The Marietta journal and courier. (Marietta, Ga.) 1909-1918, 1914-03-13
WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON CITY,

SOuuIy puHudy OCuOOlS met LOT
picnic and celebration at Kennesaw
mountain, and, as rain threatened,
the whole train load went down to
Marietta and the exercises were held
in the Presbyterian church. | was
a small boy and spoke for the Union
Sunday school which used to meet
at the Methodist church at Acworth
and Captain Smith Lemon was my
teacher.
The three Judges were Governor
James M. Smith, Ex-Governor Joseph
e. Brown and Hon. Alfred H. Col
quit, who afterward became Cover
nor and United States Senator They
gave the first prize to remarkably
bright boy from Smyrna, a son of
Captain Moore, who was a noted
passenger train conductor on the
State road. The prize which came to
me was handed to me by the great
war Governor and was a Life of
Christ which l valued very highly.
AS l said, that was the first time
| ever saw a Governor. They were
all politicians, but did not know
what a politician was. Since then |
have known all the politicians who
have managed to get into the who's
Who" of Georgia politics.
That brings me to the next chap
ter, which is to comment on the prop
osition that the selection of a SEN
ator is to depend on a matter of geo
graphy. If the people of Georgia
wish to act on that idea it is their
privilege. For my part | should hate
to base campaign on such a plea.
AS intimately as | have been identi-
fled with public matters in Georgia
for forty years l have never before
heard such a proposition made in
connection with a seat in the United
States Senate. 1t may have been
done, but never heard of it.
Such an idea would have kept Ben
Jamin H. Hill out of the Senate. 1t
would have kept Joseph E. Brown
out of the Senate. 1t would have kept
General John B. Gordon out of the
Senate the last time he was elected
When they were elected the other
places were all filled by men from
the same section of the State.
The Senators who served just be-
fore the war were General Robert
Toombs and Alfred Iverson. The State
was not represented in the Senate
from 81 to 90. Alexander H. Ste
phens and Herschel " Johnson were
elected after the war but were not
permitted to take their seats. DR.. H.
V. M. Miller and Joshua Hill were
the first post-bellum Senators and
took their seats in 1869. They were
succeeded by Thomas M. Norwood
of Savannah and General John 3.
Gordon.
Norwood's term expired in 1877
and his successor was elected in 1875.
That was the first political fight of
which l ever took notice James Nj.
Smith, who was then Governor, was
a candidate. Gordon was living at
Kirkwood, near Atlanta. Hill was
elected and made his home in At
lanta, so that Atlanta had both Sen
ators.
Is there a man who ever knew
that wonderful, wonderful speaker
who would strike from the bright
pages of Georgia's history the rec
ord Of Hill? In the whole firma-
ment of politics today there blazes
NO star with such splendert
How we'll do l remember the fine
figure, the massive head, the deep,
serious, thoughtful face of Ben. Hill
as / would see him walking to his
hOme1on Peachtree street, the home
over which kept vigil night after
night as he lay dying.
Go read his speeches in the light
of this day and you will say that as
an orator and statesman Georgia has
not produced his equal since the
war.
Where did he live? HE LIVED
IN GEORGIA, THANK GOD.
Who would have stopped to ask
where Bob Toombs or Alexander H.
Stephens lived? AS matter of fact