Weil, \ Green = all Ilgni.
That much has been written in the
stars, anyway. Never was candidate
| for position of high honor more in
| telligently, more earnestly, or more
| effectively exploited by his loyal and
loving friends.
The John T. Boifeuillet boom. which,
while it lived, lived in clover, appar-
emily was spontaneous, and had no
! h..a an NJ ~
| the State came willing and voluntary
| indorsementS-by the hundreds.
There isn't more popular man in
the whole State than the clerk of the
| House of Representatives, and his
| thousands of friends stood by him
stoutly. He never was an active as
pirant for the position. and his boom
was started without his knowledge or
consent
He didn't win. but he must be glad
| his name was entered as prospect
| i've appointee. If nothing else, II
| served TO show the quality of enthu
siasm behind him!
| AS for the new Senator:
William Stanley West was born in
Marion County, Georgia, August %.
1849, and was educated at Mercer
| University After leaving college, he
|
led law, graduating from the law de-
partment of Mercer University. He
entered the practice of his profession
| at Valdosta, and quickly attained
high standing at the bar.
| Colonel West has long been promi-
nently identified with the sawmillinS
and lumber industry in Southern
! Georgia and Florida, and has varied
4 other business interests, being one of
the most successful farmers in the
State. He has always taken keen
interest in public affairs and has for
many years been recognized as one of
the ablest Democratic leaders in
i Georgia. He was a member of the
State House OF Represe tatfNss from
1892 to 1897, and in -f5sS999' was a
member of the State Senate In 1902
he was again elected to the lower
house of the Legislature, and served
until 1904. In 190506 he was return
| ed to the State Senate without oppo-
| sition, and was elected President of
that body. AS President of the Senate
he displayed marked ability, dignity
| and impartiality, his administration
| being regarded as one of the most
| notable in the history of the State.
| During this session much important
and far-reaching legislation was en-
acted.
In 1908 Colonel West was sent as ,
| delegate-at-l large from Georgia to the
| National Democratic Convention at
Denver
Colonel West introduced the bill
providing for a uniform system of
| text books in the Legislature in 1892.
which, despite stubborn opposition,
was finally passed in 1908 He is
properly regarded as the father OF
| the present admirable schoolbook
law. He took great interest in the bill
| establishing the State Normal College
at Valdosta, and after it was passed
was one of the largest contributors
| toward purchasing the splendid site
now occupied by that institution.
While in the Legislature he intro
| duced a bill looking to the erection
| of a new passenger station for the
Western and Atlantic Railroad in At
lanta, which, though defeated, he re-
| garded as a most important one for
| the safeguarding of the States most
valuable property. Another measure
| in which he took great interest was
the bill looking to the leasing OF che
! Western and Atlantic Railroad after
the expiration of the present lease.
| Colonel Vests political career like
| his professional and business life, has
| been marked not only with ability and
| courage of conviction, but with un
usual candor and honesty of purpose.
| He has not hesitated to oppose vigor-
ously those things which he consid-
| cred wrong, or to eSpouse whole
| heartedly the measure he believes
| right
!