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SENATOR HOKE SMITH'S RECORD
OF WORK IN WASHINGTON
(Prom the Macon “Daily News.”)
IT was the first Monday in December,
1911, that Hoke Smith, leaning on
the arm of Senator Augustus Octavius
Bacon, walked down the aisle of the
senate chamber to the vice president’s
desk to be sworn in as a senator of the
United States.
He had been a member of President
Cleveland’s cabinet and had been twice
governor of Georgia, but there was an
air of reserve, almost diffidence, as he
took his seat on one of the back rows
after the ceremony. New senators are
always given one of those seats and
later on they get something better
either by process of drawing or filing
a claim in case of vacancy.
The senate is so old and so self-sat
isfied that the advent of anew mem
ber hardly excites a mild curiosity.
The senators knew of Hoke Smith,
but only the more prominent ones
knew him personally, for it had been
nearly twenty years since his sojourn
in Washington as secretary of the in
terior.
As the hum-drum of routine went
on the new senator began to take in
his surroundings. He studied the sena
tors as first one and then another
would, from day to day, engage in de
bate. It was pretty much as if he were
studying an antagonist—the lawyers
on the other side in a great law case.
Before him were members of the great
est law-making body in the world —
more than ninety of tho picked men of
the United States. The game was old
to them, for they had debated questions
of government among themselves for
a decade or a score of years. Attentive
in a high degree to all that was said,
Hoke Smith was in reality weighing
the men with whom he was to con
tend in the enactment or defeat of
legislation. The Republicans were
in power and over on that side stood
Itoot and LaFollette, Lodge, Penrose,
Smoot, Sutherland, McCumber, Cum
mins and others, an air of confidence
and a smile of satisfaction on every
face. The Democrats were to be played
with as u cat would play with a mouse.
Hoke Smith observed it all, but before
the Christmas holidays came he had
ized up the senate and knew the fight
ing weight of most of the men on the
other side. He knew their strength,
ho knew his own und he was not dis
turbed.
His First Speech.
There was a tradition that new sena
tors should not rush forward in debate.
They were supposed to confine their la
bors to answering roll call for at least
a year. But lloke Smith got past that
ancient idea so easily and so quietly
that In* did not even slightly jar tin 1
senatorial dignity. Just a little speech
in favor of the children’s bureau in
Washington -not a speech on the tar
iff, or the trusts, or the currency—
only a modest little talk about the wel
fare of children, made by an ex mem
ber of the cabinet, ex-governor, a big,
broad shouldered man from whom
might have been expected n thunder
ous exposition of some international
question. Hut it broke the ice. Hoke
Smith had made his first, speech in
the Benate. And the bill which he
had advocated was passed.
One thing that was noticed was the
fact that the new senator’s voice was
distinctly Southern, so clear that
without effort it was heard in the
most remote corners of the gallery
and so softly modulated that it fell
pleasantly upon listening ears.
There came along in a few days the
matter of committee assignments for
tho new senator. What would lie have,
the Republicans wanted to know. A
place on the agricultural committee
and a place on the postol'fice commit
tee, was the answer. Oh, no, no, lie
could not get those places.
“Then, leave me off entirely," was
the reply. “1 would just as soon take
care of myself on the floor of the sen
ate.”
And then the Republicans saw that
while the new senator’s voice was soft
euough there was the glitter of steel in
bis gray eyes that meant trouble and
they went off bv themselves and came
back and said he could have the two
committee places for which he had ex
pressed a wish. What Senator Smith
has done with those committee places
will be told of a little further down in
this article.
His Early Work in the Senate.
Early in the session the house passed
a resolution to dissolve a treaty with
Russia which had been in existence for
a long period of time. It involved the
right of naturalised Jews to return to
Russia and was a very delicate interna
tional question. Russia was the friend
•f this country. There was no objection
to the abrogation of the treaty, but
the house resolution was offensively
worded. Senator Smith’s second speech
was in support of an amendment modi
fying the language in such a way that
R would not ofTend a friendly power
and the position which he took was
sustained by the senate.
