The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1906-2016, 1910-11-16
SPECIAL ELECTION MAY BE
CALLED TO NAME SENATOR
cLAY's SUCCESSOR. &.
Generally Conceded that Former
Gov. Terrell Will BE Appointed to
Serve Until Legislature Meets.
May Be Fight for Place.

Atlanta, Nov. 15.-Senatorial sue
cession talk now holds Georgia.
Everywhere the political wiseacres
are specializing on who will be the
new junior senator from Georgia to
succeed the late Senator Clay.
The interim appointment to bold
until the legislature meets next sum.
mer and chooses a successor, is In
the hands of Gov. Brown. While
no intimation has been given out.
and no statement whatever will be
made by any of those involved, it
is generally conceded that the honor
will go. to former Gov. Joseph M.
Terrell
AS the real power behind the cam
paigns of Gov. Brown, and because
of his distinguished service to the
state as attorney general and for flve
years as governor, 1t was UNIVERSAL
ly conceded that he was the logical
man on whom the choice OF Gov.
Brown would fall Indeed, his name
Is the only one seriously discussed
In this connection. M
Term Expires In t9tB.
The term for which Senator Clay
was elected--his third term would
have expired on March 8, 1915. He
had served 20 months Of e six-year
term, having taken part In the tar
iff session and the first regular ses-
sion of the 61st congress-. @
Under the law, Gov. Brown has
the power of filling the Office until
the next session of the legislature
meets and elects successor for
the unexpired term. Gov. Browns APP;
pointee will. therefore. represent tie
state in the next session of congress,
which meets the first Monday in De-
cember and adjourns on March 4.
The newly-elected legislature will
not meet until the fourth Wednesday
of June. next, 1t will organize and
on the second Tuesday after It con-
venes will. in joint session, tailot
for United States senator. There
are 225 votes on joint ballot and
1t will require 113 to elect.
Special Primary May Be Called.
A most interesting suggestion in
bhis connection is the possibility Of
a SPECIAL election being called by the
state executive committee to give
the voters an opportunity to express
their preference. If this Is done, the
election would practically be taken
out of the hands of the legislature
and put up to the people, and all the
legislature would be called upon to
do would he to ratify the expression
of the peoples will. Georgia was
the first southern state and one of
the first in the Union to adopt this
method of selecting United States
senators.
In this connection 1t fs subject
Of lively conjecture as to whether or
not Governor-elect Smith would be
candidate for the senate in the
primary, and, If successful, would
'aecline election az governor In his
former races he frankly told the
voters that he did not desire the Of
flee Of governor, but ran in response
to appeals made to him from over
the state. He made no conceal.
ment of tle fact that he did earnest
ly desire to go to the United States
senate.
The law makes no specific provf.
sion for the succession to the COVER.
norship in the event the person elect.
qualify. Such a contingency does
not seem to have occurred to the
trainers of the constitution.
When the legislature meets next
summer it will open and publish. the
returns of the recent state election.
and declare Hoke Smith the new
governor. Then IL Mr.. Smith should
resign, the president of the senate
will succeed to the Office. 1t seems
settled beyond a reasonable doubt
that John NJ. Slaton, Of Fulton
county, will be the next president OF
the senate.
OF course, if primary for the
nomination of a United States senar
tor to succeed Mr.. Clay should be-
held in the meantime, and Gov.
Browns appointee for the interim.
who will undoubtedly be Mr.. Terrell,
or If Mr.. Smith secured majority
of the votes in that contest, his cleo
tion would be formally ratified By
the general assembly. va
Whatever the method OF selecting
a senator for the term OF Senator
Clay remaining after next June, I,
's considered certain that Gov
Browns appointee win be a candi
date, and there is a strong feeitnl
that Mr. Smith will be- ,As