The leader-enterprise. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1912-1915, August 30, 1912, Image 3
A. t. ' A. ) . ' lon ® _ UCtlon D READ CAREFULLY Don’t buy any more Buggies or Wagons on credit or cash until Saturday, September 7th. We are going to auction off every Buggy and Wagon we have to the highest bidder. We are going to SELL THEM, so after its over don’t say “if I had known that I would have waited.” We are going to do this also; we are not going to have any but legitimate bids, no by-bidders whatever. If you buy a hundred dollar buggy and harness for twenty dollars we will take your note for that amount for Thirty or Sixty days, if you want to give it. That will give you a chance to get out your cotton and pay for it. Now you have an opportunity to buy youa buggy or'wagon cheap one time in life, so get busy and come over Saturday, Sept. 7th and buy what you want. You can call for what you want and we Will put it up, then it’s up to you. Don’t forget this, you can give your NOTE if it’s satisfactory with us after you buy for thirty or sixty days--your credit is good at this sale. We are going to sell them so be on hand. One Hundred and Fifty for Sale. | | | East Central Avenue Fitzgerald, Ga. Emmett R. Shaw, Defeated Candidate for - Congress Writes Open Letter: 'To The Citizenship Of The Third Congressional District. Fellow Citizens: I had hoped and hoped until the last, hat I might represent you “and our district in the national Congress, out your decree was not my wish, I feel that just a word at this time cannct be out of order explaining why I was defeated, and why possibly, I should not have hoped to win against so many odds. . I was handicapped from the start with every odd against me. M%courxty was not one-third the size of my opponent’s. It could nof pull one-third the vote that bis could poll I had no political power to back me, Less than a half dozen public men 1n the district Jent mie their support. I bad to fight organized forces, while my forces were unorganized, I had to depend upon those men who were s.villing in the defiance cf every tning that could be said, and every move that couid be made to walk to the baliott box ard vote for me regardless. I found after I had entered the contest, that I was facing a financial situation that I did not expect. I was facing bankruptey, and paid the last doliar out that I had to stay proceedings. I had to depend upon oney that 1 could earn as I rap, working a part of the time plus a few persoval loans from personal friends, amounting to in the aggregate about $7OO. I could not afferd to make my announce ment in the papers in the usual way and the newspapers did not un ,‘Jerstand this. It would have cost more than $3OO to tave anmounced as other candidates did, and I could not spare this money. I was not ab¥e to send out personal letters and circulars, because it would cost between $4OO and $5OO each time. I would send a lot with two-cent postage. I had to oppose in many instances the leaders of the two great political factions in Georgia, This meant that as a political or phan and financial weakling I must fight my buttle aione, and hope to wic by accomplishing the impossible. POLITICAL MOVES MADE AGAINST ME. In their throes of political desperation when it looked like I had the victory won, the political slanderers attacked me, attacked me at times in the open, but mostly in the dark, Stories of different kinds were told in different sections, which were void of foundation or fact, No matter if my old father’s heart would be sad to hear the mean stories that were told. Little did they care if it cost my httle zphan girl-wife’s face to te stained with tears. Their purposes had be accomplished, their hands were dirty enough to do the work, and at Lumpkin and Vienna and a few other points they, did their worst. At this time when ther2 is nothing at stake I would if neces sary answer every charge made in detail, but I have decided instead, §9 just point to the majority which my county Clay gave me. Th~ county in whick. the sunlight first shown into my countenance, the county in which my father was born and bas always lived since, the county in which my grandfather’s bones are buried, In this county with 476 votes cast I had better than 400 to my credit. The men who made these charges znd who helped to slander me would if they could get their dirty hands upon it, take your grand mother’s gscharacter, ‘wrap 1t up in a dirty napkin, and toss it to a negro’s yellow THE 1 EADFR.ENTFRPRISE. FRIDAY AUGUST 30 1012, dog. I had to meet everything that a man opposed by the political powers have to meet. Opposed by the leaders the two great factions in Georgia nearly every where, I fought in 1906 for the principle of negro disfranchisement, for railroad regulation coporation control. I fought the old gang of politicians which were backing the old lease system. I cained the political hate of those whom we tore down, never to be able to gain the friendship of the leaders of those forces. I fought on and on for six years, for what [ conceived to be right, and for an administration of which I was a part, although a small part, which I believerd was working for the best interests of Georgia. It became necessary under my oath of office as State senator, which required me to vote for Georgia’s welfare and good, as a senator every time, to vote against Hoke Smith for the United States Senate, The man I bad done battled with for six years and in three campaigns. 