Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County, Ga.) 1921-1964, 1922-08-31
MeRae, Ga, Aug. 10Th, 1872

District:
In order for the people to fully under
stand the issues involved in the cam
paign between F. A. Smith and myself
| think that joint discussion of the
issues face to face before the people
would clarity the situation some what.
One OF the planks i'll F. A. Smith S
platform seems to be his taking five
different positions on the proposed
bridge across the swamp near Lamp
kin's Old Field. Mr.. Smith is heartily
in favor of the project in Fitzgerald,
and in DELLA he states that | am hav-
ing it built for the sole and exclusive
benefit of Senator Wiley Williams,
and that it is bankrupting Telfair
County to do it. In McRae and Milan
and adjacent thereto, Mr.. Smith is
bitterly opposed to the proposition. At
Jacksonville, Mr. Smith is heartily i'll
favor of the bridge and road at that
point. And in our delightful town of
Lumber City, again Mr.. Smith just
knows that the bridge should be placed
there. | have, heard of a few men
who were smart enough and big
enough to be two different ways on
the same proposition; but F. A. Smith
is the first man that | have ever met
than can be unanimously i'll favor Of
five different positions on the same
proposition. l am not big enough nor
smart enough to take more than one
side of this or any other proposition
in every nook and corner TO the 45th
Senatorial District. | am in favor OF
J. c. Thrasher, our Commissioner
accepting the proposition from Ben
Hill County and the town of Fitzger-
aid and fixing the swamp on the di-
rect air line from Fitzgerald to Nc
Rae; which happens to be at Camp
Brooklyn, about twenty miles from
the Abbeville bridge.
Fred, this was not a proper issue
in his campaign. 1t was grossly I'M
just of you in dragging it into this
campaign. But you did it; and you
are twenty-one years old, and l am
going to grind it on you. l only regret
that some of our best citizens have
been so misled as to the facts that they
have become predjudiced over the mat
ter and are placing my county site
in ridiculous attitude before the peo-
pie of the Firty Fifth Senatorial Dis
riot. No town wants to assume the
attitude of tying its trade. 1t kills any
thing to tie it; whether it be a puppy
Or business.
PLANK NO. 2-of your PLATFORM,
Fred, is, that you F. A. Smith, are
farmer and I am lawyer. Did you
ever hear the quotation "a man is a
man for ah that" Fred, where do you
farm? You live in McRae. and your
strenuous duties consist in running a
warehouse, and representing Armour
Fertilizer Works in selling fertilizer
The tax returns for 1921 show that
you return for taxes $4,000 worth Of
property, And the same consists Of
town property in the City of McRae
household and kitchen furniture, cash
and hogs and cows. No farm lands in
or out of the city of McRae are return
ed. In answer, publish my own in
dividual tax returns for comparison
as to farming.
What was the matter with you Fred
| when you told Mr.. Knoles at Wlray
Ga, end Mr.. Luke of Ben Hill County
that you are a farmer? You should
lily covered, and that / am on your
trail, and am not going to let you get
by with anything like that. Fred, a
committee of four real and genuine
farmers of Irwin County came over
and spent the day with me Sunday,
August 9th. I showed them my crop,
Fred, both on mine and my wife's plac-
es, And don't you forget the fact
that they are scattering the news.
am some farmer myself, Fred. l can
beat you blowing, hoeing, digging out
stumps. picking cotton, writing, speak
ing and practicing law. l dare you to
face me before the people on the stump
You have had four years experience
in the legislature and should be well