His newspaper, the "Journal", endorsed the candidate but continued to denounce the silver policy. Smith resigned his cabinet post to protect Cleveland. Smith returned to Atlanta and resumed his lucrative law practice netting around $25,000 per year and slowly rebuilt his local reputation. In April 1900 he sold his interests in the "Journal" and tried many other investments but the only ones that did well were real estate in the Atlanta area. He was instrumental in organizing the North Avenue Presbyterian Church (which still stands) and was re-elected to the Atlanta Board of Education. Smith allied himself with Bryan's Vice Presidential candidate, Populist Tom Watson, one of Georgia's most influential politicians. With Watson's support, Smith was elected governor in 1907. In order to gain Watson's support, however, he had to call the Negro vote "ignorant [and] purchasable." Smith established several Jim Crow laws requiring literacy tests and property ownership for voting; "Smith kept his promise to Watson by leading the adoption of a constitutional amendment to impose a grandfather clause that effectively disenfranchised black Georgians." Smith also supported railroad reform and election reform. After losing the support of Watson, he was defeated in the next election by Joseph M. Brown. Smith was re-elected as governor in 1911. In 1911 while still governor, he was chosen by the Georgia General Assembly to fill out the term of United States Senator Alexander S. Clay. Smith won re-election in 1914, but was defeated by Tom Watson in 1920. Afterward, Smith practiced law in Washington, DC, and Atlanta. Michael Hoke Smith died in 1931 and is buried in Oakland Cemetery in Atlanta, the last surviving member of the Cleveland Cabinet. Smith was a maternal great-uncle of the Louisiana politician Frank Burton Ellis of New Orleans. Hoke Smith High School (1947–1985) once stood at 535 Hill Street SE, in Atlanta. During World War II, a Liberty ship was named the "SS Hoke Smith". The Hoke Smith Annex Building on the campus of the University of Georgia was named in honor of the late senator.