Newspaper Page Text
Egood
VENIN vF
By Quimby Melton
Good Evening waited until just
before noon to write this “lead”
to his column. For until then
there were too many “Ifs” that
had to be considered in connec
tion with the question “Who has
been elected President?”
Earlier in the morning it was
being reported that IF Nixon
carried the state of Illinois he
would get that state’s 26 elector
al votes which would “put him
over the top”. Then came the
news "with 95 percent of the
vote in Illinois having been tabu
ulated” Nixon was ahead of
Humphrey by 113,267 votes. This
•would seem to make certain the
election of Richard M. Nixon.
, IF Nixon does carry Illinois,
and IF there is no change in re
turns from other states, Nixon
will have 290 electoral votes,
20 more than the required 270,
Historians will describe the
1968 election in many ways.
Good Evening suggests the use
of one word “Iffy”, for there cer
tainly have been plenty of Ifs
evident all through the campaign
and voting.
— ♦ —
Local election returns show:
Voters in Griffin will go to the
polls again on Nov. 19 to elect a
city commissioner, none of the
three candidates having receiv
ed a majority of the votes cast.
The race will be between Barron
Cumming, who led in the first
election and Raymond Head
who came in second.
Some 6,000 voters registered
their choice in the first election;
And in the general election all
holders of office were reelected.
This included State Senator Bob
Smalley, Legislators Quimby
Melton, Jr. and Clayton Brown,
Clerk of the Court Frank Lind
sey, Ordinary George Imes, Jr.,
Tax Commissioner Ruby Hill,
Sheriff Dwayne Gilbert, County
Commissioner Jack Moss, Solici
tor General Andrew Whalen, City
Court Judge John H. Goddard,
Jr. and Coroner Emmett Chap
pell. Four of these had opposi
tion.
— + —
Our phone has been ringing all
morning with people asking in
formation about this and pre
vious elections.
One young lady asked “What
was the popular vote of John F.
Kennedy and Richard Nixon in
the 1960 election?”
The World Almanac gives it
as *
Kennedy 34,227,096
Nixjon 34,108,546
Kennedy’s popular vote maj
ority was 118,550.
However, his electoral vote
was 303 to Nixon’s 219.
In this same election Senator
Harry F. Byrd, of Virginia, re
ceived 15 electoral votes; six
from unpledged Alabama elec
tors, eight from unpledged Mis
sissippi electors, and one from
a defecting Oklahoma Republi
can.
— ♦ “
As everyone is "holding their
breath” waiting final and com
plete returns in the election held
to select the next President, it’s
interesting to recall that in one
election nearly 150 years ago
there was not the least shadow
of doubt as to the winner.
This was in 1820 when James
Monroe, running for his sec
ond term, won every vote in the
electoral college. But when the
college met to officially declare
him the winner, one of the elec
tors “bolted” and cast his lone
vote for John Quincy Adams.
The elector who "bolted" was
William Plumer, Sr. of New
Hampshire. Historians say he
explained why he changed his
vote saying he did this so that
George Washington would ever
be the only President unani
mously elected.
Limb Knocked
Him From Horse
A Griffin man was injured ser
iously Tuesday afternoon when
the horse he was riding ran
away and went under a tree
limb, knocking him from the
saddle.
Donald Simpson of Route
Three, Griffin, was treated at
the Griffin-Spalding County Hos
pital and transferred to Emory
University Hospital in Atlanta.
He suffered a fractured skull,
neck injuries and lacerations to
his forehead.
Simpson was riding the horse
near his home on Route Three
when the horse ran away. It
ran under a tree limb, knocking
Simpson to the ground. Simpson
lives near Brightmoor Nursing
Home on Georgia 16 west of Gr
iffin.
Nixon Leads In Squeaker;
Humphrey Concedes
— ~
jgK ’s*•
.Ajo'’- ’ v .
I I ■»
F- . ‘ MME i
■ JMPki- < AMI A
uawK *
'-A •"■
, •- . X
k A LJHMI
Richard M. Nixon
Wallace
Georgia
By DON PHILLIPS ,
ATLANTA (UPI) — George
Wallace gave his Georgia sup
porters “the only real victory
we’ve had in 25 years” by easi
ly taking Georgia’s 12 elector
al votes in Tuesday’s election.
Sen. Herman Talmadge kept
his family dynasty intact with
a landslide 4 -1 victory over
Republican Earl Patton.
