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WILLIAM J. HARRIS
Candidate for the
United States Senate
<J * .
The Man of the Hour, and Why
William J. Harris was born in Ce
dartown, Polk county, Georgia, Feb
ruary 3, 1868. He was educated in
the common schools of Polk county
and the University of Georgia, teach
ing school during the summer to pro
vide means for his college training.
In 1895, he married Miss Julia Whee
ler, daughter of Gen. Joseph Wheeler,
the distinguished Southern cavalry
leader. Mr. Harris has three brothers
now serving in the United States
Army, Gen. P. C. Harris, Maj. Seals
Harris and Capt. Hunter Harris. Many
young men have been beneficiaries
of Mr. Harris’ aid in obtaining an edu
cation to equip them for life’s work.
Political Service.
As Chairman of the Polk County
Democratic Executive Committee, he
succeeded in establishing the "white
primary,” in 1892.
As private secretary to Senator A.
fi. Clay, and under the training of this
distinguished Georgian, Mr. Harris be
gan, in early life, to look after the
interests in Washington of Georgians
from every section.
In 1912 Mr. Harris managed Presi
dent Wilson's first campaign in Geor
gia; was elected chairman of the
State Democratic Executive Commit
tee, and played prominent part in roll
ing up the largest majority Georgia
ever gave a candidate for President.
• Legislative Service.
Mr. Harris represented the 38th dis
trict in the state senate in 1911-12, and
there worked and voted for every
measure that would help the farmers
and benefit the taxpayers of the state.
Some of these include:
(1) Mr. Harris introduced and aid
ed in the passage of the bill abolish
ing the unlimited fees of oil inspec
tors, and fixing their maximum salary
at SIOO per month. This law has
saved the state thousands of dollars.
In 1917 alone, it saved the state net,
$182,588.
(2) Mr. Harris introduced and pass
ed the bill requiring lobbyists to reg
ister, thereby eliminating the grafting,
professional lobbyist, and protecting
legislation.
(3) Mr. Harris advocated the sepa
rate leasing of the W. & A. Railroad
from the other state property in Chat
tanooga, a policy since adopted by the
"Lease Commission.”
(41 Personally, Mr. Harris has al
ways been a consistent prohibitionist,
and has always supported all measures
looking to freeing the state from the
liquor traffic.
National Service.
As director of the United States Cen
sus, to which he was appointed by
President Wilgon, officials today say
that Mr. Harris w r as the most efficient
director since the bureau was estab
lished. The chief “criticism” against
his administration, made by Judge
Hughes, Republican nominee for Presi
dent, was that he appointed so many
Georgia Democrats to positions in the
oepartment.
President Wilson appointed Mr. Har
ris acting secretary of commerce, in
the absence of Secretary Redfield, and
cordially approved his services and ef
ficiency as a temporary member of the
cabinet.
Under Republican rule the Wall
street gamblers were permitted to keep
down the price of cotton by including
in the census estimate the number of
bales of linters cotton. Mr. Harris had
the linters estimate separated from
the regular cotton reports, which re
duced the estimates and tended to
raise the price of cotton. During Re
publican rule, it w-as freely charged
that there were “leaks” in cotton esti
mates of the census bureau. Not once
since the administration of Mr. Harris
has there been the slightest suspicion
of a “leak” in the census reports.
In the census bureau, Mr. Harris
changed the “age limit,” fixed by the
Republicans, so that Confederate Vet
erans could be given the same oppor
tunities as Union Veterans; and many
old Confederate Soldiers are now hold
ing good places in the department. It
was in keeping with his devotion to
the old soldiers. His father was a
brave Confederate Veteran, and his
father-in-law was the gallant “Little
Joe” Wheeler.
Promoted by the President.
Due to Mr. Harris’ efficient adminis
tration of the census bureau, President
Wilson promoted him by appointing
him a member of the federal trade
board. Recognizing his ability, his
colleagues, two years later, elected him
chairman of the board. Resigning to
enter his campaign for United States
senator as the loyal supporter of Pres
ident Wilson in winning the war, as
against the present junior senator from
Georgia, Mr. Harris carried with him
the love, esteem, confidence and best
wishes of his colleagues, the depart
ment heads and the President who had
further expressed his confidence in Mr.
