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WILLIAM J. HARRIS
Candidate for the
United States Senate
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The Man of the Hour, and Why
William J. Harris was born in Ce
dartown, Polk county, Georgia, Feb
ruary 3, 18C8. He was educated in
tbe 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 Jn 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.
8. 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
worn 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
flier# 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 th« passage of the bill abolish
ing the unlimited fees of oil inspec
tors, and fixing their maximum salary
at SIOO per month. This law lias
saved the state thousands of dollars.
In 1917 alone, it saved the state net,
$182.585.
(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.”
(4) 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 Wilson, officials today say
that Mr. Harris was the most efficient
director since the bureau was estab
lished. The chief “criticism” against
bis administration, made by Judge
Hughes, Republican nominee for Presi
dent, was that he appointed so many
Georgia Democrats to positions in the
department.
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 was 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 tha,t 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 w-as the gallant “Little
Joe” Wheeler.
Promoted by the President.
Due to Mr. Harris’ efficient adminis
tration of the census bureau, President
W’ilson 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 rflx
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.
V%rther 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 warmly I have
appreciated the way in which you have
performed the difficult and often dell
cate duties assigned to you in the
trade commission? I am sure that
l am expressing the general feeling
when I express my regret at youi
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 same
of Georgia will be redeemed from the
charge of disloyalty and “kaiserism”
with which it has been staine'd by the
misrepresentation of the recent past.
HENRY COUNTY WEEKLY, McDONOUGH, GEORGIA
BRITISH CAPTURE
17,000 PRISONERS
L.
DESPERATE STAND MADE BY THE
GERMANS TO CHECK BRITISH
AROUND BAPAUME
WHOLE TEUToTIINE IN PERIL
The French Troops Have Reached
Territory North Of Soissons, Now
Increases Danger Of Germans
New York, Notwithstanding the
fact that the Germans have brought
up strong reinforcements on both
wings of the battle front, the British
and French forces everywhere have
beaten off the enemy and continued
their vitcorious progress.
Many additional towns have been
captured by Field Marshal Haig’s men
in the north, while the French have
successfully overcome obstacles placed
in their way and reached territory
north of Soissons which adds further
to the danger of the Germans in the
Noyon sector, and to their line running
eastward from Soissons to Rheims.
All along the front from Arras to
the Somme the Germans are gradual
ly being driven back to the old Hin
denburg line by the British. Along
the Somme the enemy is being harass
ed well to the east of Bray, while
farther north strong counter attacks
have been repulsed and the town of
Mametz, the Mametz wood, Martin
puich Lesars and Leßarque have been
captured.
It is around Bapaume that the Ger
mans are keeping up their strongest
efforts to hold back the tide that is
surging against them, but the British
are continuing to make slight gains
daily in the process of surrounding the
town, which seemingly soon must be
evacuated. The taking of Lesars and
Leßarque appears to be a forerunner
of this eventuality. Le Barque is
only 2 1-2 miles southwest of Bapaume.
NO STRAIGHT FLOUR
FOR UNITED STATES
80 Per Cent Wheat And 20 Per Cent
Other Grains Ordered By
Herbert Hoover
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New York. —The Ignited States will
share with the allies their sacrifice of
food as well as blood in the cause
of world democracy, declared Federal
Food Administrator Hoover, on his
arrival here, en route to Washington,
after a visit to England and France.
Asserting that “we have to make
good,’’ a pledge to this effect which
he has given to the allied food admin
istrators while sitting “at a common
table in a common cause,’’ Mr. Hoover
said, to do so, America will next year
have to supply the allies four billion
pounds of fats, nine hundred million
pounds of beef products, five hundred
million bushels of cereals and one mil
lion five hundred thousand tons of
sugar. However, Mr. Hoover added,
beginning September 1, there will be
no need for drastic food rationing in
the allied countries, except in the
case of sugar and beef.
In a statement dealing with the sit
uation Mr. Hoover says:
“By the great effort of our farmers
our United States harvests are better
this year, but in order that we may
build up a surplus of wheat this year,
as against crop failures, such as w r e
had last year, we have decided to mix
20 per cent of other grains w r ith w r heat
flour in all the countries fighting Ger
many. We cannot ask for better bread
than France, and w r e propose the
American people should maintain a
common standard of bread with
them.’’
