The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-11-15
GEORGIA Politics.

Georgia Politics.
,rhe ,,olitcal situation in the state OF
Georgia presents at least one aspect or
reneral interest. a primary election IS
Ia be held to nominate q cand1da'c lor
c.ovornor and two OF the leading as
,,r,nts are uoke Smith and Clark How
oil editor of the Cons titution, lhc ~
Alanta journal is chainpioning me cause cause
&of Mr.. smith. who was at one time owner
of the Journal but declares tllat tli's
courso is taken not because 1T likes MI.
c,n,,h and dtslikes Mr.. Howell, but De
cause it likes Mr. Smiths platform a 'i
dlslkes Mr., Howclls platform. us ctliel
ohiec,,on to Mr.. Howell Is that nc oP-
noses negro Acknowledgement MI i1oW-
ais motto being "Let we'll enough a ano
49,, 80 Journal does not think that the
situation in Georgia Is well enough.
III poInts out that by the census VI law
8+hare5 we're in Georgia 2i7,496 White voters
and too7. 4oe colored voters Gcorsia having
the largest colored population III tiie
Union. The white vote constitutes oo'4
nor cent and the negro vote 44,6 OF the
en,ire voting population. OF the white
vote 20 per cent. is Republican ana ABOUT
81 ner cent. is Democratic and Populist'i
About 80 per cent. of the white vote, less
~ pan,,h,icnns is Populist and 60 Demo-
cratic.
..Now suppose says the Journal the
Dcn,ocratic and PopuIist people unite
8nnd the Republican vote unites. One-halr
of the white Republican vote, acting
with the negro vote. is suflclent 10 place
the State OF Georgia under the complete
domination OF the negroes. Ihnt IS 10
say. with Democrats and Populists united,
1bey are still in the minority, and 1t only
requires small part of the Rcpunilcah
strength of the State. Joined Win the
negroes. TO destroy white supremacy.
The Journal further declares that 1t Is
only because there is no cohesion ana no
intelligent leadership that the negro vote
combined with the white Republican vote
does not dominate the political affairs
of State, even with the Democrats and
Popullsts united against them, and that
the situation would be infinitely worse
III, as Mr. Howell advises, the Populists
should be forced to separate from the
Democratic party.
But apart from the danger OF State
control, the Journal goes on. there are
In Georgia fifty-eght counties where the
negroes have an absolute numerical ma
jority, and IT, is,4retty certain that seven
of the new counties recently organized
likewise have negro majorites. There
are, therefore. sixty-fve counties in the
State where the negroes may elect their
own county officials, members of the
Legislature and possibly even members
of Congress. There are not more than
twelve or fifteen counties in the State
all of them In north Georgia, in which
the negro vote Is not sufficiently strong
to decide any election when the white
vote Is divided. Thus, II is within the
power of the negroes TO actually control
sixty-five counties almost one-half OF
the Sate-without any division of tho
white votes, 1t Is within the power Of
the negroes 10 control all but-twelve or
fifteen counties of the State where there
is serious division among the whites -
The argument against negro dlsfran-
chisemcnt is that the Stale has gotten
along very well without 1t; that the negro
can always be handled and that the
whites will continue to dominate the
affairs OF State, But, how" asks the
Journal. Not by appeals TO the ntelll-
gence or patriotism. 1t will have TO be
done by corrupt means; In other words,
the whole people will have to descend
to the dirty and degra ding practices of
either buying the negro vote with money
or fraudulently counting it out at the
ballot boxes"
That is the serious phase Of the whole
Z AVID ~ : J,r,