Harris by the following additional ap
pointments:
(1) Appointed by the President as
member of the price fixing committee
of the war industries board, to fix
prices for army supplies. When New'
England manufacturers endeavored to
fix the price of cotton, ’Mr. Harris op
posed them most vigorously. He also
brought charges against the “bagging
trust” which is now facing trial
(2) The President named the sec
retary of agriculture, Mr. Hoover and
Mr. Harris a committee of three to in
vestigate the advisability of the gov
ernment taking over the meat packing
houses. The President’s confidence
was further expressed when Mr. Har
ris resigned, by the request that he
name his own successor, and Mr. Har
ris named Hon. Victor Murdoch.
The Confidence of Mr. Wilson.
Further indicative of the confidence
of President Wilson in Mr. Harris, is
the following conclusion of the Presi
dent’s letter accepting his resignation
from the federal trade commission to
run for the United States senate:
"May I not say how w'armly I have
appreciated the way in which you have
performed the difficult and often deli
cate duties assigned to you in the
trade commission? I am sure that
I am expressing the general feeling
when I express my regret at vouj
withdrawal.
"Cordially and sincerely yours,
"WOODROW WILSON.
“Hon. William J. Harris,
“Federal Trade Commission.”
Mr. Harris’ Qualifications.
Mr. Harris is in close touch with
conditions at the national capitol. His
relations with the administration are
intimate. He has the confidence and
esteem of the President and depart
ment heads. Through these relations
he is in better position to represent
Georgia in the United States senate —
her people, her commercial, financial
and agricultural interests and to ren
der effective aid and service to Geor
gia soldier and sailor boys, fighting
for Americanism and Democracy,—
than probably any other Georgian now
in the public eye. Mr. Harris’ elec
tion will mean that the good name
of Georgia will be redeemed from the
charge of disloyalty and “kaiserism”
with which it has been stained by the
misrepresentation of the recent past.
HENRY COUNTY WEEKLY, McDONOUGH, GEORGIA
CHAULNES TAKEN
BY ALLIED TROOPS
LOSS OF THIS IMPORTANT RAIL
WAY JUNCTION WILL HAMPER
GERMANS IN RETREAT
HEAVY LOSSESTOR TEUTONS
Thirty-six Thousand Prisoners And
Over Five Hundred Guns Taken
By The Allies
New York. —The Germans have ma
terially stiffened their defense against
the British, American and French
troops on the Picardy battie front, but
they have been unable to stem the tide
of advance against them.
Although the forward push of the
allies has been slowed down some
what, nevertheless they have made
further important progress from the
north of the Somme, where the Ameri
cans and British are fighting together,
to the northern bank of the Oise river,
where the French troops are engaging
the enemy.
The Americans and their British
brothers in arms at last accounts were
pressing closely upon Bray-sur-
Somme, aided by tanks and armored
cars, which inflicted heavy casualties
on the enemy as he advanced to re
tard their progress.
Across the river the Germans heavi
ly engaged the British at Lihcns and
its vicinity and at one point pierced
the British line and gained the out
skirts of Lihons. A counter atttack,
however, entirely restored the British
line and the enemy retired to positions
east and north of the village. Unoffi
cial reports from London have credit
ed the British with entering Chaulnes
and the British cavalry with a pene
tration of the enemy’s territory almost
to Nesles.
By far the greater progress has been
made by the French from the region
immediately southwest and south of
Roye to the Oise river. Here they have
driven their line well across the Roye-
Compeigne road and at Cambronne
have reached the road leading from
Compeigne to Noyon. Since the cap
ture of Montdidier the French have
penetrated eastward to Tilloloy, a dis
tance of about seven miles and to Can
ny-sur-Matz, more than eight and a
half miles, and through the hilly re
gion southward to the Oise have aver
aged gains exceeding six miles over a
front of twelve miles.
The stiffening of the German de
fense does not, in the minds of ob
servers on the battle front, indicate
the retreat of the enemy has ended.
Rather it is assumed these maneuvers
are similar to those carried out over
the Marne front, when strong rear
guards covered the retirement of the
crown prince’s armies northward.
Unofficial estimates bring the num
ber of prisoners taken by the allies
up to 36,000 and the number of guns
captured to than 500.
GERMAN U-BOAT SINKS
NINE FISHING VESSELS
The Crew Of One Vessel Taken
Aboard The Submarine But After
wards They Were Released
Nantucket, Mass. Nine fishing
schooners were sunk off George’s
Banks by a German submarine, a na
val scout boat, which put in here re
ported.
