The Leader, enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1915-1921, 1918-05-15
VETERAN DEMOCRAT TELLS
HIM SPEECH AT LUNCHEON
is LIKE CREATIONS OF BEN
HILL AND ALEX STEPHENS.
(From the Atlanta Journal. J

Yesterday dIlCIlOOH DIT lHC SoPlt'i
City Club by Major John S. Cohen,
editor of the Atlanta Journal Judge
George Hillyer, the grand old Atlanta
Democrat who has voted for every
democratic presidential nominee since
1848, made his way through the guests
packed around Secretary Daniels and
reached out and took hold Of his hand.
Mr.. Daniels, just want to say this
TO YOU" said the Judge, and there was
a tremor in his voice Il heard Ben
Hill and Alex Stephens and all the
other great ones Of former genera
ton, and your wonderful speech here
today has takn me back to those old
times. | want to thank you, sir, and
say that honor you along with
them"
There were tears in the judges
eyes, and his voice became almost un-
steady as he concluded his compli-
ment, and tears sprang into the eyes
of Secretary Daniels, as he held the
judges hand and said;
Judge Hillyer, | thank you sir.
That is the finest thing | ever had
said to me-"
A Magnificent Speech.
liz HCdltlCil WOI vi JuuRC lIllI~
yer expressed the sentiments of every
man present Never have Atlantians
or Georgians listened to more mag
nihcent and inspiring expression of
American patriotism than that which
fell from the great secretary's lips in
simple but thrilling language.
These boys who are offering up
their lives on the altar of duty" said
he, in passage which might be quot
ed as the summing up of his address,
the keynote of the spirit which must
prevail and which does prevail in
America today, these boys who are
going across with such cheerful Sc
robustness, who are writing such OPP
timistic and inspiring letters from the
trenches and the destroyers, these
boys who are ready to die that hui
manity may live, are never coming
back until they are victors, and when
they do come back they are going to
rule this nation, and when the boys of
Atlanta returning from the trenches
march down the streets of this city.
and your citizens do them honor, let
no man profane their presence who
has not made a supreme sacrifice to
back them up. No man ever loved
anything that he would not gladly die
for, and in the words of Thomas left
erson | say to you that the acid test
OF your patriotism today is this: Love
your neighbor as yourself, and love
your country better than Yourself
That, my friends, is the true test of
patriotism, and rejoice with YOU that
Americans today are meeting the test
In the same old way they have al
ways met it,"
Delightful Occasion
The luncheon was a delightful oc-
casion which brought together more
than two hundred of the most repres-
entative men of Atlanta, of Georgia
and OF Southern Methodism.
hose invited were the bishops of
the general conference of the Metho-
dist church, which is now holding its
quadrennial session here, and which
Secretary Daniels addressed last
night at great patriotic rally: Off
GERS representing the army, the navy
and the United States marines: Geor-
gla editors from every section of the
state, and more than hundred promi
nent Atlanta citizens representing ey-
cry department of the city's business
and professional life.
Patriotic Decorations
The beautiful ballroom of the Cant
tai City club was decorated in honor
OF the occasion with flags of the
United States and the Allies, with the
nag OF North Carolina and of the
navy and lin the decorations of the
tables special compliment was paid
TO Secretary Daniels and the great
hghtlng arm of the nation where he
mas achieved such a brilliant success.
ne large round table at which the
speakers and notable guests were
seated contained in the center a mir
ror on which rode a monster dread
nounght, painted in battle gray. and
surrounded by smaller craft represent
ing the conveys of destroyers and
submarine chasers. The flowers were
IN colors matching the colors of the
nag ana were tied with red, white and
Diue rlbbon. The menue cards were
ued with red, white and blue ribbon.
Daniels.
As the guests took their seats the
orchestra changed from a popular mn
sicai MT to the Star Spangled Ban
ner' and the guests arose and stood
at attention. Then Major Cohen,
as host of the occasion, proposed a
silent toast to the foremost citizen Of
the world, Hon. Woodrow Wilson
the president of the United States j
which was drunk in silence and fol
lowed by applause.
Several Brief Speeches
Several brief speeches preceded the
address OF Secretary Daniels. the FIRST
of these being delivered bv Mavor
Asa u. Gambler who paid an aDnro-
pirate and graceful compliment TO
Secretary Daniels and to North Caro-
Ina, where he lives. and remarked
that 1t was characteristic of the great
secretary to arrive in Atlanta on the
minute" He said Mr.. Daniels had
once considered moving to Atlanta
and perhaps this fact influenced Pres;.
dc1t Wilson in choosing him to head
Il navy department.
The next speaker was Bishop F. R
Hendrix, the senior bishop of the
Methodist church, who said the Meth
od'Sts. like the Beers of South Africa,
do not believe in fighting except for
seit-defense, and then they believe in
hitting the mark He told a story in
this connection of a young Boer
whose father had trained him to read