When the arbitration treaties known
as the peace treaties came up Senator
Smith pointed out that under the bill
as proposed vital questions of our gov
ernment could be passed upon by arbi
tration, possibly forcing the United
States to abandon positions heretofore
ield or to repudiate its treaty agree
ments. The resolution was amended so
as not to include the admission of
aliens to the United States or to the
educational institutions of the several
states; the territorial integrity of the
several states; alleged indebtedness of
any state, the maintenance of the Mon
roe doctrine or other purely govern
umu.' noiicy.
nually. He also voted against the $25,-
000,000 increase.
Perfected Parcel Post Law.
One of the big questions before con
gress in the early part of 1912 was the
parcel post. There was already an in
ternational parcel post permitting the
shipment of packages of not exceeding
eleven pounds in weight for a uniform
price of twelve cents a pound. That
was what the farmers were clamoring
for -the right to ship an eleven-pound
package anywhere in the United States
at twelve cents a pound, which would
have been $1.32 for the package, and
that was what was in the bill as it
was passed by the house.
Senator Smith had gone on the post
office committee for just such work as
he proceeded to do on the parcel post.
He reasoned that something far better
than the house had proposed could be
done for the farmers and the people
generally. The long haul at twelve
cents a pound would suit some folks,
but most people were interested in a
short haul at a lower rate. Senator
Bourne, chairman of the committee,
and Senator Smith evolved a zone sys
tem of rates —fifty miles, one hundred
and fifty, three hundred, and so on,
starting with five cents for the first
pound and adding two cents a pound
so that an eleven-pound package could
be sent fifty miles for twenty-five
cents. Other rates were in proportion
and in that shape the law was passed.
Experience has demonstrated that
the bulk of the business is on the
short hauls and at the low rates, and
it is a singular fact that despite tljese
low rates the financial returns to,the
government are more satisfactory on
the short hauls than on the long hsjpls.
The weight limit has been increased,
first to twenty pounds and finally to
fifty pounds. Under this system of
low rates for tho short hauls the *)ar
cel post has been a great and install
taneous success. Senator Smith is-Im
mensely pleased with the results.
Division of Markets.
During his first year in Washington
Senator Smith introduced a bill to es
tablish in the department of agricul
ture a division of markets to aid the
farmers in the marketing of tlleir
crops. The bill w f as introduced at the
suggestion of Hon. R. F. Duckworth
and other officers of the Farmers’ Un
ion. An appropriation of $50,000 a year
was made and the division has been in
operation now for more than a year. Its
work is to be largely increased and ex
tended, under appropriations already
agreed upon.
Advocated Wilson’s Nomination.
As early as February, 1912, Senator
Smith announced his advocacy of
Woodrow Wilson for the presidency.
He was steadfast in urging Wilson’s
nomination, and with the adjournment
of congress spent the succeeding
months in campaign work in the west
and east. He was rewarded by see
ing the former Georgian sweep the
country from ocean to ocean.
When it was known that the Repub
licans, who a year before, were in
haughty control of the government,
had been hurled from power, the fig
ure of Hoke Smith loomed still larger
in national affairs, and when later it
was seen that even the senate had
passed into the hands of the Demo
crats. Hoke Smith was hailed as the
coming leader of the senate. The up
heaval of November was to be felt
in every department of the govern
ment —the house, the senate and the
presidency, all belonged to the Dem
ocrats.
This political revolution meant first
of all the complete reorganization of
the senate. Under the old order of
things Democrats of a reactionary type
were in line for committee chairman
ships. The seniority rule would have
given them these places of power and
they could have stifled important re
forms, as was done under Cleveland.
The great body of Democrats turned to
Hoke Smith to lead in handling the sit
uation. He was one of the controlling
spirits on the committee that effected
the reorganization, and it was accom
plished without the slightest friction.
Each senator was given the chairman
ship to which he was entitled under
the seniority rule, but the membership
of the committee was so arranged that
the Progressive Democrats were in
control. It is a fact, however, that
the men who were considered reac
tionary got into line quickly and never
since the war has there been such
harmony as the Democrats have expe
rienced under Wilson’s administration.