The scout boat picked up word of
the raid from the auxiliary fishing
schooner Helen Murley, which had
rescued four survivors and was tak
ing them to an Atlantic port. Six aux
iliary fishing schooners and other craft
sailed at once from this port to pick
up survivors.
The first reports of the attack on the
fishing fleet did not mention what
means the submarine took to sink the
defenseless craft.
The raid is the first in these waters
since the tug Perth Amboy and four
barges were shelled by a submarine
off Nauset Beach, Cape Code, July 21.
On the next day the fishing schooner
Rober and Richard w r as destroyed by
an underwater boat off the southeast
ern coast of Maine.
There was a lull August 2, when
Canadian waters were invaded. In
three days at least eight sailing ves
sels and one tank steamer, the Luz
Blanca, were attacked.
Jacksonville Fire Loss Of $250,000
Jacksonville, Fla. —Fire originating
in the paint department of the S. B.
Hubbard Hardware company Called
out the entire fire fighting equipment
of the city and inflicted a property
and stock damage estimated at $250,-*
000. The flames were confined to the
middle, or second building, in the rear
of the big Bay street store. Much
damage by water was done in the re
tail store by the bursting of the high
pressure hose. The fire caused a tie
up in street car traffic until noon next
day
HELD UP
Action Is Taken By Secretaries Daniels
And Baker To Prevent Disrup
tion Of Industry
Washington.—Voluntary enlistment
in the army and navy were complete
ly suspended to prevent disruption of
industry, pending disposition of the
bill proposing to extend draft ages to
include all men between 18 and 45
years. Orders were issued by Secre
taries Baker and Daniels directing
that no voluntary enlistments be ac
cepted after August 8 until further
orders.
The orders also exclude civilians
from appointments to officers’ training
camps until further notice.
Men of the present draft age will
not be accepted as recruits for the
merchant marine training service, ex
cept as officers and firemen, Chairman
Hurley of the shipping board declared,
in announcing the new age limit for
apprentice seamen, cooks and stew
ards as 18 to 21 and 30 to 35. The
limits have been 21 to 31.
Officers may be recruited from men
of 19 to 55, if they have spent two
years at sea.
“We expect the new age regulations
to stimulate recruiting for the mer
chant service,” said Mr. Hurley. “We
have had several thousand inquiries,
by letter and throuhgout 6,000 recruit
ing stations, from youths under the
draft age who want to go to sea. We
are building for the future, and hope
that a majority of youths under 21 to
be trained by the board as sailors,
cooks and stewards, will stick to the
merchant marine after the war is
over.”
The orders were issued after a con
ference between Secretary Baker and
Secretary Daniels and were made pub
lic after President Wilson had visited
the office of both secretaries. It is
not known whether his visit had to do
with the enlistment situation, but just
before he conferred with the cabinet
officers there was no indication that
a step of such drastic nature was an
ticipated.
It was explained that the view of
the government is that many of the
older men are indispensable in their
present occupations, but the natural
result of the debate on the draft ques
tion is certain to lead to a rush to the
recruiting offices. It is regarded as
essential that men greatly needed at
home should be prevented from rush
ing into the army under a mistaken
idea that they are certain to be drafted
anyhow and prefer to join the service
voluntarily.
FOCH’S COUNTER STROKE
MOST BRILLIANT OF WAR,
LLOYD GEORGE DECLARES
By It Germany Has Lost All Hope
Of Military Decision In
Her Favor
London. —David Lloyd George, the
British prime minister, in a speech be
fore the house of commons, reviewed
extensively the war situation. He re
ferred particularly to what had been
accomplished in the recent drive by
the allied forces on the Soissons-
Rheims salient, to the destruction of
German submarines, of which 150 had
been accounted for since the war be
gan—more than half of these in the
last year—and the part Americans
now were playing and would play later
in the fight for the cause of democ
racy.
“He would be a sanguine man on the
German general staff who would now
predict that Germany could obtain a
military decision this year,” the pre
mier declared, as he characterized
Marshal Foch’s counter-offensive as
“the most brilliant in the annals of
the war.”
Referring to peace, Mr. Lloyd George
said the people who had made the war
still were in evidence, and that they
could have no peace so long as they
were still predominant in the councils
of the enemy.
Louisiana Ratifies Prohi Amendment
Baton Rouge, La. —The senate voted
21 to 20 in favor of ratification of the
federal prohibition amendment. The
resolution now goes to the house,
where both sides claim they will be
victorious. The house at the regular
session adopted the resolution by a
large majority. A tie vote in the sen
ate at the recent regular session of the
legislature prevented ratification and
necessitated calling of an extraordi
nary session.
