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THE JACKSON PROGRESS ARGUS
Vol 46—No. 33
BUTTS COUNTY BLOOD
REDDENS SUNNY FRANCE
Joe F. Watkins of Rainbow
. Division Wounded July 28
TATHER ADVISED
SATURDAY NIGHT
Degree, of Wound Not
Yet Determined
WITH JACKSON RIFLES
MR. SERVED ON BOR
DER WITH HOME COMPANY
FATHER IS CARRIER ON R. F.
D. FIVE AT JACKSON
To Joe F. Watkins, son of Mr. Jas.
B. Watkins, of Jackson, belongs the
distinction of shedding the first blood
spilledby a Butts county man on the
battlefield in France. News was re
ceived by the family Saturday night
that jMr. Watkins had been wound
ed. News dispatches later confirmed
the announcement by the war de
partment.
Young Watkin sis reported as se
verely wonded, though the announce
ment from Washington stated the
degree of the wound was undeter
mined.
Mr. Watkins is a member of Cos.
C. 151st Machine Gun Battalion and
went to France last fall with the
Rainbow Division. Previous to going
to France he served with the old
Jackson Rifles on the border. eHe
transferred to a Macon company in
order to get in the battle sooner.
Mr. Watkins is well and favorably
known in Jackson and has hundreds
of friends here. He has the reputa
tion of being a brave and fearless
soldier and was wounded while bear
ing his breast to the worst the Huns
had to offer.
Other Butts county boys are with
the 151st Machine Gun Battalion. So
far as announced, however, Jo; Wat
kins is the first man from Butts coun
ty to give his blood on the field of
carnage.
Further news cf the wounding of
this popular county lad will be
awaited with interest. Hundreds of
friends have besieged the family for
information concerning the welfare
of Mr. Watkins since news of his
wound was first received. It is hoped
that the wounds are not serious and
Mr. Watkins will soon be restored
to complete health.
COTTON CROP SET
NEW HIGH RECORD
CROP OF 1917 BROUGHT OVER
TWO BILLION DOLLARS —VAL-
UE PER BALE WAS $147.39
ALSO VALUABLE
New Orleans, Aug.—The cotton
crop of the season ending July 3t
last, was the most valuable ever
grown, the yield, including seed, pro
ducing for the first time over two
billions of dollars, H. G. Hester, in
his annual report as secretary of the
NewOrleans cotton exchange, issued
today placed the total valuation at
$2,001,682,930. The commercial
crop was valued at $1,667,788,939,
the seed accounting for the remaind
er of the total.
The average commercial value of
cotton per bale for the year was
$147.39, against $94.82 the season
preceding and $61.40 two years ago.
The total valuation of the crop a
year ago, icluding seed, was $1,412,-
860,035 and two years ago it was
$958,200,000. “Values received
have been the highest for the past
four years,” the report states.
JACKSON, GEORGIA, AUGUST 16, 1918
SUPERIOR COURT
MEETS MONDAY
Civil Business Monday
And Tuesday
THREE MURDER CASES
COURT OFFIALS ANNOUNCE
READY FOR OPENING SESSION
—BATCH OF CRIMINAL BUSI
NESS TO BE DISPOSED OF
The August term of Butts super
ior court will convene in Jackson on
Monday, August 19, for a week’s
session. Judge Wm. E. H. Searcy,
Jr., of Griffin, will preside and Solic
itor General E. M. Owen will repre
sent the State as prosecuting attor
ney.
A calendar of civil business has
been arranged for (Monday and Tues
day, and the indications are there
will be only two days devoted to the
trial of civil cases. Quite a number
of cases are ready for trial in the
civil division, but it is likely a large
number of these cases will over
until later.
On the criminal side several mat
ters are awaiting trial. Three mur
der cases will be called for a hearing.
George Persons, recently arrested
in Cedartown, will be arraigned on a
charge of murder. He is alleged to
have killed Shug Carter a negro wo
man, at Flovilla in 1910. Walter
Barron and Charles White, negroes,
are charged with the murder of
Samk Bailey. This crime took place
in July near Jackson. All of these
cases will be presented to the grand
jury for consideration.
There are a batch of misdemean
or cases to come up at this term.
There will be the usual number of li
quor cases to be disposed of On ac
count of many of the witnesses being
away in the army it is probable a
number of the cases will go over un
til a later term.
Court officials are now issuing and
serving the summonses to witnesses
and interested parties and everything
vail be in readiness for the opening
of court Monday morning at the us
ual hour.
HON. J, R. COOPER TO
SPEAK HERE AUG. 20
Well Known Macon Attorney Will
Speak to Voters Here
Announcememt is made that Hon.
J. R. Cooper, candidate for the Uni
ted States senate, will address the
votres of the county at the noon
recess of superior court on Tuesday,
August 20. As is well known, Mr.
