Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-03-08
Candidate for U. S. Toga, in For
nal Announcement, Says His
Fight viii Not Have the Aid
Of Faction or Political Party.
~ Shall Present My Own Views in
My Own Way, Stand on My Own
Record, and Tote My Own Skill
Iet," Asserts Middle Georgian.

! Congressman Thomas w. Hard
| wick. of the Tenth District, sent out
| from Washington late Saturday art
! ernoon a formal announcement OF ms
candidacy for the uneXplred term OF
| Augustus 0. Bacon in the Senate or
! the United States.
| Mr. Hardwick's candidacy, when
! originally was made known eXclu-
| sively through The Atlanta Georgian,
now takes definite and formal shape
! for the first time, and it is evident
| from the general tone of the an
nouncement that the Congressman
! from the Tenth is very much in
! the race to stay put" IS he stated
! two weeks or more ago he surely
would be
Mr. Hardwick, in his formal an
| nouncement disclaims the sugges-
ton that he is in any manner, shape
or form the candidate of any faction
in Georgia politics and lets 1t be
known that he proposes to fight his
own fight. in his own way and ac-
cording TO his own notions.
Hardwick, however at, this stage
of the proceedings is the only can
didate to make known his POSITIVE
candidacy and his platform, and to
that extent has the lead over all
others
Mr.. Hardwick's formal announce
ment follows;
i am a candidate for the United
States Senate, to succeed the late
Senator Bacon, subject to<the pri-
mary election of the Democratic
party
Residence Locality lmmaterial.
our present senior Senator, the
Honora BILE f1oke Smith, comes from
the northern part of the State, re-
siding at Atlanta. 1t seems that
there is a strong and general serti-
ment throughout the state that,
other things being equal our other
! Senator should come from some
other part of the State Since |
! was born in the County of Thomas,
! in the extreme southern end of the
state. and have lived practically
| all of my life in the County OF
| Washington, in the very heart OF
| Middle Georgia, il would seem that
from the standpoint of birth and
residence, my candidacy might be
| acceptable.
| do not wish, however, to be
misunderstood on this question !
neither believe nor contend that
residence in any particular section,
| in and of itself, ought to have su-
preme and controlling influence in
| the selection Ct a Senator OF vast
| lv greater Importance is the char
| acter and capacity of each candl-
date, his training, experience and
| fitness for the service he would be
! called upon to render in the Senate, T.
and the character of the service he
| proposes to perform in that body.
Pleas for Fair Field.
one other matter: Simply because
| | have been and am now on terms
of close friendship with the President
of the United States and with Sen
ator smith. and simply because |
! have at different times in the past
actively and earnestly supported
the candidates. of these two great
| Democrats | do not claim the sup
port Of every Georgia Democrat
who has supported either or both
of them Nor, on the other hand,
do believe that simply because of
my position i'm these matters,
ought to be opposed by those Geor-
gla Democrats who did not sup
port these gentlemen.
If absolutely knew that | could
go to the Senate simply by cling
ing to the coat-tails of any man in
Georgia, or outside of it, I would
| not have Il at such a price or in
such way As | view it, my can
didacy does not afford either rea-
son or excuse for a revival of bit
ter faCuonalism among Georgia
Democrats. If | though SO, | would
forego IL | only ask from every
| Georgia Democrat a fair field, an
impartial hearing. and finally de-
cision on the issues as made Sure.
ly my long and faithful service
To our party entities me to ask that
much and surely the fair minded
Democracy of Georgia will neither
hegrudse nor deny me that. | shall
present my own views, in my own
way, stand on my own record hoe
my own row, and tote my own
skillet.