White Guards Aid Force Of Allies
Kandaslaska. Volunteer detach
ments of white guards are giving aid
to the allied units pursuing the Bol
sheviki forces retreating southward
from Archangel. The new archangel
government has arrested most of the
Bolsheviki leaders who had not fled.
The Bolsheviki commissioner of w T ar,
Zenkecih. was killed; otherwise the
change in government was virtually
bloodless. Before the allied troops
landed at Archangel the local' Bolshe
viki issued a proclamation to the
troops urging violence against allies.
GERMANS LOSE ON
RUINS OF PICARDY
TANKS, CAVALRY, AIRMEN, HAR.
RYING GERMANS AS THEY
GIVE GROUND
DRIVE ON 20-MILE FRONT
Thousands Of Prisoners And Hundreds
Of Guns, With Many Towns
Lost By Teutons
New York. —Over a curving front of
more than twenty miles the British
and French troops are continuing to
sweep back the Germans eastward
across the plains of Picardy from the
region north of the Somme east of
Morlancourt to the eastern bank of
the Avre northwest of Montdidier.
As on the first day of the offensive,
material progress was made over the.
entire battle front. Many additional
villages were captured; the bag of
prisoners was largely increased; num
erous guns and great quantities of w,ar
stores were taken and heavy casual
ties were inflicted on the enemy by
tanks, armored cars, the cavalrymen
and the infantry. The losses sustain
ed by the Anglo-French forces are
declared to be relatively small.
To the allied forces there have fall
en 17,000 German prisoners and be
tween 200 and 300 guns, many of
them of heavy caliber, and innumera
ble machine guns, trench mortars and
kindred small weapons.
To the north of the Picardy theater
the Germans also have given ground
on two important sectors —on the fam
ous Lys salient, northwest of Labas
see and in the region southwest of
Ypres on the equally famous battle
ground north of Kemmel.
AMERICAN TROOPS
CAPTURE FISMETTE
With The Village The Americans
Took One Hundred German
Prisoners
Paris. —American troops have cap
tured the village of Fismette, on the
north bank of the Vesle river, a short
distance northwest of Fismes. With
the village they took one hundred
prisoners.
’Three vicious but ineffectual thrusts
were made by the Germans against
the line west of Rheims. The net re
sult was a smart repulse by the French
against whom the most determined at
tack was made, and the inclusion of
the northern suburb of Fismes in the
American line, in addition to about a
hundred prisoners.
Throughout the night and day the
operations in the Soissons-Rheims sec
tor were characterized mostly by artil
lery fire, in which the Germans shifted
their long-range guns from time to
time to reach villages and roads which
they themselves traversed a week ago.
'The occupartion of'the northern
suburb, separated from Fismes by the
Vesle, took place after a terrific artil
lery bombardment. The village was
virtually reduced when the order to
advance was given. It was there the
hundred prisoners were taken.
ALLIES APPROACHING
"END OF THE TUNNEL”
So Says Lioyd-George in Discussing
The Situation On The
Battle Front
Neath, Wales Premier Lioyd-
George, who came here to attend the
Welsh national Eisteddfodd, in re
ceiving the freedom of Neath, declared
that “the end of the tunnel” through
which the allies have been traveling
for four years was getting nearer. Mr.
Lioyd-George made no apology to any
man, he said, for any part he had
played during the 4var, “And I proposa
to fight on to the end,” he added.
Some people had complained, con
tinued the premier, that he was too
optimistic in the view he took of
things.
“I don’t think I am," he insisted.
"I was not one of those who thought
it would soon be over—never. I thought
it a long job and a terrible job, but
I have always been confident we would
get through, for I knew we were fight
ing for the right and that the God of
righteousness would see us through."
France Makes Protest To China
Pekin.—The French government has
lodged an objection to the appoint
ment of a Chinese minister to the Vat
ican and the reception of a papal nun
cio at Pekin as being in contravention
of the Tien-Tsin treaty of 1858, which
recognizes a French protectorate over
the Catholics in China. A dispatch
from Rome, July 10, said that as the
Chinese republic had expressed a de
sire to establish diplomatic relations
with the vatlhan the pope had approv
ed the appointment of Tai Tcheng Lia
as minister to the holy see.
