Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1911-07-16

politics..
1t has been looming larger ever
since To-day it looms larger than
ever before, Those who contended with
him four years ago have shrunk into
comparative insignifcance or entire
oblivion.
The dare" has become recognized
as a boomerang in Georgia politics,
and candidates are not so eager these
days to challenge sleeping dogs 10
wake up and fight.
Hoke Smith has been tempestuous
figure ever since he accepted the How
ell challenge. He has given and re-
ceived blows that would have put the
average politician hors de combat. Co
ing down he has come up stronger
than ever. Out of the jaws of crush
ing defeat he has snatched future
victories and a greater prize.
The last fragment of the old machine
went down before him the other day
when Senator Terrell found himself
succeeded by Hoke Smith in the SEN
ate of the United States.
Bitter must be the dose that some
erstwhile leaders in Georgia have
swallowed. Two years ago they hal
him down and out" The Smith
regime was labeled among the relics
of Georgias political history and care
fully laid away to rest until the East
and the West" do come together
They practically dared him to come
in again and be swallowed up in 4
second inglorious and ignominious de-
feat last year. Some say if they had
let him alone in 1910 Hoke Smith
would not have run against Joe
Brown for governor the second time
Some of them doubtless did egg him on
just to have the pleasure of seeing him
Walloped once more.
But the way Hoke came back" will
long be recalled as one of the phen-
omena of Georgia politics. The way
he has triumphed marks him as one of
the most adroft politicians the state
has ever produced, one Of the most
masterful of its leaders in the great
game, one of the most far-sighted read
ers of public opinion, one of the most
capable opportunists Georgia has de-
veloped since the war
On the wreck of the old-time ma
chine, now down and out, a new ma
chine is likely to arise, with new men
in power. Unlike the old it will not
be dominated and run in the interests
of corporations. How long it via re-
main in charge of the state depends
on the wisdom its leaders display.
Georgia is in a different humor from
Georgia ten to twenty years ago. 1t
would never stand a return to the con-
ditions that then prevailed.
And because of that we doubt if any
of the old crowd can initiate Hoke
and come back"
A new deal is on, and South Georgia
must play strong hand in cutting the
cards and handling the pack.
~""~~~~~~~~~~~S~~~~ ~~S~~~~~~~~A~~~Ss
take the lead for which it is so emin-
emily qualified. 1t is useless to say
that it would be provoking the spirit
of sectionalism. On the contrary, it
would be protest against the spirit If
sectionalism that keeps all the main
prizes for one limited section of the
state
We regret to see a tendency in the
Savannah Morning News to also give
to the idea that a South Georgia can
didate means a sacrifice, that former
Gov. Brown would necessarily sweep
the state if he enters the field, and an
apathy on its part toward arousins
South Georgia to assert itself at this
juncture.
The truth Of the matter is, and we
say it plainly, though it may be unpal-
atable, South Georgia has heretofore
lacked in its leading papers spirit pi
agressiveness that is so prominent {
characteristic of the leading Atlanta
dailies. They have apparently never
sought persistently to infuse more
political grit and determination into
this section.
If the Macon Telegraph, the Savan-
nah Morning News, the Savannah
Press, the Columbus papers, which arc
the larger and more widely circulated
Of the South Georgia papers, would
stir things up along this line for the
next few weeks some of the tendenc!
of North Georgia to hog things polit.
ically would speedily disappear.
The strength of North Georgia large
ly lies in South Georgia division. The
inertness of South Georgia papers /.
largely responsible for this condition
The Macon Telegraph is a great pa
per and could be a power in weldins
South Georgia into a compact and vic
tOrious whole.
Why not let Smith and Brown droI
out and work along new and broadel