The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-03-10
GeOfgias Governor Is Candidate
 for Re-e|eciion
STRONG FOR PROHIBITION
Governor Smith Condemns Reported Plans of Liquor Interests to Spend $f,0o0,ooo in South to Con
 trol the Elections.

Atlanta, March 9.-Gov. Hoke Smith
 opened his campaign for reelection as
 governor of Georgia with a speech at
 Decatur today. He referred particularly
 to the disfranchlsement bill passed by
 the last legislature and said the people
 would have an opportunity to ratify it
 at the next election. Referring to the
 franchise act the governor said:
 "Under our new law when satisfied
 the state will be freed of danger at the
 ballot box from that class of citizens
 who, unable to govern themselves, are
 utterly unfit to provide for the govern
 ment of others. For generations to come
 white supremacy will be preserved in Georgia without the necessity for intimi-
 dation or violence, and even though the
 white voters may be divided there will
 still be no danger at the ballot box from the ignorant and the purchasable negro votes."
 | The governor referred in strong lam l guage to lobbying influence on elections
 and said
 q have no doubt that in time gone
 by there has been a combination in Geor- 1 gia between certain railroad interests and
 the liquor dealers association which put up the money for candidates for the house of representatives and the senate. | I believe they put up the money to pay 1 the expenses of candidates for even more | important offices.
 One Million for Elections.
 sThe press dispatches Lave bfoGSat rs l the information that the brewers' asso
 citation has recently raised $1,OO0, 900 whicl l they propose to spend in the south tc 1 control elections.
 Georgia was named as one of the states in which the money is to be 1 used.
 "The state has been deluged with print | ed matter, all printed in Louisville, Ky, attacking our reform movement so far 1 as railroads are concerned. No foolish l cry, especially if it came from Georgia,
 was unworthy of notice by Louisville l publishers.
 "I urge legislation which will make it
 crime for any of these interests to
 contribute money for politics in Geor- l gia."
 l In discussing Georgia banking laws the governor said
 Our banking system in Georgia should l be perfected We should have well organized, proficient system of bank ex- animation, upon which the public can depend.
 Our insurance laws should be improv- ed The utmost care should be taken to hot against putting it's money into insolyent companies. The rule should not only apply to insurance companies, but to all that 1 class of guaranty companies that solicit money from the public to prevent 1 schemes impossible of performance or | visionary and unbusness-like in their na- l ture."
 Prohibition Question. | On the prohibition movement he said: Tn opening my campaign two years I before the legislature met I fankly l toid the people that 1 was a local 1 optionist; that I would vote against
 the sale if called upon to vote in my own county, but that while l did not | advocate a state prohibition law. I 1 would approve it if the legislature | passed it.
 At that time I did not believe the 1 sentiment of the state was sufficiently strong against the sale of liqour to 1 enforce prohibition all over Georgia. i have never believed it wise to under ]: take by legislation to prohibit the sa le unless public sentiment had developed ] to sustain the law. During the two years between my first announcement | for governor and the meeting of the l legislature the temperance sentiment 1 in the state grew with wonderful 1 strides, and the legislature in passing 1 state prohibition bill responded | to the overwhelming will of the white people of the state.
 Since the legislature adjourned the 1 temperance sentiment has continued to grow, and l believe in the near future state prohibition law will drive the sale from Alabama, Tennessee and North and South Carolina and I hope to see Florida, Texas and oth southern states fall into line.
 "Where there are advantages in per hitting local vote upon this sub iect with the conviction that the local sentiment of the white voters in prac- tically every county Is against the
 sale. 1t is useless to leave this dis turbing question to harass the people longer in county elections. I consider if wise to adhere to the legislation whic hhas been passed, amending the bill perhaps in some particulars, as experience teaches, with which to make 1t more perfect.
 Out of Politics. "I say this in advance thus posi- lively because I trust to see the ques- | tion relegated from the politics of Georgia for years to come. and the way to relegate it Is to let those in terested in the sale understand how useless It will be for them to make 0 struggle for the sale
 ,"I wish only to add I consider that | the bill should be perfected by the friends of prohibition rather than by | It's opponents"
 Regarding the method of paying pen sons to Confederate veterans, the pay ments having been changed from an- nual to quarterly, the governor said: Under the constitution as 1t stands 1 with the present condition of the state 's