Tariff and Currency Bills.
When the Democrats came into pow
er on March 4, 1913, Senator Smith
was urged to take the chairmanship
of the new banking and currency com
mittee, which was to shape the cur
rency bill. He preferred, however, a
place on the finance committee, which
was to have charge of the tariff, and
still clung to his old places on the
postoffice committee and the commit
tee on agriculture. He took the chair
manship of the committee on educa
tion and labor and is on other com
mittees, including the important judi
ciary committee.
Asa member of the finance commit
tee, Senator Smith spent practically
the entire summer of 1913 on the tarifT
bill, working usually from early in the
morning until eleven o'clock at night.
As soon as the tariff bill was dis
posed of he took up the currency bill,
to which he added important amend
ments. One of these provided for re
ducing the rate of interest on the Ald
rich-Vreeland emergency currency to
three and a half per cent, per annum
for the first six months. That amend-
This amendment protected tne
Southern states against suits over the
fraudulent bonds of reconstruction
times.
The senator made a fight the
special pension bills, and on the Sher
wood pension bill, which would have in
creased the amount paid for pensions
by $75,000,000 a year. The house had
passed that bill, many Democrats,
among them Speaker Champ Clark, vo
ting for it. The senate refused to pass
the Sherwood bill, but it passed the
McCumber bill, adding about $25,000,-
000 a year to pensions. Senator Smith
had part in preventing the passage of
the Sherwood bill which meant a $75,-
000,000 raid on the treasury, thus help
ing to save the country $50,000,000 an-
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EXAMINATION OF
THE EMPIRE LIFE
Actuary Copeland’s Report
on Company for Georgia
Insurance Department
Very Satisfactory
The Georgia insurance de
department has recently com
pleted an examination of the
Empire Life, of Atlanta, covering
in detail its operations from or
ganization to December 31, 1913.
The report shows the company to
have gross assets of $2,021,978
and net assets amounting to
$1,769,638.
During the period from March
5, 1912, to December 31, 1913,
the income exceeded the dis
bursements by $735,297. On the
former date the present company
reinsured the business of a mu
tual of the same name and also
assumed certain contingent lia
bilities not theretofore considered
actual by the mutual company.
After paying all current claims
Dromptlv and providing ample
reserves to protect policy con
tracts, besides discharging inher
ited liabilities of over $260,000,
there remains a net surplus of
policy holders of $314,143.
Actuary John A. Copeland and
Public Accountant George N.
Spring conducted the examina
tion for the Georgia department
and their report shows every
item of income, disbursement and
investment during the period un
der investigation. The assetts
ment made available at a low rate of
interest, $500,000,000 of currency al
ready printed and lying idle in the
treasury. The tvisdom of this amend
ment was so apparent that it was
adopted by the Democratic caucus and i
passed by the senate without a dis
senting vote.
Farm Demonstration Bill.
One of Senator Smith’s measures
which he regarded as equaling the
currency bill in importance has fin
ally passed both house and senate
and been signed by President Wil
son. The Smith-Lever bill for prac
tical demonstration work of agricul
tural colleges and experiment sta
tions, which for two and a half 7Q&&
has attracted the attention of thi 0
tire country-, is at last a law of the
land and under its terms the govern
ment will, within a few years, be
spending five million dollars annually
in teaching farmers on their farms
those facts which they would learn
if they could attend agricultural col
leges.
The bill was introduced by Senator
Smith soon after he entered the sen
ate and the next day was introduced
in the house by Congressman Lever
of South Carolina. Each state will
receive ten thousand dollars next
year. The year following Georgia’s
part will be thirty-five thousand dol
lars. The amounts will increase each
year and in the course of a few years
the total expenditure for all the
states will be five million dollars an
nually. Vast improvements in agri
culture are sure to follow this farm
demonstration work.
Regional Bank in Georgia.
But Senator Smith’s crowning
achievement for Georgia was in se
curing for his state one of the twelve
regional banks provided for by the
currency bill.
