Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1908-05-23
I'm Whose Hands is Prohibition Safe


"In Whose Hands is Prohibition Safe"
Some Georgia friends have asked
me about the issues of the campaign
adj the candidates. They know that
for nearly fifty years-since 1911
have stood unflinchingly for prohibi-
tiOnf Before conventions and confer
ences. in associations and churches,
nj academies and colleges. on the
platform and in the open air-eyery-
where and al all times, consistently
and continually, have ceased not TO
urge and speak and pray for prohibi-
ton. Now that we al last have state
vile u"ohibirion in Georgia. l am
asked if the cause is safe in the hands
OF Mr. Hoke Smith?
No. not unless his (Hoke Smith's)
hands are tied his pockets sewed up.
his mouth sealed and his feet spiked
down with forty penny nails You
ask me why and how do / come to
this conclusion? Because ne tHoke
SMITH has no fixed principles and no
well-settled policies. His record shows
that he has been on all sides of every
political question for the last twenty
years. Given the OPPORTUNITY and
the INDICTMENT he viii take any
id- Of any question
TO the record: The opportunity
came, the inducement was set before
him and he (Hoke Smith swallowed
the Alliance. sub-treasury plan'-a
foot wide, a yard long and all heart.
and in less than year wlen the in
ducement came ne vomited ii up. spit
Il into wood and wore the Alliance
into a fragile with the sticks.
OPPORTUNITY and INDUCE
MENT,
To the record: In 1885, he (Hoke
Smith stood for local option in Full
ton county. The measure carried
OPPORTUNITY and INDICTMENT
came in 1886, and he went before the
Supreme Court Of the State and urged
and argued for a decision declaring
local option unconstitutional
OPPORTUNITY and INDUCE
MENT came in 1887 and he (Hoke
SMITH contributed to the whiskev
campaign fund and brought the open
saloon back into Fulton county
TO the record: In the campaign
two years ago he started out to 'casti-
gate railroads and corporations; he
did not go far before he stood up in
his stripes and urged that the state
'cOnfscate' the railroads; a mile
further on the way and with the voice
OF megaphOne he cries out 'Domes-
ticate; and before the echoes of that
cry have died out he roars with all his
might, we must regulate four widely
different positions in as many
months
OPPORTUNITY and INDUCE
MINT v1~ocTO ri
ITO the record: In the opening of
the campaign two years ago, he tHoke
SMITH swallowed 'Populism' as ad-
ministered by Hon Tom Watson. It
| was sweet morsel and about as good
| as anything he ever had in his polit-
/ zeal stomach. He (Hoke Smith left
/ the table and took the stump as a
| Peoples Party Champion When the
nomination was over he appeared at
| the Macon convention as a full-fedg-
| ed, rock-ribbed Democrat 1t was not
| long before Populism soured in his
| stomach and everybody knows how he
| vomited and when he had relieved
| himself of these painful wrenchings
/ he wiped his mouth and bathed his
/ face and forgot all about Democracy
/ and began to play the role of Gar
crushed out the country counties and
/ proclaimed himself the Dictator of the
! Realm.
OPPORTUNITY and INDUCE
MENT and having no fixed principles
| and no well-settled policies he drifted
with the winds
TO the record: The legislature
] met. He (Hoke SMITH had a license
to sell whiskey in his pocket. so tc
speak, from the United States govern.
| ment, from the State of Georgia, from
| the county of Fulton and the city Of
| Atlanta, a four-fold document. He
| Choke SMITH had one open saloon in
/ the Piedmont Hotel. He (Hoke Smith
had local option on his lips in his in.
| augural and on the point of his per
he had Statewide prohibition. II
there is any other side to this question
and he has OPPORTUNITY AND IN.
! DUCEMENT he will find that before
the legislature meets again-indeed
in the matter of the light wines ana
beer for other States, he has nearl,
found his fifth position.
To the record On the 31st dav NJ
december, 1907, near - o'clock al
night, he CHoke Smith gives his last
lingering conyulsive hug to the Gal in
/ the Fountain rakes in his share 81
/ the shekels from the till of the saloon
/ steps out, wipes his mouth and brow
and with megaphone that might be
heard from Nickajack Cave to Tybee
/ Sound, he yells. / am a prohibition
/ ist.' What marvel, He was q
prohibitionist as every voter in Geor-
/ gia was prOhibitionist, not by
/ grace, nor by conscience, nor by con-
viction, but by law, prohibitionist
because the INDICTMENT to be one
was stronger and more profitable than
to be a saloonist Not to be a prohi-
/ bitionist in Georgia now is to be
an anarchist or an outlaw.
Opportunity and inducement. He
waits their coming as he has done
on all previous occasions. If you put
prohibition in his (Hoke Smith's)
charge, tie both hands. sew nm his