The New Orleans Democrat. (New Orleans, La.) 1875-1876, 1876-04-14
CAMPAIGN IN GEORGIA,
prospect OF A LIVELY POLITICAL
RACE.
Personnel III the Asplrants for the Dean
OcratIc Nomination.

Personnel III the Aspirants for the De"'-
ocratlc Nomination.
A vigorous contest is going on IN Geor-
Gin for the Democratic nomination Tor
Governor. The State is overwhelmingly
Denocratie, and the nomination is vir-
tuallv an election. The Atlanta CORE
spopdent Of the New York Herald gives
the following lively pen sketches OF tho
most prominent aspirants. 1t Will be
seen that the Gubernatorial chair OF the
State is pretty certain to be ably and
bonorably filled in the event OF the
nomination OF any OF tho gentlemen
mentioned: .ir ..
COL. THOMAS HABDEMAN, JR., 4t.I
has been conspicuous figure in Geor-
gia politics for long time. He is not u
professional man, but cotton factor
and commission merchant. lie has
been Congressman, Representative,
Sneaker twice of the State House OF
Representatives. president OF several
State Conventions, delegate to nationa!
conventions, member and chairman OF
State executive committees, and oil that
sort Of thing. He is a taking. stump
orator. ready. ornate. tlorid and effective.
He is a large hearted, genial man,
shrewd. practical, bold and true. HIS
enemies charge him with trickery and
a considerable. capacity for SUCCESSFUL
intrigue. His friends claim him sincere
and open. have observed that very
successful men in public matters. always
incur the accusation of capacity Tor wire
working. And / must confess That
| know OF no public man easier to spot
and Xix than Tom Hardeman, rs he Is
generally called. His place on public
Questions Is always decided and unwa-
vering. /. He is q large, stout. very dark
compfexioned person, with o certain
brusuue hastiness in his manner and
very independent look about him.
! t' aovERNoRJAMEs NJ. SMITH! d
The man closest to Hardeman In the
race now is the present Gov. James M
Smith, powerfully built. coarse Tea
4 tured blond individual, whose SQUIRE
set, sturdy figure Is q type OF the mans
mind. He IL q strong man in brain.
He came from the mud sills.a He began
life a. blacksmith, and has worked up
to bt, Congressman, legislator. Speaker
OF the House, and twice Governor, and
evidently wants to be Governor again OF
United States Senator. And he will
Craze either one Of these gilded honorss
closely enough. He is q cold-natured
cuss, this Milt Smith. as he Is called,
polite, brawny In intelligence. and with
many Of the qualities OF the natural
, statesman. Smith has more develop
ment in him than almost any public
man that know. He has made Ia the
! main a good Governor, with some very
vulnerable spots in his executive record
: He ia far beyond an average Governor
, II il not often that one finds better
Executive. But he leaves big gaps open
in his official career for hostile incur
sions slt .i.a.u. ..D
Take Smith s general administration
and 1t has been wise, honest and able
This is due, to him. AT the same time
he has made grave errors. In his APP
J best men in the State, and incurred 9
, very widely circulated and persistently
urged accusation OF double dealing Rnd
false promising. Be this true or false
his appointments have averaged well
A charitable construction OF his conduct
would say that his kindness Of heart has
been used against him unjustly. 1t mus
be admitted that he has, in this matter
OF appointments, laid himself open L
the charges against him. He is not apt
however, to do the thing again.
/
Smith is in the treasury matter. Treas
urer Jones, now deposed, paid severe
hundred thousand dollars of State bonds
) already paid, and he did it on. Coy
Smiths warrant. These were bond
that Henry Clews, OF New York, had il
his possession. This treasury issue il
waxing hot In Georgia. Jones, the neg
,, ligent Treasurer, was hurled out OF hi
greenback throne on account OF his fault
and Smith helped him go. Smith,
enemies have. used the matter agains
to saddle Smith with blame while exon
Grating Jones. This Is to clear the prin
cipal and implicate the accessory
3 Smiths friends have utilized the incon
sistency Of his enemies in this mistaken
, sort OF strategy. The truth is that /
was a great laches on Jones part, ant
: Smith cannot escape condemnation II
, the secondary degree Of guilt. And thu
issue properly presented cannot fail t.
hurt Gov. Smith. Let the defense o
Jones be eliminated from the matter
and attach the proper degree Of censur'
impartially and justly, and Smith mus
suffer. In his supervision Of expendi
lures, made, incumbent upon him b.
I law. he should have ,scritipized the pay
ment Of SO large an amount Of the State
money more closely than to have suffered
it to be paid illegally. He should have
supplemented the Treasurer vigilance
by the Executive watchfulness, and his
failure to do 50 is an undeniable official
! dereliction, and he has to meet the issue
on its square merits, aforementioned oil
any injudicious championcy Of Treas.
urer Jones. f+aN @uf raa
Governor Smith is using the prodi
,, gious patronage Of his office with con.
summate skill He is clutching the
, daily press OF the State in his advocacy
most adroitly, and II Hardeman or any
other man whips him out for Governor
or Senator, he will have to get his eye.
teeth well cut and fight with both eyes
open. must say, with impartial can
dor. however, that Smith will make q
useful public man wherever he is put.
GEN. ALFRED n. CoLQuITT.
. The. finest gentleman Of the lot OF
candidates, the purest in bis personal
character, is Alfred H. Colqllitt. He
comes from the proudest blood OF Geor-
! gia, hereditary gentlemen and states
men. There Is no more illustrious
name in Georgia history than Colquitt
and this A fired Ia Ona IF fhOac han