Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1905-10-15
HoKE SMITHS Bette NoIR
Member of the Cleveland Cabinet
Achieves Distinction Right
at Home.

The most interesting features OF the
Hoke Smith camraign for congress In
Georgia cluster about the virginia. form
of the Gal in the Fountain" This at
tractiVe bronze female stands In the center
OF the bar room Of the Piedmont hotel
Atlanta. holding aloft a never failing cleo
trio beacon In the shape OF punches OF
grapes, alleged to be Georgia muscadlnes,
cousins of the scupnernong. Upon her Inns
is welcoming smile and upon her form
a tunic admirably adapted to this tropic
cline. Below her are four lions spoutins
water from their marble outlets into a
crystal pool. In the depths Of the pool
a few mud cats SLOUGH about shouldering
aside goldfish and pickerel. Infant alli-
gators repose upon these pellucid waters
and raptly adore the Gal above them. The
way worn stranger, caught in a stream Of
Georgia chivalry that flows all one way, is
swept Into the bar room. There he Is
greeted by the Gal and the pensive gator.
He fingers, charmed by the tinkling foun-
tain and the murmur OF politics; and in due
time, as he absorbs the mysterious IN
huences Of the place. he understands and
even shares in the affection lavished upon
the Gal by the chivalry of Georgia
Space forbids a thorough discussion OF
the questions which agitate this state
with respect to the Gal in the Fountain
whether she is Venus or a "baccochante."
as one admirer suggested: whether the
beacon represents muscadines or sour
grapes whether the Gal in turning her
back to the bar, is the victory OF the
water wagon or, in facing the door. Is
the sorceress OF Strangers, and whether
the lions, mud cats and allisators are
parts OF the allegory or merely foils to
the glory OF the Gal. The part played
py the Gal in politics is our concern now
Hoke Smith, 1t happens, is one OF the
owners of the Piedmont hotel and IA
therefore entitled to his share of the rava-
nue. received from those who visit the
shrine OF the unknown goddess. He Is a
leader OF Sunday school, and early in
the campaign appealed to the prohibition
element In Georgia. His enemies brutallv
seized upon his part ownership of the
! Pledmont bar and trumpeted the fame OF
/ the Gal In the Fountain. Mr.. Smith de-
clared that when he had discovered To
/ his horror, that hotels In Georgia Uere
! invariably equipped with a bar for the
| expeditions sale OF liquor, he had insisted
upon a strict accounting of revenues de-
! rived from this source and that his sba
should be turned over to a certain charity.
Mr.. George Parrot, his partner in the hotel
puoilsHeu letter stating that Hoke Smith
mad not personally prohted by the bar but
hau secretly named charitable institu-
uon which was to receive the money.
| The public, or at least Mr. Smiths in
satlable enemies, demanded the name Of
the Charitable institution sustained by the
Piedmont bar The demand was ignored
II Mr.. Smith did not permit his left hand
10 Know what his right was giving IN
charity the public had no right to com
plain But soon afterward Rev. DR.
broughton. the head Of a Charitable In
stitution Of the Baptist faith, gave ont a
statement that Mr.. Smith had recently
offered to give his share of the Piedmont
bar profits to three charities, the Ran
fist Infrmary being one and that the
oner had been declined because II wa
tainted money.
80 the people are mystifed Has the
money from the "Gilded Gehenna" NJ
the Piedmont gone to charity. is II roine
or will 1t go? Is Hoke Smith heins
s"amped under pile OF tainted moneys
Or Is the tribute to the glorious Cal
going regularly, but secretly to a benen-
cent institution? ''Hez Hoke been caught
er is he a philanthropist? asks the Geor.
sia cracker-'Washington Post.