The Semi-weekly leader. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1905-1941, 1906-09-01
The GEORGIA Primary.

NO such crop OF morals as that
borne by the Georgia Democratic
primary ever grew from another
lsuch. No politician il all Geor-
lgia was ever more discredited
than Hoke Smith was half dozen
or so yearmS ago. He is TODAY
the creature Of a tidal wave the
king pin Of the alley. The man
that won most applause for turn
ling Hoke Smith up was Clark
Howell the editor and owner of
q paper SO potential that its sup
port was held to be indispensable
to any Georgian with aspirations
for Office. He had booked him.
|self for Governor first, then sen
|ator. Now lies be there and
none so poor to do him reyerance.
Moral remember that
While this old world goes round
and round,
Those who 90 up must sure come
down.
Up to this campaign the man
In Georgia who was ipecac to
Democrats was Tom Watson. A
Veritable Ishmaelite, in politics,
his hand was against every Dem.
ocrat, and every Democrats hand
was against him. Only two or
three wears ago Hoke Smith and
Clark Howell we're Joined to-
gether, IN routing and roasting
the PopuIist chief. He bided his
time and opportunity came at last.
Realizing that as long as he STAY
ed of the reservation lie was out I
of the game, he renewed his VOWS
to Democracy that he hated like
an Apache hates white men.
Within the fold, with his Popu-
lite following, his alliance with
Hoke Smith and bis hue and cry |
against the negro and the rail
roads, was resistless. Against
it stood all of the Democratic ma
chine and leadership. In their
defeat, individually and colIec-
lively, Watson had his FIJI OF re-
venge for years Of treasured up
abuse and persecution. In the |
getting together of Hoke Smith, /
gold bug, and Tom Watson, pop
ulite, and the conversion Of such I
a combination into a tidal wave,
we have lesson in the inscruta-
hility of politics; that for queer
grouping and lightning changes,
there is nothing like American
politicians.
Such are some of the morals Of |
the Georgia primary. AS to the
issue of state constitutional suf-
frage restrictions, for the exeIu-
sion of the negro vote as a factor
of government, it proved irresist-
able. A hundred faVorite sons,
Governor, senators, congressman
and all, denied Il was needed andE
derided its efficacy. There was
no limit to the fabrications utter
ed about the operations of such
restrictions in the other Southern I
states. The point around which
their contentious clustered was
thus stated by Congress am
James Griggs; in a speech the
day before the election, which the
Constitution said win be remark
able in the political history of |
Terrell county, According to
the reporter of the meeting, he |
fairly riddled the disfranchise |
ment proposition, showing bel
yond doubt that it would enfran-
chise thousands of negroes and |
disfranchise many white men,
and that the scheme was IN direct |
conflict with the constitution of |
the United States. y To the
credit of the common intelIience
this screechy stuff fell on deaf
ears. The white men of Georgia
rallied to the call of color and,
abstraotly, OF civilization. Moral
Don't monkey with the buzz
saw. Though there is no need,
IN Mississippi, to point that
moral, Vieksburg Herald.