The Wilmington morning star., 1946-08-23
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MATTER OF FACT
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system unconstitutional (Which is
by no means certain, Talmadge
would still retail the governorship
unless a special election we're or
dered, a most unusual step. And
if such an election were or
dered, knowledgeable observers in
Georgia are certain that Talmadge
would win a majority of the popu-
lar vote. They believe that the
Negroes would be prevented from
voting, that voting went to moste
voting, that most of the white vote
that went to former Governor
Rivers would swing to Tai
madge, and that the result would
be a smashing victory for col
Gene"
The Young Hopeful
Unappetizing as the prospect of
the next four years is to many
Georgians, even more d%isagreeable
is the considerable possibility that
Georgia may be in for an interim
nable. Talmadge dynasty. 1t is sad
ly expected that the next candidate
of the Talmadge forces, in 1850,
will be Genes son, Herman.
Neither Talmadge should be I'M
derestimated. Eugene is a highly
intelligent man. He is we'll edu-
Gated Che holds a Phi Beta Kappa
key), despite the hayseed act he
puts on, and he is an exceeding
ly sarewd lawyer and politician.
Son Herman is reputed to be at
least equally smart, and maybe a
bit more so. He is well liked by
Talmadge followers, and there was
even a movement in the Talmadge
camp this year to run young Her.
man instead of the old man. Her.
man is a vigorous youth and he
has a respectable war record. On
the radio his voice is wholly I'M
dlstinguishable from his pappy's
famous screech. All this added to-
gether will make Herman a for
midable champion of the Talmadge
tradition.
Yet if the melancholy fears of
some acute observers of Georgia
politics are fulfilled, there will be
no need for Herman to rely ex-
clusively on his war record, the
Talmadge voice or the Talmadge
name. These observers fear that
Gene Talmadge has both the means
and the intention of establishing a
statewide political machine as well
oiled and as closely controlled as
Huey Longs ever was. Talmadge's
rural organization is strong, but
Governor Ellis Arnall beat it four
years ago. Some Georgians are
convinced that Talmadge will take
no chances of this happening again.
During the campaign Talmadge
made much Of the necessity of
preventing crime and keeping law
and order, another way of saving
that the Negroes should be kept
in their place. =
Leapfrog
To achieve this end, Talmadge
intends that one representative of
the Georgia Bureau of Investiea-
ton, with an assistant, be sent to
each one of Georgia's 149 counties,
to assist the local sheriffs in their
arduous duties. These men would
be under the control of Talmadge
and it is expected that during luIls
between crime waves they would
not be idle. 1t is certainly possible
that they may form the basic net
work of a statewide political ma
chine, with overtones of political
espionage. A Georgia Governor can
not succeed himself, so Gene will
not be a candidate four years from
now. But young Herman may we'll
find his fathers crime-prevention
officers useful. The prospect of the
two Talmadges playing a game of
political leapfrog with each other,
alternating in successive terms is
hardly a pleasant one.
All this has been intensely dis
couraging to those in Georgia who
have for years fought everything