Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1918-09-06
GEORGIA SENATORSHIP
Primary Election to Be Held On
Next wednesday.
SITUATION VERY Much IN DOUBT

SITUATION VERY Much In DOUBT
Alleged That Thos. e. Watson, Who
Is a Candidate for Congress In the
Tenth, Is Supporting Hardwiek In
tho Hope Of Continuing His Fight
Aosinst the Roman Catholic Church.
New York World.
Macon. Ga. August 3l.-Georgia
Democrats will be called upon on
Wednesday. September IL. TO endorse
| or repudiatc the administration of
President Woodrow Wilson ip the NOM
inatLon of a United States senator to
succeed Thomas William Hardwick.
There are five candidates in the
race-Thomas W. Hardwick Of San
dersville, now junior senator: William
| ]. Harris of Ccdartown, former direct
or of the census and chairman of the
Federal trade commission: william
Schley Howard OF Decatur. congress
man from the Fifth district: John Il.
Coopcr OF Macon. attorney: Emmett
r, Shaw of Fort Gaines. travelling
salesman and state legislator.
| Under the primary law in Georgia
| II IL possible for the candidate rcccif-
ing a majority or plurality of the
popular vote TO lose the nomination.
and il Is on account of this peculiar
law that Thomas W. Hardwick VINO
has been branded by President Wilson
as "antagonistic and unfricndly to the
administration" has a chance of be-
ing reelected.
Georqia's Primary Law.
The Georgia law provides that tn"
nominee OF the Democratic party must
receive a majority OF the county unit
votes. which means that each county
| in the state is entitled TO twic" as
many votes in the state convention as
| II has In the general assembly. There
are 49, counties in Georgia and the
total convention vote is 3Se. To OBJ
tain the nomination the successful
candidate must receive l9l convention
votes. The advantages under when |
Hardwick Is working is that while the
law provides that the successful candi-
date must have majority OF the con-
vention votes. if he gets plurality
vote in county. the vote OF that
county in the convention must he cast !
for him.
For instance, Bibh county. in which |
Macon is situated. has +,aOO register
ed voters. Suppose that in the primary |
all the registered voters cast their bal
lots II Hardwick should rccciv" l.2OO
votes, Harris 1000 votes. Howard 1000
votes and Shaw and Cooper 500 each. |
Hardwick would he entitled TO the vote |
OF the county in the state convention,
although the county had registered
| 5000 votes against him.
The fact that there are five candi-
dates in the race is operating very
much In Hardwick's favor. The cam
didacy OF Cooper and Shaw Is regard
ed rs Il joke among all well informed
people, but in a small county where
only three or four hundred votes are
cast. one or two votes in their favor
may detract enough from the vote OF
| Howard or Harris to give the plural
lity OF the county TO Hardwick Ac-
cordingly Hardwick is making Wig
orous fight in the small counties for
support. He Is counting on all the
former members OF the old Populist
party to support him. He is making
ca pital out Of the fact that he opposed
the selective service act. He tells the
wool hat boys in the country that the
president was wrong and that he was
right. In his latest speech he declared
that he had inside information that the
war would be over before January l.
Tom Watson's Support.
Thomas f. Watson. for years Hard
wick's bitter enemy, and whose pa
per- the Jeffersonian. was barred from
the mails. largely at the instigation of
Hardwick. is now secretly supporting
| Hard "icK, II is said. and Is urging all
of his followers to vote for the Junior
senator.
Watson has also announced for
congress in the Tenth district In OPP
position TO Carl Ninson. Watson's
platform is TO bring about the end OF
the Catholic church in political affairs
| of the nation. II Is believed by the
political leaders in the state that Wat
son and Hardwick have secret agree
mcnt, and that Hardwick. who former
| ly represented the Tenth district. rs
did Watson hack in the nincties. will
aid Watson in the district and that
| Watson in return will ask his friends
all over the state to support Hard |
wick.
All loyal Georgians. and they are in
the great majority. are against Hard
wick, and they are doing all in their
power to bring about his defeat. Pres |
ident Wilson has suggested that the
best thing for all loyal Georgians to do
is ITO center on William J. Harris on
the day Of the primary" This letter
he wrote to Clark Howell. editor Of the
Atlanta Constitution and National
Democratic committeeman from Gcor-
gia. II was thought that this letter
would cause Congressman Howard to
retire from the race. Mr.. Howard.
however. refused to quit, and is prose-
cutting his campaign with greater vigor
than ever. The president did not say
Mr.. Howard was disloyal or that he
had failed to support the administra-
tion. Mr.. Howell claims that the pres
ident was deceived by Clark Howell
as to the true situation in Georgia.
II the president had sent the letter
to anybody else than Clark Howell 1t
would have had much better effect.
Hokc Smith, senior senator from Geor-
gia. is quite power in the state.
Clark Howard is his bitter enemy. and
has been since he was overwhelming
ly defeated by Smith for governor in