The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-10-05
STATE ELECTION FULL OF INTEREST Independent Candidate Is New
 Factor In Georgia
  SOME VOTERS WILL BOLT Democratic Candidate Is Not Afraid of Result, But There Are Many
 Voters Who Will Not Sup
 port the Ticket.


 state election, which takes place next Wednesday, is arousing more than the | ordinary amount of interest this year, owing to the fact that for the first time in 10 or 12 years the regular dem ocratic nominee for governor has in depnedent opposition.
 Independentism has not shown it's 1 feated Hon. Seaborn Wright, who ran on the populist and prohibition plat form 12 years ago. This time disaf- l lection in the democratic ranks as the result of unusually bitter partisanship, i seemed to offer encouragement to in- depedentism and as result Joseph M. ] Brown, the white primary nominee, is opposed by w. Yancey Carter of Hart 1 county, who was brought into the race ostensibly by the Hearst-H -Hisgen- Graves ! independence organization.
 l As a general thing, there being no l opposition in the regular election, the vote is light. In the coming election, however, an exceptionally heavy vote is looked for, though 1t will hardly
 
 primary, when 210,000 yates were cast. That some of the disaffected element which sought to renominate Gov. Hoke ] Smith, will bolt to Carter is not ques- i tioned, despite the fact that Governor Smith himself has announced that he will stand firmly by the primary and ] vote for Joseph M. Brown. Estimates af con sarva five no1itieiapa o,iva Ca rt a r. not more than 25 900 votes In the en- tire state, and there are those who pretend to believe that since the re- cent split between the state and na- tional ends of the independence party his vote will be Considerably less than that
 i. likewise it is the genral belief that the nominee, MT. Brown, will get from 75,oOO to 100000 votes, out of an an ticipated total of 100000 to 125,o00 votes that will be cast. These are con- servative estimates based upon reports from many sections of the state, in few of which are there any indications that the independence candidate has made any material inroads upon the nominee. In fact there seems to be more of the disa ffection that will lead to bolting of the primary right here in Atlanta and in a few of the coun- ties round about, than anywhere else 1 in the state.
 l Partisan Brown men will not con- cede that Carter will get more than 1o,- 900 votes at the outside, while Carter's l following of course, to keep their spirits up, are making extravagant claims of carrying the state.
 The only contest in next wednes- days election is that for commissioner of pensions, for which no nomination l was made in the state primary for the reason that the law providing for popu- lar election was passed after the pri- mary had been held As a consequence there are eight or 10 candidates in the field, the most prominent among them being the present commissioner, John w. Lindsey Hon. w. A. Buchannon of Early and Hon. W. W. Wilson of Gwin- nett, members of the legislature; Hon. T. J. Lumpkin of Dade and Col. A. J. Mcbride of Atlanta. All of these are Confederate veterans, and 1t seems to be the general feeling that the office should go to veteran.
 An interesting question has arisen in connection with this contest. The law under which the office was made elective by the people instead of ap- pointive by the governor, states that the commissioner of pensions shall De elected in the same manner as governor and the other state house officers. The constitution requires that these must receive majority of the vote cast in the regular election. It Is manifestly apparent that with eight or more can didates In the race, no one of them can expect to get majority. In the ab- sence of majority vote for any of the candidates 1t looks now as if the election would be thrown into the legis- lature, and that the next general as- sembly would have to name that of ficial. In such event Commissioner Lindsey would serve until his successor is chosen and qualified.
 What is perhaps of most widespread interest in connection with the general election is that the people of Georgia will pass upon the disfranch isement amendment to the state constitution. It is the general belief that this amend iileul VIII pS Idlfllcu thought uD doubtedly large vote will be cast against it. This vote will come partly from the heavy registration of negroes which has been in progress this year all over the state, and partly from op- position to it among a certain white element, more particularly the repub : licans who are likewise strongly regis tered. Then there will be opposed to | it a small element of the democratic vote which fought disfranch isement l when it was first proposed.
 And yet it is not considered that this combined vote will amount to anything l like sufficient to prevent the ratifica- tion of the amendment for which pur- pose only majority of the vote cast | is required
 Georgia will be one of the last of the states with large negro population to adopt the disfranchisement law. Un- der an amendment to the act adopted at the recent session of the legislature, if ratified, 1t will not go into effect until January l, next thus giving all voters registered during the current year the opportunity of voting in the national election without the necessity of having to register again under the new law.
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