St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1946-05-03

lAAAC PClANClib NdiANAANSSB AM
April 20, under the caption, Gar
Epochal Victory in Georgia." said
at looked a week ago as though
Eugene Talmadge was virtually
certain to recapture the governor
ship of Georgia in this Summers
August primary. but the scene has
shifted drastically. The stunning
defeat Of the Cracker party in
Augusta, Ga, has changed the po-
litical outlook throughout the State,
and heavily increased the chances
that James V. Carmichael, 36-year-
old businessman from Marietta,
who is endorsed by Governor Ar
nall, will be the States next Gov
ernor.
THE reason why the Augusta
election means so much Is that
Roy v. Harris, veteran political
machine leader in that city. and
Speaker Of the Georgia House,
was badly beaten there, and his
Cracker party overthrow. Not
only so, but Harris tried to capt.
talize on the race issue, Just as
Talmadge has announced he will
do in the gubernatOrial cam
paign. white supremacy" is
the battle cry Of the voters Of
Augusta and adjacent Richmond
County refused to be bAmbOOZled.
They saw the issue as one Of
good government, and their
spokesman. William s. Morris,
young and aggressive publisher
of the Augusta Chronicle,
stressed this issue. The Junior
Chamber Of Commerce led in
getting the voters qualified, and
the result was an historic vic
tory.
Mr.. Morris and those on the
ticket with him reused the cleo
torate so far beyond its normal
participation in such contests that
the total vote was approximately
uuadrupled in the city and county.
Because of the manner in which
Harris raised the race issue. the
Negro vote, totaling around 5000,
went to the opposition, but the i'm
Dortant point to remember is that
Harris would have been beaten if
there had been no Negro vote. The
white citizens saw through the
niasma Of Misrepresentation and
demagoguery which enveloped the
contest, and they cast their ballots
for good government and against
machine government.
THE result was q body blow,
not only to the Cracker party In
Augusta. but to all rabble-rOusers
who seek to balloon the race is
sue into something far out of DrO-
portion to its Importance. Tai
madge has been making such
use of the issue In his various
campaigns. but the people have
had their ewes ODened in Georgia. .
They aren't likely to fall for this
sort Of hOcus-pOcus again.
"There Is another lesson to be
drawn from the Augusta election.
1t is that when voters can be
aroused, machines can be over
thrown. Here is a practical exam
pie Of what happens to a machine
when the people make up their
minds 10 toss it out. The normal
vote Of from 1000 to 5000 in
Augusta and Richmond County rose
to nearly 21.000 in the recent con-
test, with the result that the Cracker
party's long domination over the
district was broken. The machine.
led by Roy Harris. had remained
in control for decades because the
electorate was unwilling to go to
the polls. That is the wav in which
nearly all machines hang on. The
phenomenon is especially note
worthy in the South, where in seven
States the poll tax keeps the vote
down. That tax was repealed last
year in Georgia. One result al
ready has been this victory for
good government in Augusta. It
has great significance, not only
throughout that State but through
out the nation"
The state Of New York is the
largest producer Of buckwheat. with
Pennsylvania second. Michigan
third and Maine fourth