Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-06-02

| leader would vote against 1t. Later
| on the afternoon of April 6, mem
bers of the leaders, family and some
Of his most intimate friends were
in his office. For once the leader
had lost his smile. He was weary
and tagged from loss of sleep. He
told the group that he could not
bring his conscience to the point of
voting for war, that his right of
leader because of it would be chal-
| lenged, but that he didn't care be-
cause his heart spoke against it.
Then he went to the house cham
ber-with every seat filled and a
vast throng in the gallery-and dur
ing a tense and dramatic moment,
took his stand against war.
But once war was declared, Kitch-
in threw his support whole-heart-
edly into the fight, and championed
every move by the government for
victory. There were times, it was
said, when he was at odds with
President Wilson at White House
conferences, but his political enc
mics never doubted his patriotism
after the weight of American arms
had been thrown on the side of the
allies.
In the early days of 1919, Kitchin,
when a Republican house, elected
the preceding fall, was waiting to
come into power, went to the front
as the party leader with the biggest
war revenue bill ever framed " an
American congress. He put it
through. Long a member of the
ways and means committee, which
framed the bill, Kitchin had every
figure at his finger tips. Fordney
of Miabigar, who succeeded him as
chairman of the committee, fought
him at every step.
Spirit Figures in Debate
It was during the revenue bill de-
bate, while the house was consid-
ering luxury on shirts, that Kitch-
in standing before hundreds of we'll
dressed men, declared he never pail
more than 50 for short in his life.
His plea for simplicity in dress
while the country was burdened
with the big cost Of war was taken
up by the press, and two-dollar
shirts were urged.
Not long after the big revenue
bill fight, Kitchin was stricken. For
a long time he lay in bed, trying to
get we'll, but it was not an easy
thing for man, so long in public
life. to shake off the old habit. Feel
ing better, he went back to the old
grind only to be stricken again. A
new party had come into power.
Champ Clark, stepping down from
the speakers chair became minor
ity leader, with Kitchin as ranking
member of the ways and means COM
mittee. When Champ Clark died,
Kitchin was made minority leader,
but being i'll then at his home in
North Carolina, he asked that Finis
j. Garrett, of Tennessee, be desig.
mated as acting leader, in the eff
fort to hold the dwindling ranks of
Democrats in line.
RED Shirt" Movement
Claude Kitchin, who was born
March "a, 1869, first came to con
gress in 1901, serving continuously
thereafter. On the closing night of
that congress-the fifty-seVenth-he
attracted attention by a fiery speech
against French spoilation claims.
From that day his reputation as u
house debater was made. He was
born in the district he represented.
He was the son of a congressman.
and his brother. William w. Kitch-
in, served five terms in the house
prior to his election as governor of
forth Carolina.
During a hot political campaign
in his district in 1898, Kitchin at
tracted public attention by taking
an active part in what was known
as ''the red shirt movement" re-
viTal of Democratic tactics in some
southern states in reconstruction
times. 1t was organized by the
white people, chiefly Democrats, for
the aVowed purpose of eliminating
the negro in politics and office hold.
ing. But. its purposes were peace
full. Thousands rode to the first
public meeting in Kitchin's district
in red buggies, on horses draped
with red, wearing red shirts, red
hats, some even digging uD the old
red trousers of foX-hunting days.
The speech made by Kitchin puc
him in line for the house, and he
won the first time up.
SPECIAL ELECTION
TO NAME SUCCESSOR
RALEIGH, n. c., May 31.-A
special election will be called in the
second congressional district of
North Carolina to select a successor
to Claude Kitchin, former Demo
cratic leader of the lower house, it
was announced today at the state
capitol. Primaries, by both Demo
cratic and Republican parties may
be held first under the law. The
special election is expected to be
held in about 80 days, on call from
Governor Morrison.
The governor and members OF
the council of state today ordered
~ cln &c an eli rtn1n l,,,ildint,S low.