Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-08-27
]. R. SMITH WARMLY
ANSWERS HARRIS CHARGES
Detailed Reply Is Made to
Attack of Senatorial Can
didate in Pulaski Speech

RSply lttB 10 charges mace against MIN
Saturday by William ]. Harris, candi-
date for the United States senate, in
an address in Pulaski county, J. r.
Smith. in charge of the campaign head
quarters of William Schley Howard, on
Monday issued statement emphati-
cally repudiating the allegations.
That William ]. Harris is "a political
liar" is the answer to Mr.. Harris charge
that u. r. Smith is a political CRATER"
Answering Mr.. Harris charge that
Mr. Smith is not sending his boys to
wa" Mr. Smith says that his only son,
after repeated attempts 10 volunteer as
a private, without seeking the aid OF
Harris, Howard or any other politician
to get soft job finally succeeded in
passing his physical examination and
is now in the naval reserve, awaiting his
call.
In connection with his detailed reply
to various charges, Mr.. Smith states
that Mr.. Harris, who is bringing these
charges agaisnt me, sent two of his
friends to me and asked me to take the
Craftsmanship of his campaign commit
tee.
The statement of Mr.. Smith follows,
in full:
Statement of Smith
Editor Atlanta Journal:
MY attention has been called to a
personal attack upon me as a private
citizen by William j. Harris, candidate
for the United States senate, before an
audience of citizens of Pulaski county
on Saturday last, and will you not be
generous enough to permit me to reply
through your columns to this charge.
Mr.. Harris charged first, that j. r.
Smith is a political CRATER and my
reply to this is that he is a political
nd hoH ,Ia i- Rzs. IL
the pale of common decency unless
supported, when made by facts. which
he failed to do and which he can never
do, because no such facts exist and are
not therefore obtainable from any
source on this earth,
II have never supported any man for
public office with the hope Of reward
any greater than that received by any
other citizen in my state. L was chair
man of two of Governor Browns cam
paigns for governor. He lives at Ma
rietta and letter, addressed to him
there by either Mr.. Harris or any of
his supporters will bring the answer
from him that he had never paid me
one cent for services rendered nor did
1 ever seek or receive at his hands
personal or political favor.
'I served on Governor Harris cam
paign committee in his first campaign
A letter addressed to him at Macon will
bring an answer that he did not pay me
one cent for the services rendered nor
did 1 during his incumbency of the Of
flee ever seek or receive a personal or
political favor.
81 served on Governor Hugh NJ. Dor
sey's campaign committee and a letter
addressed to him at the state capitol will
bring forth an answer that I never re,
ceived one penny from him nor have L
ever asked him for a personal or politi-
cal favor.
"I supported President Wilson in all
of his campaigns in this state and let
ter addressed to him at Washington will
bring back reply that have never re-
ceived one penny for the services rem
dered nor have I ever asked him for a
personal or political favor.
''Yet William J. Harris would justify
his candidacy for the United States SEN
ate by an attempt to besmirch my char
acter before the people Of my native
state and among whom have lived for
more than half a cerury.
mot being satisfied with this he at
tempted to question my loyalty by say
ing in the same speech that L am not
sending my boys to the war.
Replying to this infamous charge and
insinuation, let me say that have but
one son and before he was out of his
teens he twice volunteered to enter the
service of his country as private ana
without seeking the aid of either Har-
ris, Howard, or any other politician to
get soft job. and was turned down on
his physical examinations.
Now In Naval Reserve
Not being satisfied, he went to Caly-
ton, Ca, to recuperate and Immediately
upon his return volunteered to enter
the service in the navy, and on the 18th
day Of July of this year he stood his
examination and passed, and is now in
the naval reserve, anxiously awaiting
his call together with his comrades and
his friends. And yet this man In his
desperation for public office stands be-
fore a Georgia audience and charges
that my boys are not going to war. He
has previously stated while speaking of
a relative, Captain Harris, who is with
the exped!tionary forces in France: He
Captain Harris) has probably done
more fighting in France than any other
Georgia boy now over there
"IIe states further that while your
sons are over In France fighting, ]. r.
Smith is making money hands down
from fat contracts at Camp Gordon
Why does he confine his attack upon me
when every contractor in this country
was called upon by the government to
file their missionaries IN order tnat
the enormous undertaking of the gov
eminent of building cantonmeuts and
equipment for the soldiers could be
handled economically and expedftiously,
and contracts were awarded, so far as
I know to practically all the contrac-
tors in Georgia as well as in other
states who complied with the govern
ment's regulations, which was abso-
lutely necessary.
AS to Contracts
His answer to this will be that I
used political influence to obtain these
contracts, which is untrue; and would
be- if true, a reflection upon his gov
eminent and the officials in charge of
this branch of the governments work.
The first contract that my company
had and executed, was obtained with
out the knowledge of single politi-
clan in this or any other state and the
remainder of the work given to my
company which was only in proportion
to that given other contractors, was
awarded on the merits of the contract
already executed for the government
All the Georgia work so fas as know
has been executed by Georgia contrac-
tors and Georgia workmen, and this
has never set we'll with Mr.. Harris.
Although I have it on good author
ity that he interviewed himself and
turned the interview over to a cores
pendent of the Atlanta Constitution,
claiming all the credit for getting Camp