Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1920-08-22
SUMTER CROWD
HEARS WALKER
FLAY HARDWICK
Uses Official Records
Effectively Against
Rival Candidate


men of Sumter county-all who could
find places in the court room-lis-
tened for an hour and fifty minutes
Saturday while Clifford Walker. can
didate for the governorship of Geor-
gia. outlined his plans for improving
conditions in the state if he is elect
ed, and produced record after rec
ord in denunciation of his chief op-
ponent. Thomas w. Hardwick. and
his worthiness for the great office
to which both aspire.
Mr.. Walker has been heard here
before, but never as effectively or
as forceful. His speech was long and
physically tiring but he went through
it to the end with fire and vigor
that held his hearers in rapt atten-
ton. His audience heard him calmly.
but frequently interrupted his talk
with applause. The hearers were rep
resentative of all sections and all
conditions of Sumter citizenship.
There were numerous followers of
Hardwick present who listened with
out visible expression to the denun-
citation of their leader. And it was
bitter castigation that they heard,
Mr.. Walker offering official docu-
ments as evidence in offering his
points. and then making the best of
the opportunity in presenting their
application to the case in hand.
The speaker stated that Hardwick
was not honest in his contention that
he hated Martens and his associates
and was merely representing them in
legal capacity. He ridiculed the
idea that Martens would overlook all
the legal brilliance of the cities of
the north, to select lawyer from
Atlanta, who had not been in active
practice for twenty years, if that
lawyer hated their cause, as Hard
wick contends he does.
He arraigned Hardwick for his
disloyalty, for his greed, for his
ISLANDERS against the American Le-
gion, for his praise of Lincoln john
son, negro Republican, and for his
ingratitude to the man who had first
given him his chance for greatness,
Thomas Watson. He quoted Hard
wick's diatribes against Watson in
1910, and his statement in 1916 that
he would like to see Watson drawn
and quartered.
introduced by Furlow
The speaking began at II o'clock.
! Mr.. Walker was introduced by 1. VI.
Furlow, long his friend. in only few
sentences but in very effective
manner. Mr.. Walkers first words
were "Fellow Citizens and Fellow
| Citizenesses." 1t was skillfrl ref
erence to woman suffrage, which IS
shortly to be a reality in Georgia IS
elsewhere. since the actor cf the
Tennessee in ratifying the suffrage
amendment, and brought smiling
applause.
Mr.. Furlow referred Mr. Walker
as a clean man in his private and pub
lie life and said that he had been
honored by his Sunday school in his
home town years ago by being made
superintendent; that his church has
honored him by making him trustee
of Mercer university; that the church
of the state honored him by making
| him vice-president of the Georgia
Baptist association; that the people of
| his home town had honored him by
eIecting him mayor; that the people
of his judicial circuit had honored
him by making him solicitor general
and that he had been sent still higher
by the people of Georgia. having been
elected by them to the attorney gem
eralship. "And all of these places he
has filled with honor and distinc-
ton. said Mr.. Furlow.
In beginning his address Mr. Walk
er referred to himself as a brother
in-law to Sumter county" and declar-
ed himself most grateful to the peo-
pie here for past favors to him. In
launching his speech he said in part: