St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1946-05-10

April %, under the caption, "An
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, Ca, has changed the po-
litical outlook throughout the State,
and heavily increased the chances
hat James V. Carmichael, 36-year.
I'D businessman from Marietta,
Who is endorsed by Governor Ar
lall, will be the States ne>t Gov
'rnOr.
THE reason why the Augusta
election means so much is hat
Roy V. Harris, veteran political
machine leader in that city, and
Speaker of the Georgia House,
was badly beaten there, and his
Cracker party OyerthrOwn. 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
icket with him reused the cleo
crate so far beyond its normal
,artiCination in such contests that
he total vote was approximately
luadruplcd in the city and county.
Because of the manner in which
Harris raised the race issue, the
Negro vote, totaling around 5000,
vent to the opposition, but the i'm
0ortant point to remember is that
Harris would have been beaten if
here had been no Negro vote. The
white citizens saw through the
niasma of misrepresentation and
lemagOgUery which enveloped the
ontest, and they cast their ballots
'or good government and against
Machine government.
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 pro-
portion 10 It's importance. Tai
madge has been making such
use Of the issue in his various
campaigns. but the people have
had their eyes opened in Georgia.
They aren't likely to fall for this
sort Of hOcus-pOcus again.
There is another lesson to be
irawn from the Augusta election.
II is that when voters can be
rrOused, machines can be over
brown. Here is a practical cyan
ole Of what happens to a machine
when the people make up their
minds N toss il out. The normal
vote of from 1000 to 5000 in
Augusta and PichmO7d County rose
% nearlv 2I.O0O in he recent con
test. with the result that the Cracker
1artv'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
he nolls Tha' Is tho 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 foI
good government in Augusta. II
has great significance, not only
throughout that State but through.
put the nation"