Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1920-08-08

suit, in his brown eyes puzzled
twinkle, on his face a whimsical
smile, evidently taken aback and
somewhat embarrassed by all this
glory.
Barrett Tells Story.
But he stood his ground before the
friendliness Just as he had before a
different kind of feeling at the
GAINESVILLE meeting. And, after the
introductions, when they asked him
to tell US about it" he told them
about it, the grin still on his face
but an embattled CLEAN in his eyes
as he warmed to his subject.
"There were about 1000 people in
the auditorium. It's "a big place,
you know. Two-thirds were Watson
folks, l reckon, but l knew there
were a hundred or so eX-service men
there. Most of them were farmer
boys, not used to speaking, and that
was one reason | did what l did
somebody had to do it.
Watson" continued Barrett, had
finished speaking, and had sat down;
Edmondson took the platform and
began his TRADE against the Amerl-
can Legion, the American army, and"
as Barrett put it, against practically
everything and everybody that ever
wore a uniform"
"He said the officers took the
rookie privates and spit in their
faces and kicked them in the pants
He said the only officers of rank
wounded in France were those that
fell over beer bottles and wine kegs.
He kept on saying things like that
and | began to boil and boil and
boil.
Gust Couldn't Stand It,"
"But | waited until he got through
that part and announced he would
turn to another phase of politics.
Then 1 jumped UP. =.
81 didn't go there to speak. 1t
never entered my head until he be-
gan pouring it in that way. But l
lust couldn't stand it. There were
women sitting near me whose lips
were curling in open scorn, and one
said, It's a shame decent people
have to sit and take this in their own
country -.
Mister Speaker! l said. Mr..
Speaker! (You see I've watched
these legislature boys and know how
they do it, 1 had to yell twice be-
fore they heard me. There were
murmurs and somebody shouted,
Take his namev A voice from the
platform cried, Who are your
''I told them: My names Barrett;
Pm old man Tom Barrett's son and
the brother of Charlie Barrett, pres
ident of the Farmers Union That
ouieted them some and they told me
to come to the front and speak from
the platform. I guess they didn't
know what I was going to say, or
else thought they'd get me up there
and make a monkey out of me.
at was all very quiet and pleas
ant. l went up front and-well, |
did sort of hate to do it, after what
I'd been listening to- stuck out my
hand to Edmondson and said, Bar
rett's my name.-'Edmondson is
mine he said and we shook hands. l
bowed to Mr.. Watson and we shook
hands. Oh, it was as polite as a
garden party!
Poured 1t In EN-.
''Then l sort of stepped back and
began to pour it in EN-"
Barrett did not repeat what he
said, but this was it, spoken straight
to Edmondson, while he shook his
finger in Edmondson's face:
Your statement, sir, is a will
full and deliberate misrepresenta-
ton. In war you would be guilty
of treason; in peace you are guilty
of unspeakable cowardice. l en-
listed in the war as private sold
Ter in 1917, and spent twenty
three months in France ready and
willing any day to sacrifice my life
for my country. No man knows
better than you, who has dishonor-
ed the uniform you wore, that you
wilfully and deliberately state an
untruth in what you say of the
American Legion. / don't propose
to sit silently by and have your
statements go unchallenged, and
here and now I denounce them as
false.
Barrett had gotten just that far
when the fireworks broke, EtI hadn't