Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-05-12
GEORC|A'S HOT FIGHT
Most Exciting Campaign Since
the Civil War.
PROHIBITION THE ISSUE
Vigorous Attempt Being Made to
Repeal the Law.
SMITH WOULD VETO SUCH ACT
Little Joe" Brown Supported by
Those Who Are Opposed to Pres
emit Conditions in the State.
PROHIBITION THE ISSUE
SMITH WOULD VETO SUCH ACT
BY WILLIAM Z. CURTIS.


Special Correspondence of The Star and the
Chicago Recordl!ersld.
NEW YORK May 10. 1905.
Georgia people tell NE that the political
campaign now on in that state is the
most exciting il he's experienced since
the civil war, and the fight is chiefly
over prohibition. Several issues. such as
railroad regulation and the disenfran-
chisement OF the negro. are involved. but
have been almost entirely lost sight of in
the more absorbing dispute as to the
success of and practicability of the law
that was passed last summer by the leg
islature abolshing the liquor traffic a
vigorous attempt is being made TO secure
its repeal or its amendment and many
people of good judgment are supporting
that side Of the question because they
are, convinced that it is a failure and
is doing more harm than good. The ques-
tiers in dispute will he decided at the
democratic primaries. open only 10 white
men. the 9Th of June next.
The leaders of the two factions. for
the struggle is entirely within the demo-
cratic party and involves only local
issues. are Gov. Hoke Smith. formerly
Secretary of the Interior in the Cleve-
land administration. and Little joe
Brown, p son of odd ice Brown the
great war governor" of Georgia and
for many years afterward United States
senator from that state
Brown Dismissed by Smith.
Little joe Brown was a member Of the
state railway commission at the time
Hoke Smith was inaugurated governor.
and the first official act of the latter after
taking the oath of Office was TO dismiss
him without assigning any reason or CIV
ing him an opportunity to be heard. Those
familiar with personal politics in the state
however. understood Gov. Smiths motive
any many OF his friends considered the
act unwise or at least impolitic because
he needed all the support he could get to
carry out his plans and policies for the
betterment of the state, and although
Brown is not a man of unusual ability, he
has q considerable following.
Gov. Smith was originally opposed to
prohibition. and advocated local option by
counties during the campaign which pre-
ceded his election as governor. But when
the legislature passed the prohibition law
he signed it promptly and has taken
vigorous measures for its enforcement,
although. as 1 told you in a recent letter
from Atlanta he sacrificed a yearly in
come of about $4,000. which he was re-
ceiving as his share of the profits from
the bar of the Piedmont Hotel, owned
by himself and two associates. There is
no doubt that Gov. Smith has enforced
the prohibition law conscientiously. al
though he is not a believer in the theory
on which it is based. And he declares
himself a candidate for reelection as
governor a prohibitionist. He also adj
vocates the disenfranchsement Of the ne
groes by the adoption OF a constitutional
amendment establishing a property and
educatio qualification for suffrage.
The third plank IN his platform is ra-
tional railway regulation and square
deal to both the corporations and their
patrons. which has been the policy adopt
ed by his railway commission.
Brown Announces His Position.
Brown declared himself a candidate for
governor shortly after his removal from
the railway commission. and began a
quiet ''gum-shoe" campaign. with his
headquarters in Atlanta. He rarely ap-
pears in public. has made no speeches,
because he is not an orator. and is de-
pending upon the activity of his friends
throughout the state and the enemies of
Gov. Smith. Early in the campaign he
announced his position on the temperance
question. as follows
Il am unalterably opposed to the sa-
Icon, and no act of mine either person
ally or officially will approve its re-es-
tablishment in the state of Georgia. 1
shall favor the strict enforcement of the
present prohibition law and any amend
ment that may be passed by the general
assembly al the next session respecting
it, The will of the people should be su-
preme. Therefore. if it be their will that
the present law stand as il is, It must
stand. If it he their will that it be
amended they will elect a general as
conscientiously. intelligently and deliber-
ately determined. is the highest law. 1
will SO recognize and obey it,"
In his proclamation Mr.. Brown slams
into Hoke Smith in most vigorous man
ner. accusing him of fnsincerity and of
advocating prohibition as a means of get
ting office. He says that the prohibition
question is more important to the peo-
pie of Georgia than the promotion of any
individual to office. and no candidate for
governor should be permitted. by swift
and unseemly shifting from one side to
the other as often as he deems it eXpe-
dent. to use it as a hobby-horse to serve
his political purposes
The important point in Browns s:ate-
ment is that he will accept an amendmen.
to the prohibition law if the people elect
a legislature that will pass one. II
means also that he will sign a bill to
repeal the law IL it comes to him as COVER
nor.
Although Brown accuses Smith of in
sincerity, the latter declares boldly In his
pla tform that he will not do any such
thing He says: Il am opposed to the
repeal of the prohibition law. will veto
any legislation changing that law except
to perfect it as a prohibition measure and
that must be done by the friends of pro-
hibitiCn.'
Brown has ignored the race question
and the constitutional amendment depriv-
ing the negro of his vote, and has aban-
doned the railway question, forcing the
issue on the repeal or modification of the
prohibition law And the battle grows
fiercer and hotter every day. Gov. Smith
is making the fight Of his life. He is can
wasting the state. speaking several times
every day, and getting down as closely "a
he can to the people But the betting is
even that Brown will win. In the south
ern part of the state and i'm the agricul-
tural sections. where Smith has been and
ought to be the strongest, Brown is said
to be making gains.
Fewer Arrests Made.
In the meantime. the prohibition law is
being enforced as strictly as possible No
saloons exist in the state: blind tigers are
suppressed fast as discovered and
those who violate the law are severely
punished. This keeps whisky out of the
reach of the working classes generally.
particularly the negroes. and that was
the original object of the legislati ton. The