Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1920-09-01

In introducing Senator Hoke
Smith for his address here yester-
day Mayor Sheppard said:
"There never was time IN the
history of our government when the
people needed more to do serious
thinking that at this very time. We
have business uncertainties.
1--WE have with US today man
who has been tried in the school Of
service. a man who possesses every
attribute of craftsmanship to fit aim
to represent Georgia IN the United
States senate"
There was a time when ! felt very
much inclined to retire from public
life after the completion Of my pres
ent term in the senate and take life
easy" said Senator Smith in begin
ming his address. 81 have been con.
stantly active for sixty years. At
the age of five years | began hard
study under my father and | have
been under a dead strain ever since.
Nv duties at Washington require
nv attention every day from a.
m. to II p m. Ny daughters have
EXPRESSED to me their anxiety that
I stop work, but so many questions
involving your welfare will be be
fore congress in the next few years
and I deemed it so essential to us
that these be handled by trained
man and to the best advantage to
US that ] decided to continue to serve
you in the senate if you want me to
serve you.
az have been accused of almost
everything by the Atlanta Constitu-
ton. a newspaper that is utterly in
capable of telling the truth. Ever
since l beat Clark Howell for the
he and his associates
have been pouring out their poison
against me. If you believe one half
the things this paper prints about me
] am unfit to live in this state, much
less represent you in office. tell
YOU solemnly here and now that since
the day / was elected to the COVER
norship of Georgia l have never cast
a vote except in your interest ana
fcri your welfare. They have charg-
ed me with almost everything and
have told the truth about nothing.
For Collecting Debts.
Gone of the great problems that
will be coming UP in the senate for
disposal will be the calling up of the
war debts for settlement. the col
lection of what we have loaned to
other countries. say ] am for col
lecting these loans. There is no rea-
son why they should not be paid
back.
'"Then there will be the problem
of war taxes, and how and when to
reduce them and how they will affect
the masses and how the classes. "
The senator explained that in the
senate he secured an amendment to
tn recent tax reduction bill where
bv every man who pays an income
tav shares in the reduction from eight
billions to six billions, instead of al
lowing the wealthy and greatest in
come tax payers to enjoy the whole
reduction. GAN you men who now
paw income taxes pay ,one-third less
than before because of my efforts
in YOUR behalf" said the senator.
'fThen the question of the future
of our army will come up" he con-
tinued 81 tell you that am OPP
Goeed to compulsory military train
ing" Here the senator received his
first heavy applause since his intro
duction. 81 do not mean that | OPP
posed the draft, but l do oppose Civ
ing the president the right to pre-
scribe the draft whenever he sees
fit and l am going to do all can
to keep such a provision out of the
military bill. The recent war with
Germany was the only war that l
know where the draft was necessary.
IF we were to go to war with Mex
leo we would need no draft, for
enough men would quickly volun-
teer. And so with other wars that
we might imagine. Those questions
! have mentioned are still before us,
and if sent back to the senate shall