The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-06-27
THEY TALK OF THE RESULT.
THE CONVENTIONS ACTION on THE
CHATHAM DELEGATION.

aIItex Maintain Their Right Of Ap-
peal to the People-Says the Merits
OF the Question Were Not Passed
Onion. Pope BARROW says the
Conventions Action was BASED
Entirely on Necessary Party Prin-
cIpIes and RuIes-It Must Dc so,
He says. 30 Maintain OrEaaiEation.
The Tilt Between Mai Meldrim
and Mayor Myers.
There IS considerable difference OF opin-
ion as 10 the action Of The state conven-
zion in refus-ns 10 recognize the deiega-
ton chosen az the theater mass meeting.
All the members Of the TWO delesauons
returned 10 the city yesterday, and for
some time they were kept busy wiki ex-
plantations as 70 how and why il happen
ed. OF course. there are Two sides 70 the
story. in which the members OF the re-
spectlve sides readily aequiesce.
There was some little disappointment
over the matter. II is true" Maj. p. ".
Meldrlm said. but then it VIII In no wise
affect rs so FAR as the light here is con-
cerned. Those gentlemen did not repre-
sent the Liberal Club. but were selected
at democratic mass meeting, called by
eleven members Of the executive commit
tee. at which DIR. William Duncan pre-
sided"
1t is probable that in time DR.. Duncan
Will be asked to call another mass meet
ing Of the democrats, at which the dele
gates to these respective conventions will
make their reports. It is not likely
though. that this meeting Will be held
until after the senatorial convention, so
that reports can be received from all the
delegations at the same time. When
asked about the effect of the acton on the
local situation, Maj. MeldriIh said he
didn't think 1t would affect the local
fight in the slightest way.
THE committee on credentials did not
attempt in any manner to pass on the
merits Of the case" he said "Fiftsen
minutes were allowed 10 each side, and it
was impossible in that time to read a
record, hear an argument and determine
the real merits of the controversy. In
other words, the certificate of the chair
man of the executive committee was
taken as prima facie evidence and there
was no time TO go back OF that and make
a thorough investigation Of the merits Of
the case. To have divided the delegation
would have been going back OF or behind
that certificate, and there was no time TO
look into the matter. But II will not af-
feet the issue here one way or another
The real fight here is A. p. Aism on the
one side and anita. p. Aism on the other
and there is no use attempting to disguise
It. The same men found in A. p A meet
ings are the men you find at Citizens Club
meetings and on their ticket.
1--WE claim the right Of appeal to first
principles" Maj Meldrim continued. 1.-THE
people created the executive committee,
and when that body, the agent of the
party and of the PEOPLE refuses to act in
accordance with their wishes, we certain
~ have the right to appeal to the power
that created the agent to rectify the er-
rors made"
An interesting feature Of the convention
was little discussion between Maj. Mel
drim and Mayor Herman Myers on the
A. p. A. question. Mr.. Walter G. Charl-
ton, in his speech before the committee
on credentials in behalf Of the theater
delegations, argued that the action of
the thirteen members Of the executive
committee was undemocratlc, because
they were controlled by the Citizens Club
and thesCitizens Club was in turn controll-
ed by the American Protective Associa-
ton. There was denial of this state
ment, whereupon Maj. Meldrim asked
Mayor Myers:
do you mean to say that you have no
knowledge of the afiiliation Of the Citi-
zens Club with the A. p. A. ?"
THE Citizens Club" Mayor Myers re-
piled, has no afHliation with the A. P.
Maj Meldrim then asked Mr.. Myers If
he didn't know that four members of the
congressional delegation were members
of the A. p. A. Mayor Myers replied that
if they We're he did not know it.
Hon. Pope Barrow, who headed the del
egatton elected at the primary was asked
by a representative of the Morning News
for an explanation of the conventions ac-
ton.
Mr., Barrow said the explanation is a
simple one.
THE convention and the committee on
credentials he said, felt bound to seat
the delegates elected in pursuance Of the
action OF the majority of the executive
committee. They We're unwilling to do
anything even to weaken the democratic
organization in this state, and much less
to break 1t down. There were many dele
gates there from counties where their
only salvation is strict adherence to the
democratic organization. They have suf-
fered in the past from a relaxation of
party discipline, and they naturally look
with apprehension upon anything like. a
refusal to be bound by the action of a
majority of the constituted committees
of democratic organizations In many of
the counties in Georgia 1t is matter OF
the very greatest Importance, almost a
question OF existence.
IF 1t were not for the presence. in
many parts of the south, of large COL
ored vote, which is naturally opposed to
the organized democracy, it would not
be so vital thing to uphold the author
ity and respect the rules and orders or
the constituted authorities of the demo-
cratic party. But with that vote here
a man with half an eye can see that the
consequences Of a refusal TO stand by the
party organization means sooner or
later, transfer of the control of county
matters to that element. l can Mans
| nifty counties in Georgia that would he
plunged into a ruinous condition If the
democratic party tolerates a split basaS
upon a refusal by a minority to conform
to the regulations made by the majority
THE difference between us here aboHt
the primary involved nothing, except a
question of details in the management
| The gentlemen who were elected bv the
theater meeting were all good men per-
sonaly, and If they had been chosen nv,
the regular party organization there couI1
have been no objection to them TIE
difficulty was the convention could nor
seat them without tearing down the only
barriers that exist in many counties in
| Georgia, against the domination Of the
/ class l have referred to-"
We felt that the decision of the com
mittee on credentials would be a inst
| one as soon as we heard their names
announced Mr.. Bryan Cumming Of An.
gusta. son of Maj. Joseph b. C1mmine
| was the chairman of the COMMITTEES ~