Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-07-12
Congressman Turns Cool Re-
ception Into One of EnthuSi-
aSm-AttackS Harris Rec
ord and Replies to HardWiCk

COLUMBUS, Ga. July 9.-In the most
impassioned and aggressive speech he
has yet delivered in his race for the
United States senate. delivered last
night in the Muscogee county court
house in this city, William Schley How
ard put the two Columbus newspapers
on notice that he will take Muscogee
county away from them like taking
candy away from a baby"
He put them on notice that ne is
coming back here in the month of
August and hold a series of street meet
ings for the purpose of presenting his
legislative record to the masses of the
people of the city and the county, and
told them they would find out that a
stainless public career is more power
use against him.
1t was one of the most remarkable
speeches. and one of the most remark
able meetings. on record in Georgia poll
tics. Columbus has been claimed by the
friends of William ]. Harris as a Har-
ris stronghold. Both of the Columbus
papers are vigorously supporting the
former chairman of the federal trade
commission. The Harris forces have
organized a club and kept up constant
newspaper publicity.
On arriving here yesterday afternoon,
Mr.. Howard was greeted with an edito-
rial in the Columbus Ledger, which is the
afternoon paper, accusing him of run
ming a campaign of misrepresentation in
the interest Of Senator Hardwick.
Editorial Bitter Pill.
His friends frankly, admitted to him
that there has been a great deal of noise
in Columbus in favor of Harris and very
little noise in favor of Howard.
But they were game and confident
that If he could manage to reach the
working people OF the city, who are
overwhelmingly in the majority. that he
would sweep Muscogee county. And
the editorial in the Columbus Ledger
was a bitter pill for him to swallow in
a city whose chamber of commerce has
frequently called on him for assistance
and cooperation in Washington, and
always found him ready 20 respond.
And the combination of the gameness
of his friends and the bitter pill of the
editorial had the same effect on William
Schley Howard that a challenge to fight
has always had upon the spirit OF cour-
ageous men who are willing to meet
their enemies in open combat and battle
them to a finish.
MI Howard was met at the Ralston
hotel by a delegation composed or A. L.
Kunze, president of the Columbus Chah-
her of Commerce; DR.. E. L. Baker,
well-known physician; Judge A W. Coz
art q prominent lawyer; James c. Fox,
formerly manager of the Columbus
baseball team, now a Columbus business
man, and four or five others. On reach-
ing the courthouse, at 5 O'CLOCK ne
found a small crowd.
But they kept on coming for half an
hour and there were upward OF Two
hundred present when the meeting
started at $50 o'clock
introduced by "Jip" Fox
lanes c. Fox, better known as Jim"
Fox. one of the most popular men in
Columbus introducing him, speaking
about two minutes, with the character
istic brevity of his modest disposition
when the meeting started the at
rnosnhere was cold and unresponslve.
A heavy rainstorm blew up in ten OF
fifteen minutes AID interrupted M
Towards speech. But it was not long
before he changed the colduess to in
terest, changed the silence to applause
changed the rather casual and idle GU
riosity to enthusiasm. and when he i'm
ished they were on their feet shouting
and cheering.
Mr.. Howard was not mad. His fight
ing blood WAS up. And he showed them
the difference between man VINO nights
with his eyes shut, striking wild blows
that miss their mark and man who
fights with perfectly cool and deadly
precision. He never said word that
he would not be willing to repeat again
if he were to speak here again tomor-
row night And he never said woro
that did not go home like the rapier
thrust of a practiced swordsman. A
delegation of his supporters who came
over from Hamilton; where they heard
him in a different humor in the after
noon, could hardly contain their enthu-
siasm. They threw their hats into the
air and stamped the floor.