The Marietta journal and courier. (Marietta, Ga.) 1909-1918, 1910-07-22
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I JUDGE HART RETIRES
I from GOVERNORS RACE

( Judge John C Hart has retired from
the race for Governor.
+ His resignation as attorney general
took effect on the 18th and when, on
that day, he turned over his Office to
his successor, Hon. Hewlette Hall, he
also quit the race for the Governorship.
He is therefore out OF the office which he
particularly desired and has abandoned
all hope of election to the other, for
which he did not really care.
This case OF Judge Hart is the most
remarkable in the annals of Georgia
politics. 1t has puzzled some of his
closest friends and is an instance Of
self sacrifice without parallel.
Judge Hart is man of courtly bear
ing, the finest courtesy to the humblest
as we'll as to the highest, and so far
above everything questionable that his
record in thousand years would not
bear a stain. He has a fine farm but
the salary of the attorney general :
office was really a matter of cOnse-
quence with him and the duties of the
office exactly suited to his tastes.
When | said to him a year or so ago
that | hoped to have the pleasure some
day Of voting for him for governor he
said he did not aspire to the office and
could not afford to give up the attorney
generalship for the governorship with
its increased cost of living and its
certainty of termination. And now he
is to have neither office, because he
felt it his duty to offer himself as a
peace candidate.
What Judge Hart did was from a
conscientious sense of duty but he
misjudged the situation, due largely
to the fact that he has not mixed in
practical politics. He announced no
platform except peace, when as a
matter of fact there are distinct issues
dividing the people.
In his card of withdrawal Judge
Hart says:
'Instead of peace and rest, it is plain
and unmistakable, that the people are
demanding strife and bitterness.
1t is pity Judge Hart said that.
The people have demanded a quiet
campaign and they are getting one.
Not speech has been made by Hoke
Smith, Governor Brown or Judge
Hart. Not line of bitterness has
been sent out from either head
quarters, not cartoon has been print
ed and the three great papers in At
lanta are engaged in a splendid rivalry
to see which can do the most to pre-
vent a bitter campaign. The people
dreaded the campaign of 1910, and now
that it has come, what is it? 1t is no
more like the great fights of 1906 and
1908 than zephyr is like a cyclone
Yet the issues are largely identical and
the lineup practically the same.
The people have right to divide on
issues and it is not necessarily a love
of war and bitterness that leads them
to do so. In 1906 Hoke Smith an
nounced certain principles and was
elected. In 1908 Joseph M. Brown
announced certain principles and was
elected, They are both candidates
this year and the administration of
each is before the people. They must
decide.
When the people cease to take an
intelligent interest in matters of
government they drift toward the con-
ditions existing in China, for il this is
to be peoples government the people
will have to understand it and also
dictate its policies. They can vote
their convictions without making a
row and should do so. Under our form
of government the individual citizen
is the unit OF power. He should study
public questions and have convictions.
He should be absolutely honest with
himself ana be sure his convictions
represent his judgment and not his
prejudice. And he should vote that
way. If we are capable of self govern.
ment we can by that means obtain
good government, in which the
minority as we'll as the majority viii
share. But of this we may be sure
If the people are too Indifferent tC
look after their governmental affair:
the grafters and trusts will undertake
the job.
&c