The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-12-06
PROHIBITION THE
ISSUE IN GEORGIA
Selection of Successor to
Hoke Smith Drawn on
Liquor Issue.
(National News Association

SNotlonal news ASSoc1atloo)
ATLANTA. Ca. Dec 6.-The perma-
nent successor of Hoke Smith as gov
ernor Of Georgia will be selected by
the Democrats in q statewide primary
tomorrow. The campaign which clos
cd today has been a very spirited one
and has presented several unusual
features.
The term OF Governor Smith in the
ordinary course of events would have
expired in July, 1913. The resigna-
ton Of Governor Smith and the neces-
sity of a special election to select his
successor were brought about by the
death OF United States Senator Clay
q year ago. Upon the death Of Sena-
tor Clay, Joseph M. Brown, who was
then the governor of Georgia, appoint
ed Ex-Governor Joseph NJ. Terrell to
I'LL the vacancy in the senate, but the
legislature early in the present year
named Governor Smith in his stead.
Mr.. Smith accepted the election to the
senate but did not go to Washington
during the special session of congress.
He held on to the governorship until
the middle of last month, when he re-
signed and was succeeded by John NJ.
Slaton as acting governor. Mr.. Slaton
will continue to hold the office until
the latter part of January, when the
winner in tomorrow's primary will
succeed him.
There are three candidates. in the
primary race. The first in the field
was Col. J. Pope Brown of Hawkins
vile, who formerly held the office Of
state treasurer. Then came Richard
B. Russell Of Russellville. a Judge of
the Georgia court of appeals. The last
to enter the contest was Ex-Governor
Joseph M. Brown.
The candidacy of Little Joe" Brown
added spice to what would otherwise
have been very tame contest. For
several years Brown has been the
stormy petrol of Georgia politics.
When Hoke Smith was first elected.
Governor Brown heQ the office of rail
road commissioner. The political diff
ferences that had long existed between
the two were not long in coming to a
head and the result was that Governor
Smith removed Brown from office.
Brown Immediately began a cam
paign to succeed Smith in the COVER
norship. He was successful in the prl-
mary and his election followed as
matter of course, for in Georgia the
winner of the Democratic primary Is
as good as seated. But in his fight for
reelection the victory was reversed
and he was defeated by Hoke Smith,
who again came into the governor
ship.
The entry of Brown into the pre-
sent contest for governor naturally
precipitated a renewal of the old-time
bitter factional strife. The Smith ad-
herents look upon Browns candidacy
as part Of a plan of former Governor
Terrell and the old machine to gain
control of the Georgia Democracy and
defeat Smith when he goes before the
people for reelection as United States
snator. Either J. Pope Brown or
Judge Russell would be acceptable to
the Smith faction in preference to
Little joe"
The greatest difficulty facing the
campaign was the dearth Of important
issues upon which to wage the con-
test. The old issues had been worn
threadbare and no longer interested
the people. Finally two of the can
t didates, ]. Pope Brown and Judge
Russell, decided that the question Of
prohibition should be the chief issue.
though to the ordinary onlooker it
would appear that the prohibition
question had been disposed of as live
issue several years ago when the pro-
hibitory amendment was added to the
state constitution. But the prohibi-
ton law, or rather the manner of its
enforcement, has given rise to con-
siderable public discussion and more
or less dissatisfaction. while the al
legged intention Of the liquor interests
to start an organized campaign for
the repeal Of the amendment has serv-
ed to further attract public attention
to the question. AS the campaign pro-
crossed it became more and more