The Leader, enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1915-1921, 1917-03-26
LARGE AUDIENCE
GREETS Sen. SMITH

WILL " VGtvB OIb1b u
The largest audience ever assembled
in the courthouse, greeted Senator
Hoke Smith when he began his ad-
dress at four o'clock Saturday after
noon.
Atty. ]. B. Wall, in a few chosen
remarks presented the Senator to the
audience, who greeted him with cheers
and hand clapping. The Senator was
at his best, although he had made
long address at the Chautauqua in
Della in the forenoon.
Current Events" which had been
announced to be his theme, landed
him at once into the foreign situation
and the problems confronting our
country through the submarine war
fare of Germany Senator Smith re-
lated how for the most part of 1915
he fought on the floor of the Senate
for the cotton growers and their in
terests; how finally through his efforts
and those most closely associated
with him, he forced English and Ger
man buyers to enter the cotton mar
ket and thus raise the depressed price
OF the staple, upon which the South
largely depends for its prosperity and
living. Though seriously regretting
the existing conditions which are
rapidly driving this government into
active participation of the war against
Germany, Senator Smith urged the
people of Georgia to stand by the
President and his policy and if war
must come to fight to the finish.
From one to three million soldiers
may be needed and call for that
number is likely to be issued within
the next thirty or sixty days, and
Georgia should have full proportion
of volunteers ready for the trimming
camps. Senator Smith proposes to
fight for better pay and a more bust
ness-like provision for the soldier and
5sis dependents during and after the
war. Pay equivalent to prevailing
wages in civil life and adequate cash
compensation for any injury sustained
during enlistment, is one of the SEN
ator's strong pleas for the soldier
boys.
. The cotton exchange and how the
Smith-Lever Act materially improved
it for the planters; the Rural Credits
bill, the farm extension work, the
great benefits derived from the federal
reserve banks through its control of
the currency and the elimination OF
Wall street from the control of the
supply of money, each was given its
attention by the Senator during the
hour and half in whic hthe audience
gave him the most respectful atten-
ton interrupted only at times by out
bursts of enthusiasm when the Sena-
tor touched the patriotic chord.
Our senior Senator made a strong
plea for bone dry" Georgia, not only
because it may become the law in a
few days, but for its great moral and
economic value to our people and
pledged his best efforts for national
prohibition in the same unstinted
measure. His splendid1y effective re-
marks on this theme were greeted
with great showing of approval by
the entire audience.
The audience consisted of business
men, farmers, and great many la
dies who congratulated Senator
Smith at the conclusion of his re-
marks.
Senator Smith was met at the depot
in the morning by Messrs Gelders
and w. t. Paulk, and by them escort
ed to the Lee-Grant Hotel for break
fast. About nine o'clock a delegation
from Ocilla, headed by Mayor Sam
Wilcox, arrived and with them the
Senator motored to Ocilla to fill an
engagement for the U. D. C. Chau-
tauqua.