The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1908-09-28
jim WOODWARD IS
TO Be REAL MAYOR
Recent Election In Atlanta
Shows His Strength
VICTORIOUS in PRIMARY
Opponents of Woodward Thought They
Could Beat Him by Means of
Primary Vote, But Friends
FIocked to Him.

Atlanta, September Zh-Nopecl8i'' ~
| lantas municipal primary on THURSDAY
was about as listless and unenthusiastic
an election as if justice of the peace had
seen the only office at stake.
The result of the race for mayor was
! practically a foregone conclusion, and
though there was the usual amount OF
campaign mudslnging and epithet hurl-
ing the people simply refused 10 DC
aroused by 1t. Only 60 per cent OF the
registered vote was cast, which is I'M
usually small for Atlanta; the vote gem
erallv runs to rs or 80 per cent of those
registered.
IT was admitted that the change IN
| the primary rules requiring a majority
| vote to nominate, was aimed at James
| q. woodward and it but served to fire
! Mr.. woodward and his friends. He SAID
he was going to be mayor In spite Oh
! It, So far as the primary is concerned
| he made good his word and has come out
of 1t with 426 majority over two oppo-
nents. one of whom was supported by the
so-called Good Government league ana
without the necessity of going into the
second primary that had been dished up
for him.
But the selection of Mr. Woodward as
the next mayor is not worrying any con-
siderable number of Atlantans OUTSIDE ol
a few prohibition enthusiasts, who do
not like some of Mr.. Woodward one
time personal habits and were fearful OF
his reported liberality toward the beer
and whisky business But Mr.. woodward
has nromised to insist on observance or
the state prohibition law, and the peo-
pie will look to him to make good.
There is no doubt about the ract tnat
in both of his former Administrations
Jim, Woodward did things; his admin
istrations were businesslSe, honest and
progressive There Is no shadow upon ms
official life, and many have forgiven MIN
his personal indiscretions when ne mas
not recently repeated.
It is generally believed that Mr. Wood
ward will give the city good admin
istration.
As for other results In the primary they
were of minor Importance. There We're
no real issues among any of the canol-
dates. and the only issue that presented
itself was one submitted directly to the
vote of the people-the question as TO
whether certain city offices, such as
heads of departments, should be elective
nv the people or whether these officials
should continue to be chosen by the city
council as is now done. The average ma
jority in favor of future election by the
people was about $500 But this Is simply
an expression of the public view 1t Is
said it is not in any sense oinolng on
the city council, and the change IN the
method of election need not, necessarily,
be made.
But such an overwhelming expression
of public opinion on the subject can
scarcely be ignored. This is the second
time the people have rendered an ex-
preston in primary elections in favor of
popular election of the departmental Of
ficials, and 1t is quite probable now that
the necessary charter amendment will be
secured.
The formal city election will take place
in December and the new mayor and
council will go into office the first Mon
day in January.
In some way or other certain class
of persons who lend money at exorbitant
rates of interest have gotten hold on
the idea that law passed at the recent
session of the general assembly legaliZes
the charging of per cent month In
terest, Some of them, it appears, have
gone so far as demanding 1t as legal
right whereas the law in question means
no such thing
The legislature a couple of months ago
passed a law of which Representative
Pratt Adams of Chatham was the author
making it misdemeanor with punish
ment limit of $1,000 fine and u months In
the cnain gang, or both, to charge a
higher rate of interest than per cent
month That is all there was to it, and
the laws against usury are in no-wise
affected by 1t.
The bill in question was designed to
hold down to a reasonable limit the class
of money lenders who have been in the
habit of charging sometimes as high as
300 to 500 per cent a year, but per cent
a month, under the Georgia law is still
usury as 1t has always been, and cannot
be collected In court.
The legal rate of interest in Georgia
is still per cent, with contract rate
of per cent, and anything above that
is usury. But the money lender may
charge as high as per cent month
and take his chances on collecting it.
He cannot ask more than that rate for II
he does he is subject to fine and impris-
onment. But the law itself does not up
hold him in charging that rate only to
the extent of saying that as long as he
does not go above it he may keep out of
the chaingang.