Lusitania Horror Not On Cunard Line
New York.—The Cunard Steamship
company cannot be held liable for loss
of lie and property in the torpedoing
of the Lusitania by a German subma
rine, according to a decision handed
down in the admiralty branch of the
United States district court by Judge
Mayer. “The cause of the sinking of
the Lusitania was the illegal act of
the imperial German government, act
ing through its instrument, the sub
marine commander,’’ declared Judge
Mayer, who held that “the fault, there
fore, must be laid upon those who are
responsible for the sinking of the ves
sel in the legal as well as moral
sense.”
- •
Stabilize Prices, Say Cotton Seed Men
New Orleans. “Stabilize food
prices or let the law* of supply and
demand have full sway,” is the de
mand food administrators from zone
six. comprising the states of Alabama,
Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Ok
lahoma, Tennessee and Texas, will on
September 4 put up to Federal Food
Administrator Hoover, it was decided
at a joint meeting here of food ad
ministrators and cotfbn seed crushers
from the states named. The demand
will be made on behalf of the cotton
seed industry.
GERMANS REVOLUTION
General Ludendorff and Associates
Take Steps To Stamp Out
Insubordination
British Headquarters in France. —
Germany’s military leaders now have
become distinctly worried over the
prospects of a revolution in Germany.
General Ludendorff, in a captured se
cret order, has taken steps to em
ploy the assistance of his command
ing bfficers and various governmental
agencies to help him stamp out the
glowing spark which has been seen.
The order, which is more illuminating
than anything which has come out of
Germany in many months, follows:
“It has come to my knowledge
through a letter addressed to the royal
Prussian ministry of war that men on
leave of absence have spoken publicly
of a revolution which is to break
out after the war.
“A soldier said to have come from
the industrial region of Rhenisch West
phalia declared in a train that in his
home district men are going ctn leave,
taking weapons with them for the
aforesaid object and that it was easy
to take home German or captured re
volvers as well as hand grenades sep
arated into two parts.
“1 desire that the clothing of men
going on leave be searched as test
cases before their departure. It will
be possible to carry this out at the
baths and dressing stations.
“I wish to impress upon all superior
officers who happen to hear such ob
jectionable t,alk or who hear of it
through others that they must deal
with it at once and without hesitation.
The home authorities and the director
of military railways have been direct
ed to take corresponding measures.”
RIOTING IN JAPAN
WAS PURELY ECONOMIC
People Inspired By Foo4 Shortage
And Rage Against The
Profiteers
Tokio, Japan.—The violence of the
food riots and the rapidity with which
they enveloped the country have as
tonished the Japanese and have con
vinced them, though far removed from
the center of the war, that they can
not escape its consequences, nor re
main untouched by the world move
ments which the w T ar has set in mo
tion. No such disturbance* have con
convulsed the nation since the days
of the restoration.
The movement appears to be en
tirely economic and social, and has no
political aspect except as it is directed
against the Japanese ministry, which
is popularly regarded as bureaucratic.
From the protest against the prohibi
tive price of Japan’s substitute for
bread anti-wealth demonstrations de
veloped. The property of the rich es
pecially was attacked. The residences
of a number of millionaires were burn
ed to the ground and immense dam
age was done to the property of mer
chants dealing with the people and,
in particular, those suspected of ex
cessive profiteering.
PRESENT RAIL RATES
CONTINUE o*l COTTON
Ruling Applies For This Year To Cot
ton Shipped In Any
Quantities
Washington.—Existing freight rates
on cotton shipped in any quantities
will be continued this year, the rail
road administration announces.
Allowances to cotton compressors
will be raised by the railroads, how
ever, by some njethod yet to be work
ed out to encourage extra dense'com
pression of bales and consequently
heavier loading of cars.
A plan is under consideration, said
a railroad administration announce
ment, for establishment of carload
rates on cotton next summer with a
minimum of 100 standard bales to the
car, with less than carload rates on a
higher basis.
Over 100,000 Huns Bagged Since July 18
Paris. —The allied armies have taken
more than 100,000 prisoners since July
18 says Marcel Hutin, in the Echo de
Paris. The allies have damaged six
German armies since July and the
British are now eating into the seventh
with the spread of the battle north
ward and over a front of seventy
miles. Whether the enemy is prepared
or unprepared, allied efforts have had
the same results and the Germans
have been outgeneraled and outfought.