Wallace took about half the
vote, and Hubert Humphrey and
Richard Nixon battled for sec
ond place in a close contest.
With 1,460 of 2,015 precincts
reporting, Wallace had 410,970
votes to 262,242 for Nixon and
234,198 for Humphrey. The fig
ures represented 45 per cent for
Wallace, 29 per cent for Nixon
and 26 per cent for Humphrey.
In the Senate race with 1,391
precincts reporting, Talmadge
had 516,519 votes, or 72 per
cent, to 164,657 for Patton.
“This is the only real victory
we’ve had in 25 years,” said
Roy Harris, Wallace’s Georgia
campaign manager.
Talmadge issued a victory
statement from his farm in
Lovejoy and went to bed early.
“The people of Georgia have
honored me with election to a
third term in the United States
Senate,” Talmadge said. “I am
deeply grateful for their over
whelming expression of confi
dence and trust.”
“The state of Georgia is now
enjoying its greatest period of
progress in history. With all
Georgians united in the com
mon pursuit of social and eco
nomic advancement, the years
ahead promise even more.”
Patton, sounding in good spir
its despite his loss, Issued a
statement in the pre - dawn
hours saying the state would
benefit from his candidacy.
"Georgia has won because we
are now a two- party state,”
Patton said. “I had the guts to
go after him. The courthouse
politician in Georgia is going
out."
DAILY NEWS
Daily Since 1872 Griffin, Ga., 30223, Wednesday, November 6, 1968 Vol. 95 No. 265
Took
Vote
Returns were slow in coming
in on the only other statewide
race, a contest for the Public
Service Commission between W.
H. (Bill) Kimbrough and chal
lenger Al Stakely.
Only three of the 10 Georgia
Continued on page six
Local Voting
Spalding Went
For Wallace
All local incumbents were re
turned to office Tuesday in the
General Election as Democrats
swept the county by a wide mar
gin in every contested race.
Incumbents Clayton Brown, F.
P. Lindsey, Sr., George C. Im
es, Jr., and Jack Moss were re
elected.
Spalding County followed the
state pattern in giving third
party candidate, George C. Wal
lace, an overwhelming victory.
Sen. Herman Talmadge car
ried the county in a run-a-way
race.
Some political observers thou
ght a couple of the local races
would be close.
However, unofficial tabulations
show there were no close rac
es.
Incumbent Rep. Clayton Brown
beat his Republican opponent,
Leonard Erwin, 8,814 votes to 3,-
646.
Rep. Brown defeated Erwin 6,-
734 votes to 3,121 in Spalding Co
unty and 2,080 to 525 in Fayette
County.
GRIFFIN
Weather:
FORECAST FOR GRIFFIN
AREA — Mostly cloudy and
cool tonight and Thursday.
Showers or thundershowers to
night and Thursday.
LOCAL WEATHER — Maxi
mum today 68, minimum today
54, maximum Tuesday 59, mini
mum Tuesday 52. Sunrise Th
ursday 7:02 a.m., sunset Thurs
day 5:45 p.m.
(Spalding and Fayette share a
House district.)
Incumbent F. P. Lindsey, Sr.,
Clerk of Spalding Superior Co
urt, beat his Republican oppon
ent, Jimmy Trenton, 7,321 to 2,-
489 .
Ordinary George C. Imes, Jr.
was reelected to another term.
He beat Republican John Snid
er, a newcomer to politics, 7,-
085 votes to 2,973.
County Commissioner Jack
Moss beat his Republican oppon
ent, Sam Cooley 7,109 votes to 2,-
833.
Sen. Herman Talmadge re
ceived the most votes of any
single candidate in Spalding Co
unty. He defeated his GOP op
ponent, Earl Patton, Jr. 8,172 to
1,581.
Spalding County voters favor
ed George C. Wallace over De
mocratic and Republican oppos
ition.
Wallace received 5,476 here.
Nixon was second with 3,258 and
Vice President Humphrey ran
third with 2,973.
M Have Done My
Best,’ HHH Says
By RAYMOND LAHR
WASHINGTON (DPI) —
Richard M. Nixon in his second
try apparently has been elected
President of the United States
with at least 287 electoral votes.
Humphrey, shortly after noon
EST conceded Nixon’s victory
“according to the unofficial
returns.”
From Minneapolis he tele
phoned his “congratulations” to
Nixon in New York and
promised the Republican his
total support.
“I have done my best,"
Humphrey told his supporters.
