The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-07-08
FEW SPEECHES MADE
BY THE CANDIDATES
Georgia Campaign Is Warming
Up Very Slowly
LEGISLATURE IS BUSY
The Senate VIII Have Hot Discussion
Ahead ON Registration Law, While
House VIII Tackle Compul-
sorry Education Bill

Atlanta, July 7.-(Special. )--Politician
and legislators got busy again today after
having temporarily retired from the arena
until the Reno AFFAIR could be pulled or
The three candidates for governor were
again in their offices, FIoke Smith nav
ing returned from Hart county, where he
spoke Monday, but not on politics; Gov
ernor Brown came back from Marietta
and Judge Hart from Greene county,
where he spent the holidays with his
family and friends.
But 1t appears they have returned 10
routine Judge Hart has made the only
political speech of the campaign SO far.
His appeal was to his friends in his home
county, where there seemed to be doubt
as to whether the members of the smith
and Brown factions would leave their
leaders even to vote for their dearest
friend
It is said things have changed some
what in Greene since Judge Harris APP
peerance there, but there are many stu
who cling to the opinion that he is going
to lose the county. This is the claim
made by the Smith leaders in the coun-
ty. who assert it is going for their candi-
date as it has done in other elections.
Mr.. Smith has decided not to speak this
week. 1t is stated, He had been sched-
uled by friends at his headquarters for
speech at the Atlanta auditorium ar
mory. the latter part Of this week. but
he says he is in no hurry about opening
up this phase of the campaign, and 1t
aa1r- hafn q
first political speech is made.
Governors Message
Governor Browns message, sent to the
legislature yesterday, relating to the ter
minal lands for the Western and Atlantic
near Chattanooga, which he refused to
purchase after it had been authorized by
the legislature, is expected to figure inter-
estingly in the campaign.
The governors friends consider 1t
strong document. and one that fully an
swers all criticisms of his course which
have been made. They say he has LETT"
his critics no ground to stand on; that he
has shown that it would have been, In
measure. disastrous to the state to have
paid out $4,000 for It.
The fight has been to date somewhat or
a newspaper 'talk-fest." The Atlanta
newspapers are all pretending to give
the news. and as a rule they ale sticking
pretty well to the intention. One of the
afternoon papers. however, cannot help
disclosing its leanings in Its news col
,,mns. while editorially 1t is strongly Tor
Mr. Smith.
1t is expected that the. Watson Barron
AFFAIR will be brought to. head by the
house committee this week. ]. L. Barron.
keeper of public buildings and grounds,
has demanded an immediate and thorough
investigation of the charges OF graft made
against him by a ready letter writer
who wrote to Mr.. Watson. the latter pYb-
fishing the letter. Ss4
The DEVELOPMENTS in the affair have led
to the widespread general belief IN Mr..
Barron's innocence of any wrongdoing,
even before the investigation and 1t IL
common talk now that Mr.. Watson made
this letter an opportunity for renewing
his attack on certain officials and former
OFFICIALS of the Farmers union, against
whom he has had a grudge for some
time, and whom he has been freely
pounding in his publication.
Along with that belief has come gen.
eral criticism of Mr.. Watson's action
in publishing the letter and then re-
fusing to give the name of the author
of it, though Mr.. Barrons friends feel
positive they have located him.
| The charge of authorship of that
letter has been laid at the door of y.
H. Walker, Sr., former resident OF
Epson county where Mr.. Barron at one
time lived, and an applicant for the
position which Mr.. Barron holds.
| Walker has neither affirmed nor de-.
MED the charge. He has as yet said
nothing, though he promised several
days ago to make a statement defend
| Ing himself.
Barron's friends are urging him to in
stitute criminal libel actions both
lagainst Watson and the author of tho
letter in which the charge was made.
But Barron Is saying nothing at pres
ent; he Is holding his own counsel un-
ltil after the Investigation is over, at
which time his friends significantly re-
mark, there will be something doing.
With the Legislators
Strenuous programmes are mapped
out for both the senate and house for