Evening star., 1946-12-22
System Of Georgia, was recognized
as the Talrnadge legal brain trust.
CIsouad f1,,f HiOhwav R0ard.

System OF Georgia, was recognized
as the Talrnadge legal brain trust.
Cleaned Out Highway Board.
Gene had promised, In addition
to SO automobile tags, q reduction
OF electric and power rates and to
clip the wings Of the most powerful
political agency in Georgia-the
State Highway Board.
He fired the members Of the high
way board and when they refused
to recognize his authority to do So
he called out the National Guard
and had members forcibly elected
from their Offices.
He directed the Public Service
Commission to reduce power rates
and when, after hearings, the PSC
failed to do so, he fired its members,
appointed board TO do his bidding,
and rates were sharply reduced after
hearings in which much OF the
Georgia Power Co.'S dirty linen was
aired before the Georgia voters.
He used proclamations, backed by
military force, to carry out his OBJ
jectives.
But he carried them out. Cam
paign promises" in Georgia had been
something to laugh about after the
election. Few Governors, no mat
ter how sincere, had been able to
put in effect reforms they had ad-
yocated from the stump during
campaigns. It was not bad faith in
all cases, but simply an inability to
control the Legislature. Gov. Tai
madge ran into the same obstacles,
but he was "too hard-headed and
ornery," friends and enemies alike
said, to let legalities stop him.
Won Handily in 1894.
Gov. Talmadge's first two-year
term outraged the city people OF
Georgia. But In 1884. he was re-
elected by an overwhelming vote in
1856 of Georgia's '159 counties despite
revelations of unsavory activities
Out in rural Georgia, the wool hat
boys" chortled with glee and car
ried "Old Gene" around on their
shoulders after every one OF his
harangues in which he detailed now
he had upset the powerful macnlnes
which operated from Atlanta.
Then he ran for the Democratic
Senate nomination twice, once
against Senator Russell, the second
time against Senator George. He
polled heavy vote but the best ne
ever did was come in second. In
1910, he again was named Governor
in a campaign which followed on
the heels of an expose of rotten
conditions" under the Little New
Deal" administration Of Gov. Riv-
ers, who had been speaker OF the
house under Gov. Talmadge.
Gov. Talmadge's last term was
comparatively quiet and orderly un-
til in an apparent effort to create
a campaign issue, he fired Dean
Walter Cooking, of the University OF
Georgia School of Education, on the
charge DR.. Cooking advocated racial
co-education.
Georgia had its race problem be-
fore then, but progressive leaders in
the State quietly were working
toward betterment of race relations
and educational advancements for
all the people.
Hue and Cry Raised.
When Gov. Talmadge's action
placed the accreditization OF the
University system in jeopardy be-
fore the American Association OF
Colleges and Universities, every
newspaper and virtually every or
ganization, except the Ku Klux
Klan, raised hue and cry.
MIR. Arnall, attorney general under
Gov. Rivers, had quietly been run
ming toward the Governors chair
since he left the University OF
Georgia in 1881. He had been a
member Of the House in Georgia,
speaker pro tenn and then speaker,
an assistant attorney general and
then attorney general. A car1ny
publicity organization had brought
him in fine mettle to this opportune
moment.
Mr.. Arnall gave Gov. Talmadge a
sound licking, but it was closer than
many believed it could have been.
Gov. Arnall carried 20 counties
more than Mr.. Talmadge, over
whelmed him in Atlanta and the
other big cities.
But death. was the only force
which could stop "Old Gene" He
came back in 1916. Viewing with
alarm as only he could, he whipped
up a fever of fear in Georgia be-
cause the negroes were voting FOL
the first time in Democratic pri-
maries. He won overwhelming in
country Counties but he lacked
ra&n -