Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1910-07-08
ANOTHER VIEW OF THE GttBER.
SENATORIAL RACE.
augusta Chronicle.)

The Chronicle prints communica-
ton today bearing on the present
guber-senatorial race in Georgia that
has meat" in it. The Chronicle has
known, all along, that Hoke Smith is,
in reality, running for a United States
senatorship this time, and not for the
goyernorship; that he has, really, very
little hope of being elected governor of
Georgia again, but that he does ''hope"
to help elect legislature that will, in
turn, put Hoke Smith in the United
States senate.
The Chronicle went fully into this
phase of the situation in an editorial
last Sunday, and, from the many pri-
vate communications received ON the
subject, we have reason to believe that
many OF our readers see the scheme as
we see it. They realize, as we do, that
Hoke Smith doesn't really want to be
governor of Georgia again, and. that he
has little expectation of being elected
and they know that he isn't running
for governor, or doing anything from
a purely patriotic motive, as he claims.
They see, as we do, that his sole am
bition is to go to the United States
senate; that he knows he could never
hope to be appointed to the position
by the present governor-or any gov
ernor that has ever served Georgia
since the war, as for that matter-and
that his sole reliance, therefore, is in
a legislature pledged to him and his
principles" Hence, he went into the
race this time to help elect the 1911-12
legislature, and not to elect himself
governor. For it was clear that two
thirds of the Hoke Smith legislative
candidates were hopelessly defeated
in the coming primary-unless Hoke
Smith jumped into the fight and rail-
| lied the forces. This was absolutely
demonstrated by the fact that Our
principles" for which the people were
supposed to be clamoring, hardly re-
ceived more than passing attention
| when championed by even SO good a
Hoke Smith man as H. H. Perry, ersJ-
while candidate for governor on a
platform embodying "our principles
SO it was clearly demonstrated that
Hoke Smith had to throw himself into
the fight to save his legislative candi-
dates-and, thereby, his own senator
ial ambition
But there was another feature to
this gubernatorial race which we
overlooked-the possibility, or even
| probability, of Senator Clay resigning
his seat, on account of ill-health, in
orded that the next legislature may
elect Hoke Smith to the United States
senate in his place.
A correspondent, whose communica-
ton is printed elsewhere on this page,
brings this suggestion forward in a
very pertinent and convincing way.
He, evidently, knows something about
the ms and outs of Georgia politics
and he knows of the close political re-
lationship existing between Senator
Clay and Hoke Smith He knows, too,
that Mr.. Smith would rather avoid a
contest with Senator Bacon, if pos
sible, both for personal reasons and
the strong probability that it would
end disastrously for Hoke Smith. But,
with Senator Clay stepping out of the
way at just the right time-in case a
Hoke Smith legislature is elected
things would be simplified very much !;
and Hoke Smith would have the only
chance he will ever have to crafty his
own ambition, which is
The United States senate-and not
the governorship of Georgia
So, like the Atlanta Journal, we say
Look to your Legislators" Yes, in
deed; don't overlook your legislative
candidates.
For the race for the United States
senatorship is now on in Georgia. The
gubernatorial race is merely a flank
movement on Hoke Smiths part. See
If it doesn't prove so, whether it is
Senator Bacon's or Senator Clays seat
that he reaches out for?