Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-10-07
MRS. FELTON, To Be
GIVEN Commission
At MASS MEETING

night at the hands or Governor
Hardwick. The presentation of the
commission will occur at q great
public mass meeting to be held in
Gainesville by the citizens Of Bar.
| tow and surrounding counties. Gov
ernor Hardwick declared Thursday
that the official commission is being
engrossed on sheepskin and will be
ready by Friday night.
The secretary of the senate has
wired Governor Hardwick that Mrs.
Felton's name has been added to
the roll, and that she will draw a
senator's salary from the day Of
her appointment until the general
election. She will also be awarded
the regular senatorial stationery
allowance.
According to dispatches from
| tions are puzzling the authorities as
the result of Mrs. Felton's ad in
term appointment The question is
raised whether Mrs. FELTON, can
actually qualify without taking the
oath Of office at the bar of the SEN
ate; whether she can draw a sena-
| tors salary unless she so qualities
| whether she will be entitled to the
senatorial, ranking privilege, and
whether she would be entitled to Of
flee space in the senate office build
| ing.
Disposes of Doubts
Over long distance telephone
| Thursday, Mrs. FELTON, disposed Of
these questions.
Il have always paid postage and
I expect to continue to do So" de-
clared Mrs. FELTON,. There is no
reason to raise any question over
that detail. I don't expect to go to
Washington unless summoned by
President Harding and I certainly
shall not demand office space in
the senate office building.
"As to, the salary attached to the
| office, I am informed that even
though 1 am not actually sworn in
as a member of the senate, it is usua;
to award the regular salary to al
Interim appointees, as we'll as to wild.
ows of'senators. Anyhow, I am not
worrying about that.
Il am advised that may be sworn
in by a Justice Of the state supreme
court, or by the governor, but this
information is not official, and the
question will not be determined until
[ reach Atlanta, which will be in the
next day or two"
Congratulatory Messages
Mrs. FELTON, is receiving scores OF
congratualtory kilograms from or
CARNATIONS and individuals in va
rious parts of the country. Many of
the kilograms contain invitations to
deliver addresses, while some of the
women's organizations have wiret.
that they will make every effort to
have her sworn in, even if residen-
tial order is necessary.
On Sunday afternoon at O'Clock
Mrs. FELTON, will speak at the First
Baptist church here, addressing he
business Women's club of the church.
On Monday morning she will visit
the state capitol to confer with state
officials as to plans for her qualifi,
cation as United States senator for
Georgia and ON Monday night, if
her physical condition permits, she
will be the guest of honor at pub
lie gathering in Decatur, county
seat Of the county of her birth. An
invitation rendered by Mayor Scott
Gambler has been tentatively &C
cepted.
Her tentative acceptance also has
been given to the Atlanta Woman's
club, which desires to- have her as
a guest Of honor at a luncheon to
be given at the Ansley hotel Tues
day noon.
STATUS PUZZLES
SOME AT CAPITAL
BY Burton Lee
WASHINGTON, Oct. Ex-senator
or not a senator? That question still
confronted Mrs. William FELTON,, Of
Georgia, today and still continued to
stir the dust in the senate archives
as it has not been stirred in a de-
cade.
Out Of the dust the searchers dis
covered today an old law passed in
1894 evidently with some such emer-
gency as the present one in view
and which provides that "the pay Of
senator chosen for an unexpired
term shall begin the day Of election
or appointment"
The law apparently assumes that
a senator in either case subsequent
ly will qualify by taking the oath
of office in the senate chamber. At
the present time there seems to be
no way that Mrs. FELTON, can posi-
bly, take that office. She can only
be senator at best until the election
Of November and there is not
the remotest possibility Of a senate
session being held prior to that time.
The pay of the senator chosen No
vember will begin 1.-The day Of
election" and therefore the pay Of
the appointed senator must cease
that day. Another question arises
as to the right of the disbursing Of
ficer Of the senate to pay a senator
who has never taken the oath Of
office. Mrs. FELTON, could only take
the oath Of office while the senate
is in session, for technically the SEN
ate reserves the right to judge it's
own members when they are pre-
sented at the bar.
l. The question also has arisen as
to whether or not Mrs. FELTON,, in
her present state of "senatorhood,"
has the right to the ranking priv
ilege to send matters through the
mails free Of charge, and whether
she has the right to demand at this
time an office in the senate office
building, with it's Roman baths and
various other manly comforts.
The entire situation has been the
greatest puzzle Washington has
known for years.
Il was said here today that re-
sardless of what the senate records
may or may not show to her service,
Mrs. FELTON, will go down in history
| at least as a symbolic senator"
being the first OF her sex ever to
be actually named to that body, with
credentials made out in due form
and forwarded to Washington by the
governor Of the state.