Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-11-23
SURPRISES IN GEORGIA VOTE
DEMOCRATIC PLURALITY IS RE-
DUcED TO 10000.
Independent Ticket Failed to Run as
Well as Was Expected-Watson's
Poor Showing.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
ATLANTA, Ga, November 23.-The eX-
ecutive force in the Office of Gov. Hoke
Smith today finished the work OF con-
solidating the election returns Tor Presl-
dent and representatives. Under the law
the governor is required to declare the
result of the election on the twentieth
day after the election is held The re-
suit of the recent elction in Georgia. as
compared with the election of four years
ago, makes very interesting reading.
In the election of 1901 Judge Parker
(democraD, received S3,472 votes. Presl-
dent Roosevelt received 24oo3 and Watson
populisD, 22,6S5. thus giving the demo-
cratic candidate plurality of 59,469.
In the election held the I'd instant Bryan
received ~ 4S votes; Taft, Al COB: Watson
popTlisD. 1870: Hisgen independent,
n: Debs Socialist }, JS4, and the prohibl-
ton candidate, LOSS. giving Bryan plu-
ralty of 5o,I45. Hence it will be seen
that the democratic plurality of 59.469, in
1904 was reduced to 0.44o in 1908.
The spall vote received by the indie
pendent ticket was d surprise and dlsap-
pointment TO many. in view of the fact
that the candidate for Vice President,
John Temple Graves, is a native of this
state, and only left here about "A year
ago for New York TO accept position
on the editorial staff of one of the New
York dailies.
notwithstanding the fact that Mr.. Wat
son, the populist candidate, did practical
~ all the campaigning in the state of
Georgia., his vote dwindled from ESQ.
in 1904, to 16.3U1, in 1908. Mr.. Watson
impassioned appeal to his fellow citizens
to compliment him with the electoral
vote of his home state. promising to de-
liver his votes to Mr.. Bryan. If he needed
them, although it was not clearly shown
how this was to be accomplished.
Republican Vote an Astonisher.
The surprise of the campaign was the
large increase in the republican vote,
jumping from 24,O0}, in 1901. to 41,603
in 1908. In the election of 1904 ten coun-
ties in the northeast section of the state
gave pluralities for President Roosevelt.
In 1908 twenty mine counties in various
sections of the state gave very SubStan-
tiol pluralitieS to Judge Taft.
OF the thirteen counties in the seventh
congressional district nine of them gave
large pluralities for the republican ticket.
The democratic vote in this district was
6.929. against 1871 for the republicans,
giving the republican ticket plurality of
500. The democratic candidate for con-
gress had no opposition.
In the ninth congressional district there
are eighteen counties. Ten of them went
republican and eight democratic. the re-
publican plurality of the district being
$40 The democratic candidate for con-
gress in the district had no opposition.
The large republican gains is believed
by many to be the result of the recent
amendment to the constitution of Georgia
DISTINGUISHING the negro vote. While the
law WAS imperative i'll the recent cleo
ton, and quite number of negroes
voted, it is nevertheless true that a great
many southern white men, who have
heretofore voted the democratic ticket, in
order to preserve white supremacy, voted
the republican ticket this year, knowing
that the negro would hereafter be elm
mated from politics in Georgia.
In view of the fact that no campaign
was made by the republicans in Georgia,
no speeches made and no literature dis
tributed, the result is remarka BILE. 1t is
freely predicted by many that with the
negroes eliminated from politics, the re-
publicans will get many recruits from the
democratic ranks and it will not be at
all surprising if within the next few years
several of the congressional districts in
this state are represented by republicans
and Georgia be classed among the doubt
full states.