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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.