Atlanta Georgian., 1914-03-01
Governors Friends Believe Hoke
Smith Adherents Want to Find
Out to Which Senatorship Pres
ent Chief. Executive Aspires.
Evenly Divided Factions Feel It
Important to Georgia to Keep
Both Sides Represented in the
Upper Chamber of Congress.
BY JAMES 3. NEVIN.


political events of the past week with
an eye to looking forward subse-
quently to the likely events of this
week, this scribe is seized with a
rampant desire to begin to-day's ram
bling remarks with a statement SO
automatic in substance that the most
intrepid hardly would dare dispute it.
Therefore, when he observes that,
in his opinion, politics is a game al
together a gentle and ladylike as
piracy on the high seas, he believes
the getaway is pretty much as he
would have it.
Whatever hard things one may in
cline now and then to say of politics.
it must be admitted that it is no
worse than that at least
To begin with, it Is not wise to be-
lieve all one hears in politics. and
hardly as much as half one sees.
1t isn't what one wants in this
him really and abidingly nappy-it is
what he gets!
Fielder Race Discussed.
Wherefore, about all one may do,
being moved by a righteous purpose
to set down truthfully and impartial
ly things as they fall out from day
to day, is to tell it all. so far as he
can gather 1t, regardless-and let it
so at that.
The big event of the past week. of
course, was the announcement of At
torney General Fielder for the Senate.
1t added interest to the Hardwick
announcement for the same position.
unoflcially, but none the less truth
fully, promulgated the week before.
Naturally. these two announcements
started tongues to wagging in both
the Hoke Smith camp and the John
NJ. Slaton camp-which camps, with
out any degree of impertinence or be-
littllng design-shall be referred to
hereinafter as the Smithites and tho
Slatonites,
Hunt for Motive.
There are two all but evenly d.
vided factions in Georgia politics.
and to deny It is merely to deny that
which everybody with two grains of
sense knows TO be fact
Senator Smith stands at tho head
of one faction, backed by such trusty
as HardwIck and Fielder,
and Governor Slaton stands at tho
head of the other, backed by such
trusty lieutenants as Joseph NJ. Brown
and w. S. West-the latter now a
Senator of Georgia.
What is the real motive, then. be-
hind the dual candidacy of Hardwic5
and Fielder, both stout Smith lieuten-
a ats, for the came off1ce-said office
being the junior Senatorship, other
wise known as Senator Bacon's unex-
pired term?
That is the one big question Geor-
ga politicians are asking themselves
to-day-and the answer one gets 10
that inquiry depends entirely upon
the point of view entertained by the
one undertaking to answer.
Smith Inactive.
Mr.. HardwicS says he is running
his own race. IN his own way" and
that he will fight 1t out after his own
fashion,
He only beat Mr.. Fielder few laps
to that broad assertion, however-for
that is exactly and precisely what
Fielder says, too.
Senator Smith is quoted as having
stated that he will take no hand IN
either Hardwicks race or FEEDERS
that they, having started a sort of
family row among themselves. must
fight it out as best they can.
The senior Senator viii be a can
didate for re- election to the Senate
running, so it is stated, entirely upon
his record in the Senate, and with
out reference TO State politics, IN
which, save in so far as wishing bis
friends well goes, he is not particu-
larly concerned.
The Slatonites, however while ad-
Continued on Paae 2, Column 8,