Cooper is a fluent speaker and no
doubt he will have a large crowd
out to hear him discuss the issues of
the campaign. In addition to being
one of the best platform speakers in
the country Mr. Cooper is equally
well known as a humorist and he is
sure to entertain and delight all who
hear him.
Irrespective of their political fa
vorites in the present campaign, the
citizens of Butts county will give
Mr Cooper a respectful and atten
tive hearing when he speaks here
on August 20.
The daily newspapers are han
dling the war news in masterly fash
ion. The weekly papers regret that
their facilities will not permit them
to cover the war news as fully as
they would like to.
LEGISLATURE IS
NOW THROUGH
Concluding Session Held
on Wednesday
MANY GENERAL LAWS
SEVERAL BILLS OF STATE WIDE
IMPORTANCE ENACTED DUR
ING PAST SESSION—MUST
WORK OR FIGHT
The 1918 session of the general
assembly adjourned Wednesday af
ter a session of fifty days. Several
measures of state wide interest have
been enacted during the session, the
most important of the bills being as
follows:
To provide for the collection of
past due taxes of state, county or
municipality.
To provide $5,000 to pay expenses
and per diem of members of the gen
eral assembly for services rendered
and expenses incurred as members
of committees authorized to sit in
vacation of the assembly.
To create the county of Cook,
with Adel as the county seat. The
new county is taken from Berrien.
To define and fix the age of con
sent, which is fixed at the age of 14.
To empower the state supeinten
dent of schools, the attorney general,
the chairman of the senate and
house committees on education to
codify the school laws.
To prohbit the bringing into the
state of stolen property, and to pro
vide a penalty for buying or re
ceiving such property.
To regulate the salaries of depu
ty sheriffs in counties of not less than
75,000 nor more than 125,000 popu
lation, providing a salary of $125 per
month.
To increase sheriff’s fees. The in
crease provided will increase the in
come of sheriffs about 33 1-3 per cent
To give consent of the state of
Georgia to acquisition by the United
States government of such lands as
may be needed for the establishment
of a national forest resrve. This is a
repeal of what is known as the By
num law.
To provide a budget system in the
state to create an efficiency and econ
omy commission authorizing said
commission to prepare a state budget
of estimated revenue and recommend
expenditures and bills to provide for
same and to present to the general
assembly and to create the office of
state auditor of public accounts and
for other purposes.
To provide for change in the state
constitution allowing 193 represen
tatives in the house and provision
for their distribution.
To provide for absent voters in
allowing those engaged, in actual
war service to send ballots to ordi
naries of home counties for record,
to remain in effect one year after
close of war.
The work or fight bill. The age in
cluded is from 18 to 55, and does
not include temporary strikers as
named in the original bill. All able
bodied men must engage in work
needful for successful prosecution
of the war.
To prevent the practice of tipping
in hotels, restaurants, barber shops,
common carriers and sleeping cars
and other public places.
LIEUT. I. G. WALKER IS
WOUNDEO ON BATTLEFIELD
Son of Rev. I. G. Walker, of Locust
Grove Church
There is much local interest in the
announcement that Lieut. I. G. Wal
ker has been wounded in France. He
went to France with the Rainbow Di
vision. The degree of the wound is
not determined.
Lieut. Walker is the son of Rev. I.
G. Walker, of Locust Grove, and the
family is prominent and well known
in this section.
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE TO
MEET JACKSON SATURDAY
Business of Importance Must Be
Transacted Satu r day
The meeting of the Butts county
democratic executive committee in
Jackson Saturday morning at 10
o’clock is a very important one, and
a full attendance of the members
is desired at that time. Important
business in connection with the pri
mary of September 11 must be ar
ranged and as there is only a short
time between nova and the primary
it is important that this business be
looked after at once.
Chairman J. M. Currie who has
been out of the city recently will be
present and preside over the commit
tee meeting Saturday.
LOCAL BILL IS
KILLED OUTRIGHT
Died With Rules Com
mittee of House
ENDS A BITTER CONTEST
NO CHANGE IN OFFICE COUNTY
COMMISSIONER IN SPITE OF
HARD FIGHT—VICTORY FOR
MR. GASTON, INCUMBENT
When the Rules Committee of the
house of representatives refused to
place the Mays bill on the calendar,
all hope for the passage of this now
celebrated piece of legislation went
glimmering. The bill died with the
Rules Committee.
The bill was given to the Rules
Committee last week, following the
action of the committee on County
and County Matters in filing a mi
nority report. So urgent wag the
business to be transacted before ad
journment that the Rules Commit
tee refused to give the Mays bill a
place on the calendar. The last few
days of the session were devoted to
general bills.
