The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-01-30
DUTY ABOVE PERSONAL AMBi
TON.

Hoke Smith, governor OF Georgia,
has issued a statement saying he will
not be Il candidate to succeed Senator
Clay OF his state, but will run again
for the office he at present occupies.
AT first glance there appears nothing
very extraordinary in this announce
ment, but when it is considered in
comparison with the chief executive
of the largest state in the union who
lately announced himself as. candi-
date for president, subject to the re-
publican nomination, the action of
Georgia's governor appears in its best
light. Governor Smith, in stating that
he will run for the office of governor
again, says that he does SO because
the reform work of his administration
for which he is responsible is uncom-
pleted and he wishes to stick to it I'M
ell the end he set out for is accom-
plished.
Governor Hughes was elected a lit
tie over a year ago on d reform plat
form in New York and has proved a
faithful executive in the interests of
the people of his state. He has
proved to be practically an ideal gov
ernor. Cool, collected, a man of calm
judgment and exercising these quail
ties in administering his office. He
is not a CRATER nor will he have any
thing to do with grafters. When
politician approaches him and states
his mission in a whisper the governor
replies in a loud voice so that all may
hear Governor Smith of Georgia, en-
joys as equally good a reputation in
this respect as does Governor Hughes
Of New York. Governor Smith was
elected on a prohibition platform. He
was and still is the owner of the larg-
est hotel in Atlanta and his hotel had
about the finest bar in all the South
Yet his first act as soon as the prohi-
bition movement became all powerful,
was to abolish this feature of his ho-
tel and such was the confidence of the
people in his honesty OF purpose that
they elected him their governor and
entrusted to him the work of wiping
out the liquor business i'll the state.
The time has come now when Govern
or Smith could be made senator from
his state, but he will not accept it be-
cause he considers his duty to the
people who elected him, to aid in pur
flying the state paramount to his per-
sonal ambition to be United States
senator.
New York is state that is SO rotten
with graft that it is doubtful whether
a generation of honest and sincere re-
form governors could absolutely drive
the grafters from their lairs. And ev-
erytime the state has had a reform
governor the most strenuous efforts
have always been made to promote him
TO some higher place-outside of New
York state. For example, Theodore
Roosevelt Was a reform governor in
New York and the grafters' ring never
rested until it had promoted him to be
vice president, from whence. by a
trick of fate. he was further promoted
to be president of the country. And
now they are at the same old trick
with Governor Hughes. He has been
persuaded to announce his candidacy
for nominee for the presidency subject
to the republican nomination and if
he is the successful candidate it means
his removal from the seat of action in
New York. His work there is by no
means finished. Only recently he has
announced his determination to wipe
out the racing game in that state And
racing as it is carried on in New York
should be wiped out. Annually,
through the hookmakerS who swamp
every race course, thousands of men
are separated from their earnings and
many are lead to steal money which
they throw into the merciless NAV Of
the gamblers. One has only to visit
the state prisons in New York to real
lie how many men are being ruined by
the racing game. Yct this practice is
allowed 10 continue without any oppo-
stiou from the law. On the contrary
the legislature has repeatedly passed