The Washington herald., 1908-05-31
By JAMES II. NEVIN.


and say something like this: beg par
don. but would you mind Indicating q
preference in the gubernatorial campaign,
Just say whether you are for Hoke OF
Joe?"
That man is taking straw ballot. "
and he doesn't care a copper cent wheth.
er you hall from Cincinnati or Kalama-
zoo; he doesn't care whether YOU are
registered or not. He wants a result that
VIII show a preference for his candi-
date.
IL ne gets H. he VIII probably send Il 60
one Of the big State papers. TO be used
as campaign thunder: if lie doesn't get
IT, II probably never will be heard of
again. Before you have traversed the
state you VIII, perhaps vote a dozen
times for one or the other OF these inter-
esting candidates. You VIII become a
shameless repeater" Everybody votes
early and often" down here. when It
comes to these straw ballots"
The cracker State" has gone plum
dany' on the subject Of Hoke Smith and
Joe Brown. Families are at odds about
IL; churches are spit in twain because
OF II Prohibitionists can't agree; anti
prohlbitionists probably can. but won't
The farmers do not want 10 talk any
thing else; the merchants don't get a
real good chance 10. And. with ali that
IL IS an almost issueless campaign. The
rival aspirants are right together on
everything but personalities. 1t isn't
booze VS.. anti-bOoze;" IL isn't negro dis
1ranchisement VS.. negro enfranchisement:
II isn't anything but Hoke Smith vs. Joe
Brown.
HOke's Back to WnII.
The governor. Hoke Smith. is fighting
with his back to the wall: he is hard
pressed; defeat stares him In the face.
Sdunt and grim looms the specter Of re-
pudiation- Two years ago Mr.. Smith was
swept into the governors office by a tidal
wave of popularity unparalleled in the
Empire State OF the South. Pitted I'm a
Democratic primary election against i've
candidates-tive Of the strongest and most
powerful men in Georgia-he crushed
them like toadstools: won over all OF
them combined by 5000 votes: captured
nearly every county IN the State. His in
nuguration was a positive jubilee His
admirers thought him invincible; his op-
ponents were awed into silence: they
were ashamed and felt ridiculous more
over
The change that has come over Geor-
gia's dream between this date and that
Inauguration is one Of the most remark
able things ever noted In Southern poll
ucs as mecurial as that is upon occa-
slons. Mr.. Smith waged an aggressive
anti-raiiroad campaign I'm 1906: he out
Comered Conner OF Alabama, and he out
Glenned Glenn Of North Carolina. Tom
Watson backed him UP. and the POPS
10 n man. as they always do In Georgia
at Mr.. Watson's bugle call rallied TO the
man Of Watson's choice. The octopus was
prodded from early morn 70 dewey eve:
everybody was strictly "agin the gov
eminent The Hon. HOkes band wagon
was really regular circus parade: the
opposition was something IN the way Of
an exhibition worse TO behold than the
average circus concert" When II was
all over including the shouting. Georgia
was thought TO be locked securely I'm q
strong box, or a padded Cell-opinlons in
some localities direred-and the Hon
Hoke was believed 10 hold fee simple title
10 the keys.
But-the Inevitable "but"-for mo-
ment he lost his head He hates Joe
Brown, ex-railroad commissioner with a
hatred that makes the devils love for
holy water read Ike Damon and Pythias
affair
Brown Thinks IL n Joke.
- Brown refused to take the governor seri- !
ously; he ridicued his alleged reform"
ideas; he wrote cards for the newspapers
during Mr. Smiths campaign that made
that latter gentleman extremely sore |
After the new administration got down |
10 business. the governor found he |
couldn't sleep at nights for thinking of |
Joe Brown, and Brown still on his rail- /
road commissioners job; so the governor |
sat down one morning and wrote q curt
card to Brown dlsmissing him from his /
Job. without assigning any reason: and ]
Brown had to get out. In disgrace. within |
SIX weeks Of the expiration Of his term /
by time limitation.
Right here is where the governors 4
troubles began. This summary action l
started growl that has developed into /
a roar that shakes the tall timbers from 1
Rabun Gap to Tybee Light-as they say I
IN Georgia when Sthey want TO be espe-
clally emphatic. Since that fateful day. |
things have been happening In rapid-hre /
order Tom Watson got mad. and bucked |
absolutely out of the Smith lineup; this
meant the desertion Of the entire Popu-
list strength-25.0O0 votes. il not more. |
Then the business panic came. and clear
ing-house certificates. OF course, the Hon.
Hoke couldn't help that. He would have
done so, II Il had been within his power.
but It wasn't. II would have bappened
Just the same had Clark Howell been I'm
lhe governors Office But that didn't
make any difference. Hoke was blamed
Ior H. up one side and down the other
livery time number of Georgians saw
clearinghouse certificate last autumn
they retired to the woodshed TO prav first
ana TO cuss Hoke afterward Pretty soon
the bottom dropped out Of the cotton
market. Hoke did It. There Is no use
70 deny II IN Georgia: Il was Hoke who
puSteu thc cotton market. Il raIned
.oo nluch IN the early spring, and It
hasn't rained enough during the Iat+er
part That was Hoke's fault Ho vas
believed to be in league with the E,edaraI
weather sharps for the purpose OF doing
something awful to Georgia 1-bor tho
Hon. Hoke went TO Europe and hoostad
foreign immigration to beat the bsnd
The farmers found that Of all things tbe,,
didn't want immigration was "Fx.
nibit A"
Brown Sees Drift.
Joe Brown saw the drift Of things
Revenge seemed at hand II u,o,,Ia
have been less than human 10 exneot
him TO turn It down. He announced for
the governorship. aud he viii probably
be nominated II he isn't. Il is certain
that he VIII cut Mr.. Smiths former vote I
well-nlght in half. The Pops" are for
Brown solldly; the conservative bust
ness men. who never were for Smith
are backing Brown to a finish Erst. I
while radicals, tired OF too much re ]
fawn," as it has been disgustedly
dubbed, are roofing for Brown. Fulton