Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-04-26
INTEREST CENTERED
ON SPEAKERS RACES
IN NEXT ASSEMBLY

With the converting date for the
annual session of the Georgia legis-
lature less than two months away,
interest is beginning to be manifest
ed in political circles throughout the
state in the races for speaker Of the
house and president of the senate.
The legislature will convene on the
fourth Wednesday in June for the
usual session of fifty days. 1t will
be a new legislature not only in the
technical sense that all of it's mem
bers will enter upon a new term of
service, but also in the personal sense
that a greater number of new men
will appear in the house and senate
than have come into any Legislature
in recent years.
Five members of the house are run
ming for speaker to succeed John N.
Holder, who ran for governor last
year and therefore did not come back
to the Legislature, while three men,
bers of the senate are running for
president of that body to succeed
Samuel L. Olive, who ran for congress
last year and likewise dropped out of
the Legislature.
The candidates for speaker of the
house are George H. CarsWell, of
Wilkinson county; w. Cecil Neill, Of
Muscogee county; J. Howard Ennis,
of Baldwin county; Harper Harnil
ton, of Floyd county, and Mack L.
Johnson, of Barlow county.
The candidates for president of
the senate are Herbert Clay, of Mari
eta, i'll Cobb county; Joseph B. jack
son, of Gray, in Jones county; o. A.
Nix, of LaWrenceville, in Gwinnett
county; L. r. Akin, of Brunswick, in
Glynn county.
Four of 1he five candidates for
speaker of the house are veteran leg
islators with years of service in the
house and senate. Mr.. Carswell is
banker and planter of Irwtnton. He
has served off and on in the house
and senate for fifteen years or more
and has taken a prominent and infiu-
entail part in legislation. Probably
his most notable piece of construc-
tive work was the Elders-Carswell
amendment to the constitution, pro-
viding for the levy of a tax for
school purposes by every county in
the state. This amendment was put
through the senate by H. H. Elders
and the house by Mr.. Carswell, and
was ratified in the general election
last fall.
Neill in Race
w. Cecil Neill, although a young
man, has served in the legislature
long enough 10 be called a veteran,
having been representative from
Muscogee county for the past eight
years, and having taken an active
part in most of the important legis-
latlon considered during that period.
His most notable work was the Neill
primary law requiring all state prl-
marles in Georgia to be held on the
county unit plan with a turnover
primary for governor and senator in
the event more than two candidates
run and none receives majority of
the county unit votes. Mr.. Neill was
chairman of the rules committee of
the house during the past four years
under Speaker Holder. He is a law
yer in his home city Of Columbus.
J. Howard Ennis, merchant and
planter, Of Milledgeville, has served
for many years in the house and SEN
appropriations committee of both
bodies and was chairman of the ap-
preparations committee Of the house
in the past two years. His active
and effective work for state insti-
buttons located at Milledgeville, such
as the Sanitarium for the insane, the
Georgia Normal and Industrial Col
lege for Girls, the state prison farm,
the State Training School for Girls,
etc, has had a great deal to do with
their growth and development. He
is one of the most popular men in
legislative circles.
Mack L. Johnson, of Barlow coun-
ty, one of the largest planters in
northwest Georgia, is another vet
eran member, who has been serving
in the house and senate almost con-
tinuously for fifteen years or more.
Agricultural legislation has always
been his special interest, and in adj
dition he has served on such i'm
portant committees as ways and
chairman of the general agricultural
committee, No, /, in the past house.
Judge Harper Hamilton. of Rome.
who recently entered the race for
speaker. was a member of the last
house and made many friends by his
able support of a number of impor-
tant bills.
In addition TO the race for speaker
between the five candidates above
named. there promises to be lively
race for speaker pro tenn between
James T. Vocelle of Camden county:
Robert L. Moye. of Randolph county,
and Zach Arnold. of Clay county. Mr..
Vocelle is a lawyer at st. Marys. Mr.
Moye is a lawyer at Cuthbert. and
Mr.. Arnold is lawyer at Fort
Gaines. Mr.. Moye was a member of
the last house. and Mr.. Arnold has
been a member of the house for six
or eight years.