United States After Swede Editor
London. —At the request of Ira Nel
son Morris, American minister to
Stockholm, M. Boevgren, the Swedish
minister of justice, has ordered that
action be brought against the news
paper, Aftonblaet, of Stockholm, for
having injured a foreign power and
making an attempt to interfere with
the amicable relations existing between
Sweden and the United States, says
a Copenhagen dispatch to the Ex
change Telegraph company. Mr. Mor
ris asks that action be taken because
of articles.
GERMANS RETREAT
ON 50-MIIE LINE
•
BRITISH MAKE IMPORTANT GAINS
ON THEIR PART OF THE FRONT,
AND FRENCH ARE ADVANCING
NUMEROUS JOWNS TAKEN
Badly Worsted From Soissons To Ar-.
ras Region, Teutonic Hordes ;
Are Forced To Retire
New’ York. —Over the fifty-mile bat
tle front north of Soissons, the Ger-;
man armies are meeting with defeats
which apparently spell disaster. Ev
erywhere the British and French
forces have continued on the attack,;
the enemy has been sanguinely worsts
ed; and the end of his trials is not
yet in sight.
To the British over the thirty miles
of the fighting zone from the Cojeulj
river, southeast of Arras to Lihons,
south of the Somme, numerous towns
have fallen and enemy territory has;
been penetrated to a depth of several
miles.
Where the French are fighting be
tween the Matz river and the terri-;
torv north of Soissons, additional good
gains have been made in the envel
opment of Noyon and the general .
maneuver which seefys to crush or
drive out the Germans from the sa
lient between the Somme and the Ai
lette, and to put into jeopardy the
entire German line running to Rheims.
Notwithstanding the fact that the
Germans brought up large numbers of 1
fresh reinforcements in an endeavor
to stay the progress of Haig’s armies,
their efforts were without avail. Where
they were able momentarily to hold
back their oncoming foes, the Ger
mans finally w r ere forced to cede the
ground demanded. And they paid a
terrible price in men killed, wounded
or made prisoners for their temerity.
The entire Arras-Albert road has
been crossed by the British. The
strongly held positions w’here the Ger
mans saw disaster facing them if they
fell, were stormed and captured and
the British pushed them, going east
ward.
SUBMARINES SEND THREE
VESSELS TO THE BOTTOM
Lake Edon, Westbridge and Cubore
Were Torpedoed While In
Foreign Waters
Washington. Sinking of three
American vessels in foreign waters
by German submarines was announc
ed by the na\*y department. The
steamship Lake Edon, army-charter
ed cargo transport, w r as sunk on Au
gust 21; the United States Steamship
Westbridge of 8,800 tons on August 16,
and the United States Steamship Cu
bore of 7,300 tons on August 15.
Sixteen of the crew of the Lake
Edon are missing, thirty-nine having
been accounted for. The names of the
missing have not been reported to the
navy department.
Three men w r ere reported lost in the
sinking of the Westbridge. There was
no loss of life among the crew of the
Cubore.
Diomed Sent Down Off Atlantic Coast
Shelled and torpedoed by a big Ger
man submarine just at sunrise the
British freighter Diomed was sunk,
with the loss of two of her crew’ and
w’ounding of many others, 125 miles
east of New York. Of the 104 sur
vivors, including a number of Chinese
seamen, rescued and brought here by
another steamship, many had been cut
by shrapnel and scalded by steam
when a torpedo crashed through the
boiler room. Though attacked with
out warning, the Diomed’s gun crew
answered the German fire, but with
out effect. After the twelfth shot at
the U-boat, one of the submersible’s
shells disabled the freighter’s steer
ing gear. The raider’s commander
then supplanted gunfire with a a tor
pedo.
Submarine Stops Swedish Steamer
A Swedish freight steamship which
arrived at “An Atlantic Port,” was
stopped by a German submarine 70
miles off that port and held for an
hour while the U-boat examined her
papers. The vessel w’as allowed to
proceed, the German officer told the
freighter’s captain, because he was
engaged in carrying foodstuffs for his
own country.
Britain Leads Allies In Naval Work
London. —Interesting figures and
percentages concerning allied war
ships engaged in anti-submarine war
fare have been prepared in London.
They show that in the eastern Atlantic
80 per cent of the vessels are Brit
ish, 14 per cent American and 6 per
cent British. Submarines engaged in
hunting submarines in the same wa
ters are 78 per cent British, 17 per
cent French and 5 per cent American.
Of the miscellaneous patrol craft, 86
per cent are British, 11 per cent are
French and 3 per cent American.