Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-10-05
MRS. FELTON, WILL
SERVE IS SENATOR :
UNTIL ELECTION
Continued from Page y

tween his death and the election of
his successor. I also feel that what
ever of compliment and whatever of
honor is involved in the appointment
should go to the faithful helpmeet
of our late distinguished senator, not
only as a fitting tribute to his memo.
ry, but also as well deserved trib
ute to her own sterling worth and
noble character, and as proper
recognition of all that she has been
to him during all the long years in
which she has shared his labors anG
his sorrows, his hopes and his as
pirations. No one can appreciate
more than 1 do all that a loving anC
faithful wife means to any man, es
pecially if he bears public burdens
and how much of the credit she is
entitled to for whatever success he
may achieve.
Mrs. Watson Declines
Consequently, Immediately upon
my return to Georgia, 1 conveyed
through mutual friends to Mrs.
Thomas E Watson the assurance
that 1 would be glad to bestow this
honor upon her if she could possibly
accept it. 1t was a great pleasure
for me to do this because of my long
and personal friendship with Mrs.
Watson, through many years. To
my deep and real regret Mrs. Wat
son has conveyed the information
70 hot
sion to public station in her own
name renders it impossible for her
to accept the appointment.
In all Of the circumstances, I
have therefore concluded to bestow
the honor of this appointment upon
another noble Georgia woman. The
lady I have selected for the appoint
ment is now and has been for many
years the warm and loyal friend of
the distinguished Georgian whom
she temporarily succeeds in this
high office. She is my own loyal,
devoted and dearly loved friend. She
is splendidly fitted to adorn the
highest public station in the land
for she yields the gifted pen of a
cogent and forceful writer, and has
all the qualities of heart and head
that equip one for broad and con-
structive craftsmanship. She is
wise, even beyond her years, and is
glorious in the sunset of splendid
and useful life. She is known and
loved throughout Georgia, the south
and the country as Georgia's fore
most woman 'itizen.
"I have conferred by executive ap-
pointment upon Mrs. William H.
FELTON,, of the county o. Barlow. the
high honor of being the first woman
ever appointed a member OF the
United States senate"
Mrs. Felton's Acceptance
Mrs. Felton's letter Of acceptance
follows:
"The appointment which you have
rendered to me I accept with min
gled feelings of personal gratitude
and profound admiration for your
courage in thus placing. so far as
the authority of your office allows,
a woman in the ranks Of the most
exalted body in the known world.
"It is going to thrill the nation
composed of more than 100,OOO,GO0
people-when the news is carried
from the lakes to the gulf, and from
ocean to ocean that a woman has
been chosen to become a member
Of the United States senate Glori-
Gus old Georgia! Empire state Of
the south! She now leads the van
guard Of the nation in recognition
of the ninteenth amendment. Many
other states have professed "a great
deal more and have done very much
less. Other United States senators
been otherwise filled by official au-
thority. Georgia walks to the front
and says to the world: Our women
are equal to the best, and surpassed
by none
England borrowed an American
born woman to accept a seat in the
British parliament, but noble old
Georgia experienced no need to Dor
row, and she alone of the forty-eight
governors in the United States had
one with the courage to say so, and
to confirm the saying by an exccu-
tive proclamation.
Praises Tender to Mrs. Watson
1T was eminently fitting that this
position should have been rendered
to the widow of the late Senator
watson. Under existing circum
stances, but few would have consid-
cred IL necessary, but your tender
was so thoroughly unselfish and so
filled with genuine respect and sin
cere coincidence that it has eXtorted
commentator from many Of your
political opponents.
Mrs. Watson is a noble woman,
and the tender of the position was
made to her by you in name"
that could not have been excelled b
any former governor of the state of
Georgia for knightly grace or chiv-
alric attention.
For myself, 1 wish to thank
you, expressly and emphatically, in
the name of the thousands of Geor.
gia Women-wives, mothers, grand
mothers and great-grandmother
who are enthusiastic GeorSians and
who illustrate the state in varied
lines of noble philanthropy and en-
deavors, and who are thus partici-
pants in the honor with which you
have endowed me, by comforting
this representative position.
"WomCn in other states would
hail this recognition with delight.
trust that our own Georgia wom-
en- will be none the less apprecia-
tive, and if you should ever offer
fnT o. ~ @E