“I have lost. Mr. Nixon has
won t,”
The concession climaxed one
of the closest races in
presidential history.
Illinois gave Nixon his win
ning electoral vote margin by a
close tally.
It remained conceivable, if
not likely, that a resurvey of
votes in all states might turn up
unsuspected errors.
But Humphrey obviously was
relying on the unofficial returns.
The News Election Service,
which compiled results for all
media, said it believed the
returns reported from yester
day’s election were reliable.
But it announced it was
making a precautionary county
by-country recheck of results
from all 50 states.
Nixon and Humphrey ran
neck and neck in the popular
vote. But the Republican piled
up an electoral vote which
apparently assured his victory.
His winning margin came
when Illinois’ 26 electoral votes
were added to the 261 Nixon
previously had won in other
states. This put him well past
the 270 needed for election.
Returns from 92 per cent of
the nation’s precincts gave:
Nixon — 29,010,105 popular
votes, 43 per cent and 287
electoral votes.
Humphrey—2B,Bl4,2B4 popular,
43 per cent and 181 electoral.
Independent party candidate
George C. Wa11ace—9,036,420, 13
per cent and 45 electoral.
Nixon moved into a com
manding lead shortly after 8
a.m. EST when his native state
of California with 40 electoral
votes raised his total to 261.
Shortly after 11 a.m. EST it
became apparent that Nixon—
again barring the unexpected,
also would get Illinois’ 26 votes,
putting him well over the top.
The Illinois vote at 11:18 a.m.
In another state-wide race De
mocrat W. H. Kimbrough, Pub
lic Service Commissioner, beat
his GOP opponent, Al Stakely,
7,340 votes to 1,489.
Local candidates elected with
out opposition were: John God
dard, Judge of City Court; Em
mett E. Chappell, Coroner; Dw
ayne Gilbert, Sheriff; Quimby
Melton, Jr., Representative in
General Assembly, 32nd District
Post 1; Robert H. Smalley, Jr.,
Senator, 28th District; John J.
Flynt, Jr., Sixth District Repre
sentative in U.S. Congress; An
drew J. Whalen, Solicitor of Grif
fin Judicial Circuit.
Rep. Brown today thanked the
voters in Spalding County "for
the overwhelming confidence as
expressed in the general elec
tion.”
“I promise that I will exercise
all my strength and capabilities
in giving our citizens the dedica
ted and devoted representation
which they expect, and the inter
est and welfare of all our people
will be given my highest prior
ity.”
EST with 93 per cent of
precincts reported Showed:
Nixon 1,996,579
Humphrey 1,879,453
The situation in remaining
undecided states: In Alaska
with three electoral votes Nixon
was leading Humphrey by 197
popular votes. Humphrey,
however, was leading in Mary
land with 10 electoral votes and
Missouri with 12.
Missouri, where Humphrey
was leading by 11,000, has about
100,000 absentee ballots to be
counted this coming weekend.
Maryland, showing a Humphrey
lead of 19,000 had 35,000
absentees to be counted Thurs
day.
The national popular vote lead
had switched several times last
night and early today between
Nixon and Humphrey, and for
hours it appeared possible that
, Wallace might be able to pick
the next President by having his
45 electors—won in five South
ern states —cast their votes
Dec. 16 for one or the other
major party candidate.
Nixon’s margin in Illinois
forestalled that and also the
other possibility that the new
Democratic-controlled House of
Representatives might have to
pick the 37th President on Jan.
6.
Meanwhile, the Democrats
claimed comfortable control of
the new 91st Congress despite
some losses.
The indicated lineup in the
Senate was 58 Democrats and
42 Republicans, a GOP gain of
five.
The indicated House lineup
was 244 Democrats and 191
Republicans a GOP gain of
three.
Republicans made larger pro
portional gains in state houses,
registering a net gain of five in
governorships to give them 31
to 19 for the Democrats. This
exceeded the 30 statehouses the
GOP held after Dwight D.
Eisenhower’s landslide victory
16 years ago.
Both sides suffe.red surprising
losses in the congressional and
governorship races.
Possibly the biggest upset
victim among the veteran
Democratic senators was A. S.
Mike Monroriey of Oklahoma,
who was beaten by Republican
former Gov. Henry Bellmon.
The Republicans’ most stunning
defeat was that of Rhode Island
Gov. John H. Chafee.
Another veteran Democratic
senator, Wayne Morse of
Oregon, w r as involved in a
cliffhanger against a Republican
state legislator and the outcome
was still in doubt at mid-day.