1 had offeied my all politically to elect him Governor the last time. I knew to throw down that position would hu:t him with the masses of the people. I knew for him to hurt himself would politically cripple every other man who vad fought under the flag. I knew it would mean our political undoing, and that 1t would re-establish the political enemy, I knew it would bring on extra political row 1n an off year, which would take people from their peaceful avocations, to do politi cal battle. I'knew that the enemy would win. I knew to call the legisiature together to swear in a new Governor, would cost thousands of dollars of the people’s tax money, and for other reasons, which I will not give here. With a sad heart knowing the cost that it would be to me I stood in my seat, explained my vote, cast it aga‘nst him and for another. For this reason possibly I lost Randolph County. where the other crowd whom I had hit from 1906 to 1910, stood shoulder to shoulder with manv Smith reformed leaders to give me battle and to tear me down. For this reason and others I lost in Terrell. For doing my duty I had te pay the price. lam sorry the price was so high, but glad to pay it, I mention the above facts not to help, hinder or hurt any public servant, for regardless of what has been done to me, I shall measure public men by their public service. I mention those facts so that those whe are willing to look may see aud sceing may know, what an independent fearless man who dares to stand by his own conscience and right as he sees it, has to tace, I have fought in the battle lines for the people from the first day of my political life for only the scars that [ received, I had hoped to be able to get to'where I would mnot be financially cramped and to where I could render more effective service for the people, I have been turned down by a majority of the voters, who Trepresented the guardians of our home, our fathers, brothers, husbands and sopns. I cannot believe that they meant to do me harm. I cannot believe that they understood how I have stood and fought for their rights un der the law, for their homes and how I longed to fight for our liberty. I have been defeated because men with sweaty faces who represented the forces of toil voted against me. I never shall believe that if they knew that it was on their account that I fought so hard at my own expense giving dollars where I got only dimes, that I have sympa thised with them every day of my political life; I cever shall believe that if they could have known that I have because I loved their homes and their babies, whom the door of opportunity is closed to, day by day, that they would have struck me down. I never shall belieye that they would have done it, if they had understood the spirit that caused me to fight. To believe tais would cause life to be a burden to me. TO THAT MORE THAXN FIVE THOUSAND WHO STOOD BY ME, i Men, may God forget me when I forget you, I promise you this in my hour of defeat, that you shall never have cause to regret stand ing by me and going down to the valley of the shadow with me. I promise you here and now in the presenee of that Being called con science, and before our mothers’ God, that I do here and now re-dedi cate my life to what we fought for, re dedicate it to the services of those who have been and are being mris-served. Rededicate it in this hour of my lonesomeness and oppression to the cause of those who are being ground up by the profics of the mills into goid. Rededicaté it to those whose children’s chance is growing less and less each day; to those who represent the great mass of our citizenship. I prom’se you to keep up the fizht for what we stand, without any honor or reward. For the majority of the citizenship have refused me a reward and honor. I promise never to fight politically for spite or revenge, for this would be unworthy of the man who had obtained and who hoped to maintair your confidence and esteem. IT WAS AND IS WORTH WHILE. The ficht bas been worth while, We have proven that an appeal to the independent voter face to.face has come near a thousand votes of getting the verdict, and we must remember that the greatest of men have met defeat, men wh> had the greatest opportunity and every chance. Napoleon went t> his Waterloo. The force of circumstance caused Robert E. Lee to surrender to Grant. Napoleon will live as long as history lasts. Lee has never been considered a General in ferior to Grant. : i AS TO THE PEOPLE’S CHOICE : : Oar people have selected a man clean of life, an ‘honorable man. His people stood by him 1n his county as mine did by me and spoke 10 no uncertain toues to the outside world as to what they thought of him. We should not put one rough place in his path, We should try to help and not to hinder. There are too many pow ready to tear down, too few ready ‘o build up. I for one shall pursue the course above mentioned. I hope he may make as fearless champion of the people as I would have tried to have made if I had been the victor. Let us all stand by him. He is our Congressman by the grace of our people, Let us let him feel and know that as he goes to Washington, while I go to work, that our whole people are standing back of him. In conclusion, with a heart full of gratitude toward you, I want to say that I shall hope to live forever to held your confidence, and -that while I may never ask to serve you or may never hope to be rewarded for what I have tried to do, that with malice toward no man, believing there is not hate 1n my beart for any man, lam yet a candidate, a candidate for the confidence of c¢very citizen of this district and of Georgia, and if elected, shall live in my financial strain, weakriess and worry to prove deserving of the confidence, respect and esteem of all. Yours as a.commgner in rank, ; 3 : Emmett R. Shaw. Regular devotional meetinz of the Woman’s Missionary society of the Central Methodist church will be Leld Monday afterncon promptly at 4 o’clock. Mrs. R, J Prentice, leader. duabject, The Dependent aud the delinquent child and medical work. Mrs. W, O. wooien, Recording Secretary, Love may find 'a way—but it isn’caiways able to pay the freight. He who hesitates is lost—espe cially when he is found out. Strayed—a mlk cow. Owner can have same by paying for this ad. Mr. M. E. Hutchinson, Lia~ coln, Ave. 66.tf.