Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1909-10-20
GAN SMITH RUN
MURPHY GAMBLER,
Latter's Railroad Record
Said TO Exchanging.

AlldHld, Gd.s OCJ' IJ.-Cdn murphy
Gambler under any circumstances be
the Hoke Smith andidate for gov
ernor next year? That is a question
which Mr.. Gambler, in all probability
decided for himself some weeks ago,
and it is question upon which the
people themselves have seen a new
light since the decision of the railroad
commission in the Georgia railroad
passenger rate case a short time ago.
Shrewd ones are reading that,
| among the specifications given by
| former Gov Smith in his message
sent to the legislature. explaining his
reasons for suspending Chairman Nc
| Tendon, was the following;
His (Mr McLendon's) conduct has
4 indicated clearly desire to increase
the passenger rates on the Georgia
railroad, although such an increase is
unnecessary for the purpose of giving
reasonable compensation and profits
to this company, and would be unjust
to the travelling public"
Now, Mr. Gambler voted for the in
crease which the ex-governor thought
a mere inclination towards was suffi-
cient reason to fire one commissioner.
So did Judge George Hillyer. And
the remarkable fact about it all is that
both of these commissioners were
supposedly of the Hoke Smith school
in politics." and one of them, Mr.
Gambler, was the former commission
ers appointee.
The question is being freely asked
what would Mr.. Smith have done when
this decision was reached, had he
been still governor. Would he have
repudiated the rest of my railroad
commission" and have thrown out
Mr.. Gambler and Judge Hillyer, as he
did Mr.. McLendon? Could he have
consistently done otherwise after cit
ing as one of his reasons for dismiss
ing the last named commissioner that
his conduct indicated a desire to in
crease passenger rates on the Georgia
iroad"
L So, If any doubt had remained as to
the possibility of Mr. Gamblers be-
coming a candidate next year, it has
undoubtedly been eliminated by the
commissioner vote on this rate ques-
ton
If not Mr. Gambler, who will be
: the Smith candidate? No volunteers
have appeared and those whom the
ex-governor sought to enlist have re-
fused to be drafted. 1t is not believed
, that Treasurer Pope Brown, Judge w
, | A. Covington, of Moultrie, or Hooper
alexander. would consent to accept
the Smith handicap and run the chanc-
5 es of race against Gov. Browns grow
l ing popular strength.
So, the idea is becoming more and
more prevalent that, if there is to be q
Smith candidate for governor next
d year, he will be no other than the re-
cent governor himself Mr.. Smith has
positively denied the report that he
would enter the congressional race in
his district next year, declaring that
bunder no circumstances, could he be
induced to run 1t is known how
hot OF Anln0atiNr of HE
followers in the district called on hin
some time ago in an effort to get him
to run. He took the matter under adj
Ivisement but he reached the conclus-
ion that he would not enter the race
Il He has never said that he would
| not be candidate for governor, how
ever. On the other hand he is known
to have said some time ago that, il
III Gov. Brown entered the race mex
Vyear, he would run also; and he is re-
ported to have repeated the same
statement recently in conversation
with a friend.
The truth of the matter probably is
Il tnat ne mas not maze up MS mlnd ye'
= what he will do. He is waiting more
! n or less impatiently to see what chance
, there may be Of changing the direc-
ton in the current of popular senti-
l ment. which is becoming almost q
I gale, before taking upon himself the
; fatal risk of second defeat.
n Personally, he does not care to be
Il governor. He would much rather be
United States senator. But he never
forgets or forgives, and he would be
willing to do anything to compass the
defeat of the Brown administration.