The Lexington progress. (Lexington, Tenn.) 1884-current, 1920-10-29
TWO EXCELLENT
DEMOCRATIC SPEECHES.

two excellent speeches last Saturday
afternoon-Col. Harry Berry, official
head Of the Loyal American Legion
in Tennessee, and Miss Charl Will
liams, Superintendent Of Public In
struction in Shelby county, who is
perhaps the best known and most eff
ficient woman in public life in this
State.
There being a public mass meeting
for the purpose Of registering protest
against the combined State and coun-
ty tax rate of $3.50, the speakers did
not get the crowd until after two
o'clock, and both had to speak hurrid-
ly because of the fact that both had to
leave at about 400 o'clock on the
North-bound train.
Col Berry came first and rapidly
went into the accomplishments Of
Democratic administration in the
United States, including the marvel
GUS and great things accomplished
when the war struck this country and
found it wholly unprepared for it.
He paid worthy tribute to the great
man, Woodrow Wilson, who has given
his every energy and almost his life
to the cause of his country as its
chief executive. He reviewed the en-
actments of the Wilson administra-
tion, including the Reserve Bank Act
and the Farm Loan Act, the latter of
which was opposed by Senator Hard
ing, now the Republican candidate for
President. Just as any and every 9TH
er man who will can, he made plain
the simplicity of the league of nations
and showed wherein it had been delib-
erately and wilfully misrepresented
by those who have at various times
favored the substance if not the letter
of the league. After a clear and
concise statement of national affairs,
Col. Berry touched on State matters
and showed the Democrats it was
their duty to support Roberts, whose
much-discussed tax law has proven to
be fair in intention and under which
the State rate of taation has been fix
ed at 26 cents on the 500. Col Berry
had to hurry through his speech to
the regret of those present who would
have liked to hear him at length, for
he had to leave some time for Miss
Charl Williams, the stella attraction
of the day. Col. Berry has been
heard in Lexington before, almost in
his first effort to speak in public, and
he was congratulated on his great i'm
provement in speaking-an accom-
plishment acquired only by practice.
Col. Berry had been presented by
Hon. John F. Hall and Miss Will
liams was introduced in a most eulo-
gistis and deserved manner by Supt.
j. o. Brown. Miss Williams delved
at once into the subject matter of her
speech and at the very outset showed
that she was entirely at home in the
matter of talking to people. She plead
for the league of nations in manner
that might have reached any heart
not hardened by politics. She plead
for humanity, for human life, for
goodness, for patriotism and for saw
ing the untold millions spent every
year on maintaining the army and ma
wa million dollars a day on the
navy alone. She told of having been
entertained on the great super-dread-
naught, Tennessee" and when she
told that it cost THIRTY-FIVE MIL
LION DOLLARS, she said she would
be for the league of nations if it did
nothing for the world except bring
disarmament-and asked if her hear
ers could imagine what the price of
one battleship, s35,000,000 would do
toward building good roads and pro-
noting education in Tennessee. She
gave the substance of Article Ten of
the league and showed how it had
been deliberately misinterperted and
misrepresented. She showed that no
power in the world except the Con-
gress Of the United States could
throw the United States into war,
showed that the vote of this country
alone would veto any grave action of
the league if the United States were
a member of it as ii will be she said.
Miss Williams made a splendid, log
ical, plain, heart-reaching talk that
can not fail at least to help Demo-
Gratis do their duty on the End of No
vember. She plead with the women to
meet the responsibility they have as
sumed under the 18th amendment.
Miss Williams, as forceful
speaker, one with heart and convic-
ton back of it all and not speaking
for forensic effect, has had no sup
erior here-man or woman. She is