The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-07-31
GOVERNOR SMITH l MAY FINISH TERM His Followers Still Casting
 About for Successor MANY ARE SUGGESTED Ex-Governor Brown Most Probably Announce Candidacy at Proper
 Time-Senate Defers Ac-
 tion on Appointments
MANY ARE SUGGESTED

Atlanta, July 30.-(Speciaf. )-Casting about for candidate to succeed Governor Hoke Smith is the position which his | followers still occupy to the gov ernorship, and the problem as to where they are going to find him Is. growing more and more interesting.
 They are calling on the friends of MT Smith over the state. those who elected
 him, to wait, promising to be there with
 a. candidate when the time comes. It is generally believed they would have SUD- ported Commissioner of Agriculture T. G
 Hudson had he not been eliminated from
 the race as the result of the Legislative investigation into the conduct of his de- partment which has just been ordered. An interesting story is told in this con-
 nection of former State Treasurer J. Pope
 Brown, one of the announced candidates
 who has already launched his campaign.
 and of Governor Smith.
 According to the report which politicians
 are discussing generally, Pope Brown
 went to Governor Smith before he deliv-
 cred his Waycross speech and asked the l latter what he thought about 1t. l II is said the governor gave an indefl-
 nte reply and intimated that MT. Brown
 should have come and conferred with him before he announced his candidacy MT. Brown, it is stated, came back with l the reply that he had done this on for
 mer occasion, in 1906 when MT. Smith
 was first elected governor. and found him. self "conferred' out of the race. It is stated the governor then gave MT.
 Brown to understand that he considered
 he had evened things up politically with Mir Brown for retiring from the race at
 that time by appointing him state treas
 urer, whereupon MT. Brown said, Good by" and left the governors office. It is pretty clear, therefore, that the for
 mer treasurer will run his campaign upon
 his own hook, and that he will make di-
 rect appeal for south Georgia support is
 not to be questioned.
 That the friends of the governor are
 not going to take up the candidacy of Judge Richard B. Russell of the state | court of appeals is equally apparent; for
 while Judge Russell has practically
 adopted the Hoke Smith platform, and
 almost. if not quite, added local option to it. other grievances against him are not
 easily forgotten
 What Judge Russell proposes to do
 with reference to the judgeship is becom- ing a question of small interest In connection with the race, even though 1t
 has not progressed very far as yet. Gus tom would dictate his resignation from the bench in order to make this race, but | Judge Russell has given no intimation so | far of an intention to resign. He may have to do so however, when he begins
 to devote practically all of his time to
 his campaign, since 1t is said the court of appeals docket Is so crowded as to re-
 quire the attention of all the judges. This
 court hasn't been any too popular, it is
 stated, as there have been suggestions on
 several occasions of asking the legislature to abolish 1t.
 In the meantime the hunt of Governor Smiths friends for candidate goes on. Numerous suggestions are being offered
 with a view, it appears, of seeing how
 they take Two or three prospective can
 didates are being quietly boosted in the hope that they will receive encouragement | sufficient to justify their entering the
 race with some probability of winning. But it is easily apparent that the right man has not yet been found.
 In the meantime it is apparent from the statement of Gov. Joseph M. Brown, pub lished Saturday, that he is seriously con- | sidering the matter of entering the race. and that he may be counted upon to do | so at the proper time.
 The ex-governor's friends are all agreed l that this is not the time for him to an-
 nounce Governor Smith will probably be | in office until December 1, and it is con | sidered there is no use or occasion for l springing a flve-months campaign upon | the people
 That the governor has determined to hang on until December before going to | the United States Senate is now undoubt- | ed The danger to wool revision was about the only thing that could have | called him away at this time, and he calculated well upon that subject. In the meantime the governors political enemies are asking what. will there be in Washington in December to require his presence any more than at the present tme The next Congress. they say, will have no more important questions to deal with than has the extra session, and if there is no occasion for his presence in Washington now, certainly, they say. there will be none next December. Why, therefore, they are asking. shouldn't Governor Smith just go on and serve out his entire term as governor. and then go to the Senate at his leisure !? But ask questions as they will, Gov ernor Smith is answering none of them. He is saving wood, working out his own problems and probably hoping that the state senate will finally decide to confirm his appointments and let everything set tie down to smooth and easy-going basis.
 On the question of his appointments the senate is Ctil obstinate The general judiciary is still holding them up unact- ed on, and the indications are that he will send in no more until that body de- cides to get down off It's high horse. The question is, will it?
 l If it does not. whole lot of would l judges and solicitors all over Georgia are going to be deeply disappointed.