The Leader, enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1915-1921, 1918-07-08
EO|TOR|AL-E
By
STEWART F. GELDERS.

week but old Fitz wasn't in it with
the glorious celebration our boys in
France carried off. Side by side with
their British and Australian com
rades they showed the Heinies the
real old spirit of TO. 1t was vic
tory or die and orr boys gained the
victory. Perhaps some Ben Hill
county boy was in that celebration at
early dawn. Who knows?
John Purroy Mitchell is dead. He
gave his life for his country before
he ever saw the red soil of No-Man's-
Land, but his was d hero's death Just
the same
The shipyard's celebration of the
fourth was a wonderful demonstration
OF practical patriotism. AS the sharp
Prov OF each vessel cut the waves of
the Atlantic and Pacific, it cut deeper
the coils of Kaiserism wound around
the earth.
When the Dixie division arrived
safely in France last week the old
L. S. A. won as decisive a naval vic,
tory over Prussianism as though she
had sunk a fleet The sea is safe
for soldiers.
And poor old RUSSIA, q .cisiveiy de-
feated and put out of the war a thous-
and and one times by the daily press
still shows a spark of life. Russia,
CULVER bound by the Lilliputians,
may yet break the slender thread that
seems to bind her fast. The main
trouble with Russia is that she is mis-
understood; her ideals, purposes and
most of all, her leaders, too hastily
condemned by all unsympathetic
world.
If we may believe all the editors OF
the state, Georgia is i'll a sad condi-
ton when all six of her candidates for
the senate are brainless blowhards.
crooks or liars. And if we believe
few of those noble examples of the
patriotic politician, she is in a sadder
state when every editor has his price
and the newspapers are for sale to
the highest bidder. The old adage
that we should believe nothing we
hear and half we see" is not always
consistently true but in a political
fight it is indeed safe one
1t is a relief to any man to turn
from thoughts of destructive strife
on the battlehelds over there" and
on the stump lover here" and think
about the real constructive fight that
is going on right here in Fitzgerald
the battle of the legions of the Cham,
Der of Commerce, under the general
ship of the matchless strategist and
field marshal, Mr.. Clarke, for a big
ger and better Fitzgerald. Any man
that is not behid the Chamber of
Commerce is behind the times and
deserves to be behind the bars as
much as any other Stacker.
1t was fine thing for all South
Georgia that so many people from
towns and cities at a distance were
here for the Fourth It enabled our
neighbors to see what an advantage
GUS trading center Fitzgerald is. Peo-
pie in many neighboring towns have
been sending to Atlanta and Macon
tor things they can buy as cheaply
and more conveniently in Fitzgerald
and we may expect them to buy those
things at Fitzgerald hereafter. We
are logically situated for the metro.
polls of South Georgia.
The governments war time lepis-
lation has been almost without excep.
ton most successful in its purpose,
However drastic all the measures NAV
have seemed they have attained their
purpose. The one law we cannot un.
derstand the purpose of, is the postal
zone law. 1t means only inconven,
fence and added expense to an insti.
tuition without which the war could
not be conducted-the American
press. Without the press the war
loans could not be floated nor the
aims of the government so explained
as to obtain the fullest sympathy Of
the people. If the press in general
has committed any crime the postal
zone law is successful as punish.
ment but it is successful in no othe,
way.
The nation has been in suspense for
week or more over the telegraph
and telephone disturbance. The ac-
ton OF the employees this morning
relieves the suspense and puts the
whole thing in way to a speedy and
satisfactory settlement. A strike at