The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-01-11
TAFT WILL FEAST ON GEORGIA 'POSSUMS Carload Will Arrive from Worth
 County Tonight SMITH AND PROHIBITION It Is Rumored That He May Declare Martial Law to Secure Enforce
 ment at savannah-Physi-
 clans Are Alarmed.
SMITH AND PROHIBITION

clans Are Alarmed.
 Atlanta, January 10.-(SpeeiaL)-A car load of Worth county 'possums will reach Atlanta Monday night to be served at the Chamber of Commerce banquet to President-elect Taft next Friday even ing.
 There will be, approximately, only 1oC 'possums in the car, but the Worth conn- ty 'possum hunters are determined they are going to get out of the occasion all there is in it, so they have chartered a special car which they will suitably decorate and inscribe, and a delegation headed by Judge Frank Park of Worth leader of that determined band, will &C., company the marsupals in order to see that they arrive in satisfactory shape.
 Among them is a 9O-pound monster. crosseyed and bobtailed-characteris which. 1t is said, increase many-fold the sweetness of the meat-which is being reserved particularly for the presidential palate, that Is as much of. him as the coming occupant of the White House feels he can comfortably put away
 Worth county, through Judge Park, when it was made known that the Chamber of Commerce wanted possums for the Taft dinner, entered into an agreement to furnish the entire 100 called for, and the latest reports from Worth are that the century mark has about been reached.
 Worth county took advantage of the opportunity to get little valuable ad- vertising out of the incident and is com ing to Atlanta with the 'possums, with flying colors and streamers that tell the story of their capture.
 The demand for 'possums has led to an open discussion as to the best way to prepare them and the best drink to serve with them, which has been occupying the public attention now for several days. Few are agreed upon the drink. but 'smmon beer seems to be the favor ite, while "noonshine'' and even cham pagne have their advocates.
 There Is a chance, however, that the entire 100 possums will not be needed for the occasion. The Chamber of Com merce has planned to have 600 guests at the Taft banquet, but the demand for tickets at $10 each is such as to indicate that the attendance will fall considerably short of that number The committee, in fact, is considerably disappointed at the slow response. Something like 100 outside guests from various parts of the south have been invited, and 1t is ex- pected that most of them will attend. But so far less than 200 tickets have been sold, and the s1o checks are not coming in with any great degree of rapidity.
 $1oo Pretty Steep.
 Many Atlantans think s10 too high a price to put upon a banquet plate, a fact which may even keep away some members of the Chamber of Commerce which is engineering the function. One prominent Atlanta man wrote the com mittee that he thought $10 too much !; that he preferred the Bryan q einncrs. and in any event he considered 5 would have been ample for the occasion. Never theless he sent his check for $1o because he thought he ought to do it as a mat ter of patriotism. The responses were so slow that the committee sent out a sec ond letter suggesting the purchase of plates. It may be that this will stir up more responses as soon as the members can make up their minds to part with the TO-
 In any event, however, the banquet will be well attended, and the occasion will be in every respect a memorable one. There is much interest In what the Pres ident-eect will likely say, a fact as to which no announcement has as yet been made. Many think that he will discuss the southern situation from his stand point very much as he did before the North Carolina socity in New York city
 Mr. Taft's decision not to address the negroes on the occasion of his visit tc Atlanta has been received in some quar- ters with qualification, in others with in difference. The negroes themselves were responsible for this action, 1t is con sidered, since they divided themselves into factions on the subject, and no mat ter what course the matter might have taken, 1t would have produced dissatis. faction among other clements. President Asa G. Candler of the Chamber of Com HlclCc was IatucT dHAlOub lflal MT. Tar should speak to the negroes, particular, i since the chamber had practically made them a promise to that effect Mir. Can dler thinks the reports as to their fac tional differences have been grossly ex aggerated But when negroes get mixed up with politics it is well known wha- strong factional feelings are engendered and the effort of the negro politician. here to run things their own way spoile, | the pudding.
 Smith and Prohibition. | All sorts of rumors and reports hay, l gained currency with regard to Governor Hoke Smiths intentions in connection with the alleged open violation of tn. state prohibition law in Savannah Tn, latest was that he had decided to declar. martial law as Governor Fort did in tn. case of Atlantic City N. J. The governo l himself pronounced this report as sen sational and unfounded. He declared h was not responsible for all the report ] invented by newspapers.
 1 That the governor isSpreparing to talk, | some step with a view to bring abou i obedience to the law apparent or real. il Chatham county, is unquestioned. Tn, i fact that he had Solicitor General Wal l ter Hartridge from Savannah here II consultation today Is evidence of tha fact Contrary to his usual custom At torney General John c. Hart did not g, | to his home in Greene county for Sat urday, but remained here to be presen ! at the conference between the governo and solicitor gneral.
 Just what will follow this conferenc, remains to be seen. but it may be stated l with practical certainty that there will be no such thing as martial law or ever the calling out of troops. Prominent Ia " yers here who have looked into the mat