The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-10-07
Nominee Has Opposition for
 First Time In Twelve Years
DEMOCRATS NOT ALARMED
No Change Will Take Place In Stare Officials Except Governor, as All Other OfficehoIders Have
 Been Nominated.


 1909-'1O. state senators and the usual
 county officers.
 Ordinarily, since all officials state
 and county, are nominated by primary,
 the regular formal election would be
 devoid of interest and there would be
 only a light vote.
 For the first time in 12 years, how ever. the nominee for governor has op
 position and the voters will be called upon to choose between Hon. Joseph M Brown, nominated for governor in the primary in which 210000 white voters participated, and Hon. w. Yam cey Carter, who cast his ballot in the
 primary but has "bolted" it in order
 to oppose MT. Browns election. There does not appear to be any serious concern in democratic circles as to the result of the election and, out i side of the headquarters of the inde-
 pendence candidate, 1t is not questioned
 that MT. Brown will receive a substan- | tial majority.
 The very fact of opposition, however, has to certain extent aroused the l voters of the state and, unquestionably, 1 there will be a much larger vote than l is usual in the regular state election. | Everything considered though, condi- l tions are peculiar, and there is no tell l ing to just what extent the vote of the state will be cast until after the bal lots are all in and counted.
 1 There will be no change in any of 1 the statehouse offices except that of governor all the present state officials | having been renominated in the pri-
 mary. The only other possible excep- ]. ton to this is the office of pension com missioner, just recently made an elec- 1 tive office, for which the incumbent, J. 1 W. Lindsey is opposed by half dozen other candidates. This race may serve
 to lend further added interest to the 1 election, and to a small extent at least I to increase the vote.
 In very few of the counties is there 1 independent opposition, no contests of any importance being scheduled An interesting feature is the fact that the proh ibition question is totally elim- mated from tomorrow's election. Before the primary both candidates for gov ernor pledged themselves to veto any bill seeking to repeal or materially to
 amend the prohibition law. Enough is known of the new legislature to justify the assertion that any attempt to re- peal or weaken the prohibition law could scarcely secure the support of majority in either branch, and with the new governor pledged to veto any such | effort, it would, of course, stand no | possible chance.
 One of the most interesting features attaching to tomorrow's election is the vote of the people upon the disfran- chisement amendment to the state con stitution. That the solid negro vote, which is more largely registered than ever before in the history of the state, will turn out against 1t, Is unques- tioned. Indications are also that there will be considerable number of white voters to oppose it, but everything points. to the fact that the amendment will be ratified by a safe, if not an unusually large, majority.
 Smith Forces Looking Ahead. Interesting gossip in political circles has it that the forces which were lined up back of Gov HoSe Smith in both of his races for governor, are already actively at work with an eye to the future They are looking ahead and are going to be ready for things politi-
 cal when they next begin to shake up. As an evidence of this fact it is point ed out that what are denominated good
 government clubs' have been organized in various sections of the state, ostensibly to keep an eye on offices and officials and to see that the latter walk the straight and narrow path Politicians have it
  nothing more nor less than Hoke Smith organizations. That the organization of this sort recently formed in Atlanta is composed chiefly of the ardent advocates of the governor there is no question. There are many men here in Atlanta and in other parts of the state who seemed to take Governor Smiths defeat this year as a personal matter, and their
 disappointment was of a personal rather than of a political nature. Seldom in the history of politics have the followers of a mans political fortunes exhibited such deep-rooted prejudices, and the fact that they are so firmly attached to his cause is, undoubtedly, going to cut some figure in the future politics of the state
 Just what turn the situation will take
 is now matter purely of speculation. It is well known that Governor Smiths ann | bition is to go to the United States Sen
 ate Whether his next fight will be in that direction, or he will give his atten-
 tion first to retrieving his position in the
 direction of the governorship. remains to be determined That he is a factor who will have to be reckoned with in future
 political slatemalling no one doubts.
 It seems to be generally conceded that
 the second term precedent in connection
 with the governorship has been smashed
 for some time to come. When Joseph M.
 Brown boldly attacked Governor Smith
 before the latter had completed ms nrSt
 term, and then defeated him, the precc-
 dent of giving a governor a~second term
 ended right then and there. If MT Brown
 should make an able governor and his
 friends and supporters should put him
 forward as a candidate for second term,
 there is still no question that he will have
 opposition There are many who believe
 his opponent in 1910 will be Governor
 smith; others have it that the friends of
 Governor Smith will get back of Fuller
 D. Galloway of LaGrange, at present Q
 member of the state railroad commission, < and a man of considerable business and
 executive ability.
 The success of any candidate backed by
 the governors friends would undoubtedly
 be viewed as his political rehabilitation,
 and it might be that he would make the 1 race for senator on the strength of it, i particularly as the senatorial election is 1 now settled in the state primary, prac- | tically by vote of the people.
 l Should the governor carry his sena- torial aspirations to the people and win out, without the intervention of any other political victory, 1t would indeed be
 a political rehabilitation of which he
 would have the right to be justly proud.
 It must be remembered that Governor
 Smith received more votes in the primary of 1908 than it required to elect him in 1906, the increase being approximately
 5000. That of itself is evidence of his strong position.
 How his opponents will meet his plans two years hence will be developed only by the moves which he makes upon the political chessboard. That he will meet