The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1912-07-17
CURRENT POLITICAL GOSSIP
SMITH MEN ARE NOW KICKING
ON MAJORITY VOTE PLAN.
Executive Committees Action Has
Stirred Up Protest, and Causes
Bill to Be Introduced.

Bill to BE introduced.
ATLANTA.-The action of the ex-
ecutive committee in providing for
primary on the majority or plurality
vote plan, instead of the county unit,
for United States senator has raised
storm of protest even from some
of the staunchest supporters of Sen
ator Hoke Smith.
Former State Senator H. H. Perry,
who is a candidate for the United
States senate against Senator A. o.
Bacon, is yoicing this protest in
statements which he is publishing
as advertisements in papers which
will not handle them any other way.
Mr.. Perry has long been known as
stronge Hoke Smith adherent.
Representative Adams of Hall has
come forward with demand for a
senatorial primary based on the
county unit plan, and has put it in
the shape of bill pending in the
legislature in which he seeks to make
it applicable Immediately upon pas
sage, which would have the effect of
overriding the state committee and
putting the coming senatorial prima-
ry upon the county unit basis. Mr..
Adams bill goes to the extent OF
providing that the legislature shall
not elect as United States senator
any candidate who has not been nom
mated on the county unit plan.
Many Are the Protests.
These are two of a number of pro-
tests that have come from the Smith
camp against the return to the ma
jority vote plan, when it comes to
the election of United States sena-
tors.
1t is not unnatural that the ques-
ton has arisen as to why the state
executive committee should differen-
late between the primary for gov
ernor and state house officers and
that for United States senator.
Politicians think they have found
the answer in the fact that the COM
mittee is known to be composed OF
supporters of Senator Smith. In
fact, this committee was chosen at
the convention which nominated Mr..
| Smith for governor in 1910.
Now, Senator Smith is the father
of the majority vote plan in Georgia
primaries, and it was introduced at
| his instance in the state primary or
1908 in which he was defeated for
governor by Joseph M. Brown.
1t was also Senator Smiths COM
mittee which adopted the same plan,
though with a plurality instead of a
majority vote, in the presidential
primary. The object was to get an
entire Wilson convention without an
Underwood minority. The result.
was an entire Underwood conven-
ton without a Wilson minority.
But it is known that Senator Smith
is welded to the majority vote plan,
and this plan is said to have been
| adopted in connection with the SEN
atorial primary in accordance with
his wishes.
To Make a precedent"
1t is said Senator Smith is looking
forward to the prospects of opposi-
ton in 1914 and that he would pre-
fer to make his race on the majority
vote rather than the county unit
plan. So the present executive COM
mittee, which goes out of Office fol-
lowing the primary of August 21st,
has fixed precedent in so far as
elections for United States senator
are concerned, a precedent which
might be pointed to with some force
when it comes to fixing the senate
rial primary in 1914.
This is the political dope on the
executive committee's action in ex-
cepting the senatorial primary from
the county unit plan on August 21st.
OF course the opposition to Sena-
tor Smith has not yet developed.
There has been some talk of the pos
sfbility of Governor Brown getting
into the race; not a few of his friends
have already approached him on the
subject.
Most interesting, however, is the
reported possibility that Hon. John
NJ Slaton may be his antagonist.
Some of Mr. Slaton's friends are al
ready saying that instead of making
the race for governor again, follow
ing his coming term, with regard to
which they feel no doubt, he should
enter the race for United States SEN
ator against Mr.. Smith.
OF course all this is political spec
ulation, but it is part and parcel of
the current talk, and subsequent de-
velopments may attach to it more
than passing interest.