This bank, which will have about
five million dollars capital, will be
located in Atlanta, and will make the
Georgia capital the financial center
for Georgia, Florida, East Tennessee,
Alabama, part of Mississippi, and
part of Louisiana, including the city
of New Orleans. Its purpose is to
make money easier by keeping bank
reserves in this section that would
otherwise go to New York and by
providing additional currency for
making and marketing crops. If
Senator Smith had not been able to
get the bank for Georgia it would
have gone to Louisville or Cincinnati,
cities that have no interest whatever
in building up this section.
The Macon News said of Senator
Smith last December:
‘‘A wonderful record is behind
Hoke Smith and a greater future
awaits him. The thousands who fol
lowed him in the campaign of 1906,
before this record had been made,
have reason to be gratified over the
soundness of their judgment and the
vindication of their faith. He was
a great governor and he is a great
senator, and those who supported
him in the several campaigns, as w r ell
as those who opposed him, must, as
patriotic Georgians, find satisfaction
in the commanding position which
he occupies in Washington.
‘‘We cannot recall an instance in
which any man has ever in so short
a time attained so forceful a position
in that body of distinguished states
men nor more completely won public
confidence by a clear, strong grasp
of great public questions.”
That commendation, which was
deserved then is doubly deserved to
day, for since the words were written
Hoke Smith has won the regional
bank for his state and has passed the
farm demonstration bill which means
so much for the country, and he is
today fighting the battles of the ad
ministration for the repeal of the free
tolls clause of the Panama canal bill.
It is not surprising that the think
ing people of Georgia are practically
unanimous for his return to the senate
unopposed.
ADVERTISEMENT.
are listed at rock-bottom figures,
and included in the liabilities are
all possible charges that could
even remotely become a claim.
Taking into consideration the
cost of establishing an agency
plant, the addition to the reserves
on account of the increased
amount of new business written,
and the persistency of renewals,
the management of the Empire
Life is to be congratulated on the
strength shown by the examin
ers report.
The company is gradually re
tiring the income certificates is
sued by the old company to the
mutual satisfaction of all con
cerned, and the vote of the di
rectors regarding the additional
capital is being carried out as
expeditiously as possible. On the
whole, this examination shows
results that should be eminently
satisfactory to the policyholders,
stockholders, officers and agents
of the company.—lnsurance Her
ald-Argus, Atlanta, Ga., April
9th, 1914. (adv.)
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This remedy is Dodson’s Liver
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Dodson’s Liver Tone is fully
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Dodson’s is fine for both chil
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ANNOUNCEMENT.
I have sold my practice at
Monticello, Mo., and expect to
move to a nearby city about Oct.
Ist, where I have purchased a
partnership practice. As I will
have some leisure time I have de
cided to spend the months of
August and September in Jack
son and while there my profes
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mand of the public.
Arch H. Lillard, M. D.; D. 0.
adv.
PROFESSIONAL CARDS
J. THREATT MOORE,
Attorney At Law.
Office in Crum Building,
Jackson : : Georgia.
Will practice in all the Courts.
C. L. REDMAN,
ATTORNEY AT LAW.
Office in Carter-Warthen Building,
JACKSON, GA.
R. GUNTER,
PHYSICIAN AND SURGEON,
Jackson - - Georgia.
Office over Jackson Drug Company
Residence phone 9—Office phone 62.
DR. O. LEE CHESNUTT
DENTIST
Office in New Commercial Building
back of Farmers’ Bank.
Residence Phone No. 7.
DR. JOEL B. WATKINS,
V. M. D., Jackson, Ga.
Office at Leach & Co.’s stables. Of
fice phone 44; residence 151. All calls
promptly answered.
$100,000.00
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First Class Work Guaranteed.
Drop Card and I’ll Call.
J. T. MAYO Jackson, Ga.
DR. J. A. JARRELL
Physician and Surgeon
Office Mulberry street.
Residence phone 152-2 —Office 152-3.
Jackson : : '• Georgia.