This ends a stubborn and sensa
tional fight to make a cange in the
office of county commissioner of
Buttg county. The bill to abolish the
office of county commissioner and
create a board of commissoners was
introduced the second day of the
session. The bill wag amended from
time to time, changing the number
of commissioners from three to eight
and from eight back to three. The
last bill provided for three road dis
tricts and one commissioner to be
elected from each of these districts.
Hundreds of Butts county citizens
visited Atlainta during the session to
protest against the passage of the
bill. Many, of course, favored the
change and the contest was a hard
fought one.
With the failure of the Mays bill,
Mr. J. O. Gaston, vho wag recently
nominated for a four year term,
will be duly elected this fall and will
continue to serve, unless in the mean
time some legislation is put forward
to abolish the office. The outcome of
this legislation is regarded as a vin
dication of Mr. Gaston who has serv
ed the county for a long number of
years.
DEGREES CONFERRED UPON
MONTICELLO .CANDIDATES
The Red Cross, Knights of Malta
and Order of the Temple were con
ferred upon Messrs. Payne aind Da
vis, of Monticello, Friday night at a
called meeting of Alexius Comman
der of Knights Templar. Messrs. L.
O. Benton and R. S. Talmadge ac
companied the candidates to Jackson.
Refreshments were served during the
evening.
Our men in France are doing
great fighting and we must back
them up to the limit. Get ready for
the next Liberty Loan and in the
meantinme buy some War Savings
Stamps.
Jackson Argus Established 1873 (
Butts County Progress Established 1882 ‘
„ IQI .
Consolidated July 9,1915
PRESIDENT ASKS
HARRIS SUPPORT
Howard And Others Told
to Withdraw
CREATES BIG SENSATION
“LOYALISTS” URGED’ TO CEN
TER ON HARRIS —HOWARD IN
RACE TO FINISH, HE TELLS
MACON VOTERS MONDAY
What is considered the most im
portant political development of re
cent weeks in the senatorial race
in Georgia is the publication of a let
ter from Vr sident Wil-. n to Flark
Howell, i.aHcnal committce.i an from
Georgia, ir. which th ■> president re
lucts t e'ugians to U i-f on W. J.
Harris as the candidate to defeat T.
W. Hardwick. In polite language
the president asks Howard and the
other candidates to withdraw* and
leave the field to Harris and Hard
wick.
It is believed the letters will help
rather than hurt Howard. It is re
ported that all over the state voters
who were undecided before are now
turning to Howard.
Efforts of the president to meddle
in the political affairs of Georgia will
be resented by the voters everywhere
In an address in Macon Monday
night William Schley Howard declar
ed that “God Almighty alone can
take me out of the race now.”
Mr. Howard is running strong in
Butts county and efforts to shove him
out of the vuay for W. J. Harris have
turned many voters to Howard.
JUDGE J. A. McMICHAEL NOW
ON THE EXEMPTION BOARD
Announcement is made of the ap
pointment of Judge J. A. McMichael
on the Butts county exeption board.
He succeeds Col. W. E. Watkins, re
signed. Thea board is now composed
of Judge J. H. Ham, chairman, J. A.
McMichael and Dr. A. F. White, with
Mrs. J. H. Ham as clerk.
CARD OF THANKS
Charleston, S. C., Aug. 7, 1918.
To The Red Cross: We wist to
thank each and every member of the
Red Cross for the comfort kits you
presented us. We find them to be
very useful. Remember us to the
next meetting. We are having a pret
ty time now but expect it to be bet
ter later.
U. S. Navy Boys,
Edgar McMlchaei, Ernest Cole.
HON. J. J. FLYNT
FOR STATE SENATOR
PROMINENT PUBLIC MAN OF
GRIFFIN WILL OPPOSE SEAT
ON GRANTLAND FOR STATE
SENATOR FROM 26 DISTRICT
That Hon. J. J. Flynt, of Griffin,
chairmam of the state democratic
executive committee and well known
public man, will be a candidate for
state senator from the twenty-sixth
district, embracing the counties of
Butts, Fayette and Spalding, will be
of wide interest in political circles.
This is Spalding county’s time to fur
nich the senator and Hon. Seaton
Grantland, present reprerjentative
from that comity, is already a candi
date. The race between Messrs.
Flynt and Grantland promises to be
warmly contested and will be fol
lowed with much interest by their
friends throughout the district.
The following dispatch from Grif
fin tells of Col. Flynt’s announce
ment:
Griffin, August 10.—Judge J. J.
Flynt, chairman of the state demo
cratic excutive committee, and mem
ber of the board of trustees of the
Georgia experiment station, today
announced his candidacy for the
state senate from the twenty-sixth
district. He is opposed by Seaton
Grantland, member of the lowar
house.