The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-04-20

senting, favoring and defending the administration ought to file in Geor- gia and make fight against repudia- tion of the President
 Attorney General Palmer was de- cided upon as the strongest can1l date, and was urged to enter the lists. It is understood that before doing so there was obtained for him by mutual friends the approval of the President to such course. ConIlr- nation of this has never been given at the White House. but on the other hand it has never been denied.
 At any rate. Palmer sent a tele; gram to the secretary of the state democratic committee authorizing the publication of his name on the ballot
 In the meantime, former Senator Thomas w. Hardwick, another anti Wilson democrat, who was defeated for re- selection to the Senate in 1918 by President Wilson's direct appeal tc the people of the state to retire him joined the forces with Tom Watson the Georgia re-brand, in support oi Reed. This combination drove the nti-Hardwick and anti-Watson demo crats of the state to the support oi Palmer and it appeared that the at torney general would easily win.
 The anti administration forces had card up their sleeve however. Sen ator Smith made a hurried trip to the state Senator Reed withdrew and Senator Smith announced himself as g candidate for President
 That put up to Mir. Palmer the job of beating a United States senator in his home state-where he had been governor once, senator twice and the biggest political leader with a strong organization behind him. for 30 years
 Mir. Palmer went into Georgia for a series of speeches. returning last week after vigorous campaign. dur ing which he is said to have created unusual enthusiasm. He attacked Senator Smiths record as critical of the administration before during and since the war as embarrassing and harmful to the conduct of the war. the making of peace and the re- construction of government and indus try since the armistice.
 Senator Smith claims to be mid : Gle of ;he road" candidate. neither op- posing the President unreasonably nor favoring him and all his policies un- reservedly, as he charges Mir. Palmer with doing. He declared he was a worker in the party team. just as Mir Palmer was. but that Mr Palm CT wore the Presidents collar and he didn't. To this the attorney general retorted that if he and Senator Smith were in the team. he wore out the collar and Senator smith wore out the breeching.
 Involved in the issue between MT. Palmer and Senator Smith is also a bitter, knock k-down-and -drag-out con test between the Senator and his an- cient enemy Clark Howell, editor of the Atlanta Constitution and demo- cratic national committeeman from Georgia. MT. Howell is suspected of opposing Senator Smith with especial vigor because he wants to see him defeated for reelection to the Senate. which comes later this year and Sem ator Smith is credited with a deter imitation to defeat MT. Howell for re- election as national committeeman.
 This fight is more intense and spec tacular than the contest for the pres idential indorsement. for all the old sores of Howell and anti-Howell fac tions and Smith and anti-Smith fac tons are reopened. Each side has a big local organization, is advertising extensively combing the state with speakers and flooding the newspapers with campaign arguments. The press of the state is aroused as it has not been for years, with the Atlanta Jour nal leading the senator's cause Out treating MT. Palmer and the adminis-