The new president will not
have a clear national mandate.
His share of the popular vote is
the smallest given any president
since Woodrow Wilson won a
three-way contest with 41.9 per
cent in 1912.
In the popular vote, Nixon
and Humphrey ran almost even
count by the National Election
Service. But it was a see-saw
contest for the electoral votes
ahead by winning such prizes as
New York with its largest bloc
of electoral votes, 43; Pennsyl
vania with 29, Michigan with 21;
Massachusetts with 14, and then
President Johnson’s home state
of Texas with 25.
Await Maryland Results
Typifying the teeter-totter
events of the night was
Maryland where Humphrey
emerged in front by 19,000 votes
when the voting machine
tabulation was completed. But
there were 35,000 absentee
ballots which will not be
counted until Thursday, continu
ing the uncertainty over the
state’s 10 electoral votes until
then.
Except for Texas, Humphrey
was shut out in the once solidly
Democratic South. Nixon and
Wallace each carried five
states. Humphrey trailed in
third place in Tennessee,
Georgia, South Carolina and
North Carolina.
Humphrey appeared to benefit
across the country from mas-
Cwitinued on page six
I 1
e E j *
i i
Barron Cumming
City Commission
Election Thrown
Into Runoff Race
Griffin voters aren’t through
casting ballots yet.
They will return to the polls on
Nov. 19 to elect a city commis
sioner.
Not one of the three candidat
es in Tuesday’s election receiv
ed a majority.
The run off will be between W.
Barron Cumming, a Griffin at
torney, and Raymond Head,
Jr., a Griffin business man.
Former city commissioner and
mayor, Carl Pruett, ran third in
the local election that drew near
ly 6,000 voters.
Cumming, who made his first
venture into politics, was the
top vote getter with 2,662.
Precinct Cumming Head Pruett
1. 288 74 208
2. 170 652 128
3. 1053 316 554
4. 232 195 186
5. 324 149 137
6. 488 222 271
7. 107 89 71
Total 2,662 1,697 1,555
Police Dept.
Begins Move
The Griffin Police Department
today began moving into its new
headquarters in the Civil Defen
se Building on the North Ex
pressway.
. Chief Leo Blackwell said he is
hoping that, the move can be
completed by Thursday after
noon.
“The switchboard and radios
will be the last thing to be mov
ed. We must be ready out there
before the change in the equip
ment is made,” Chief Blackwell
said.
The move to the Civil Defense
building will give more room
for department operations. Chief
Blackwell said that the depart
ment had outgrown the facilities
in the City Hall.
The jail will continue to oper
ate at the city hall. The parking
Country Parson
“If the world didn’t change,
life would be simple — and
dull.”
?Wk 4
K 1 *
Raymond Head
Head, the first Negro to run
for a city office here in modern
history, finished second. He poll
ed 1,697 votes.
Pruett finished third with 1,-
555 votes.
Cumming carried six of the
city’s seven precincts.
The third precinct went over
whelmingly for Cumming.
He received 1,053 votes in that
precinct to Head’s 316 and Pr
uett’s 554.
In addition to the third, Cum
ming carried the first, fourth,
fifth, sixth and seventh precincts.
Head won by a wide margin in
the city’s second precinct. He
polled 652 votes to Cumming’s
170 and Pruett’s 128.
meter officers and the parking
meter repairmen will continue to
operate from City Hall.
All other operations are being
transferred to the Civil Defense
Building, Chief Blackwell said.
Arrests Made
In Crackdown
On Park Tickets
A number of Griffinites were
arrested Monday and Tuesday
and charged with failure to pay
parking tickets. The city began
a crackdown on people who fail
to pay parking tickets Monday.
Seventeen people were arrest
ed Tuesday and a large number
was arrested Monday, accord
ing to the Police Department.
The cases are being made
against people who have accum
ulated parking tickets and have
not paid the fines.
In an announcement Monday,
the department said people cou
ld avoid cases being made ag
ainst them by paying the tickets
at the Police Department. The
cost of each ticket held over 24
hours is $2. If a case is made,
the fine jumps to $3 per ticket,
plus <l2 for the cost of the case.
The normal fine is 50 cents if
tickets are paid within 24 hours.
The announcement Monday
said that an officer had been
assigned to collect for the tickets
that have accumulated. It s a 1 d
some people had accumulated
large numbers of tickets-