The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-08-18
WARM POLITICS
IN OLD GEORGIA
Today Marked Close of One of
the Hottest Political
Campaigns.
EVER HELD IN THAT STATE
Associated Pres. to The Ev..,.x r,u.,

Associated Press to The Evening Times.
Atlanta, Ca. Aug. 1S.-One of the
most stirring political campaigns
Georgia ever has known practically
closed today. Next Wednesday a gen.
eral primary will be held throughout
the state for the nomination of can
didates for governor and other state
officers. chief justice and associate JUS
tice of the supreme court. and county
officers. The nomination is equivalent
to an election. The voters also will
express their preference for United
States senator to succeed Senator A.
o. Bacon, who Is candidate for re-
election.
Public interest is conferred almost
entirely in the fight for the guberna-
torial nomination. The two leaders in
the race are Clark Howell, editor of
the Atlanta Constitution. and Hoke
Smith, editor of the Atlanta Journal
and secretary of the interior in Pres
ident Cleveland's cabinet. The names
of j. H. Estill, editor of the Savannah
News, Richard B. Russell and Judge
James NJ Smith will appear on the bal
lot for governorship, but their candi-
dacy is believed to cut small figure In
the race. The fight is between Howell
and Hoke Smith.
For more than three months Howell
and Smith have been conducting an
active campaign. They have been
working with their coats off, almost
every city. town and hamlet from one
boundary of the state to the other
has been treated to their stump oratory
while their newspaper organs have
kept up continuous fire of claims and
counter claims, charges and denials.
The state has been stirred up from
center to circumference and everyone
is on edge in anticipation of the fight
at the polls next week.
Hoke Smith is fighting what he calls
the ring and railroad" domination of
the Georgia democracy. But the prom
inent plank of his platform has for it's
object the disfranchisement of the ne
groes. On the subject of disfranchise-
ment Smith says:
Il favor, and if elected, will urge
with all my power the elimination of
the negro from politics as the best
possible solution of the race problem,
for both whites and blacks. Dis
reimbursement can be accomplished by
legal and constitutional methods, just
as it has been adopted in North Caro-
lima, South Carolina, Alabama, Mis-
sissippi, Louisiana and Virginia, with
out DISTINGUISHING single white man.
If elected, would oppose with all my
power, the enactment of any legisla-
ton that would have the effect of dis
franchising single white voter in
Georgia"
Howell's slogan in his fight against
Smith is organized democracy against
Populism and fusion" He has bid for
the straightout democrat vote against
Smith, who is regarded as the candi-
date of the fusion element. Tom Wat
son. populist candidate for president in
1904, has openly announced his sup
port of Hoke Smith for governor and
has advised all populists in the state
to follow his example.
The close of the campaign finds both
sides apparently confident of the re-
suit. Both declare that they will car
ry the state by an overwhelming ma
jority. To an unbiased onlooker it ap-
pears to be a close contest