Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-07-10
3. M. DAVIS DISCUSSES
RECENT STATE CONVENTION
Editor of The journal:

recent state convention. Permit me to
contribute another.
/. BY the rules of the party each county
was entitled to two delegates to the con-
vention for each member of the general
assembly from said county. This was
presumed to be the voting strength of
each county in the convention. In prac-
tice this did not prevail. A great msny
of the counties appointed more delegates
than they were entitled to. Clarke county,
for instance, appointed IS, though it was
only entitled to two votes; Coweta Al;
Greene As, while Morgan county, in its en-
thusiasm for the successful candidate, APP
pointed even 80. This would have been
all right If their voting power were con-
fined to double their representatives; but
there was no rule for reserving places IN
the hall simply for the number Of dele
gates a county was entitled to. The null
tiplied delegates, regardless of the voting
capacity of the county, were admitted TO
seats on the floor and to vote in the con-
vention under the ruling Of the chairman.
1t is presumable that in the enthusiasm
of being a delegate for the winning candt-
date more delegates for him would at
tend the convention than those from
counties going for losing candidate. In
fact Il did appear that several counties
that went for one of the losing candidates
were unrepresented upon the floor. II the
convention was controlled by viva voce
a vote by counties Morgan and Clarke
counties could have been more potent In
that convention than the s. counties that
went for Mr.. Estill. while Clarke. Coweta
Greene and Morgan, entitled to only IL
votes in the convention. by the multipli-
cation of delegates, could have voted
down the 126 votes to which Query and
Estill together were entitled.
How did II work in practice?
On the calling of the congressional dis
| tricts for the nomination Of the commit
tee on the platform, the chairman OF the
Sixth congressional district reported that
| his district had been unable to select the
two platform comitteemen they were au-
| thorized to appoint; that the Query and
| the Terrell men in the district we're evenly
| divided and he had been directed by that
| district to report the four names to the
| convention that had been placed In nom
ination and for the convention to select
therefrom two. Guerry delegates stated to
the convention that at the time the con-
gressional delegates held their meeting to
| select this committee the delegates from
| one OF the counts had not arrived in the
| city of Atlanta, that they were now upon
| the floor of the convention, and IL the
Sixth district would reconvene the tie
might be settled by the district Itself and
therefore moved that the delegates be ex-
| cused for ten minutes to see If they could
not select their own committeeman. A
| Terrell delegate then moved as a sub
stitute for this motion that the chairman
Of the convention select from the four
nominees two to represent said district on
the platform committee of said conven-
ton. The substitute being first in order
the Query delegate called for a vote by
counties thereon. The chair promptly
ruled that he would not allow vote by
counties unless majority of the conven-
| ton so determined, but that all measures
n - al he
| substitute being put to a viva voce vote
1t was overwhelmingly carried. Doubtless
| many of the multifold delegates swelled
| the noise of that vote and drowned out the
| opposition. The chairman of the conver-
| ton exercised the authority just conferred
upon him by promptly selecting the two
| Terrell nominees and turning down both
| Of the Guerry nominees, though the dis
trict was evenly divided upon that ques-
| ton.
2. desire to call attention to some no
BILE sentiments expressed by the speakers
| during the course of the convention.
Mr.. Brown, chairman of the convention,
uttered the following sentence that did
| him honor:
''I congratulate you that the party re-
mains without serious division; with few
personal enmities and no partisan bitter
| ness; secure in the confidence that honest
men have been honestly chosen and Will
| honestly administer the state govern
ment."
Mr.. Warner Hill in his nominating
| speech. beautifully spoke as follows:
ut may be truly said that Georgia
Democracy was never so tremendously
organized as now, and Georgia citizenship
was never more universally pleased with
| the result Of contest for state repre-
sentation."
While the nominee for governor delight
| ed the hearts of Democrats all over Geor-
| gia by the following patriotic declaration:
I'm the disposition Of the patronage and
appointments vested in the governor
shall endeavor to select the best man,
without fear, favor or affection, and when
practicable to obtain the wishes Of the
people in local matters, and select that
person most acceptable to them. All DEM
ocrats qualified as prescribed by law, re-
| CARELESS Of their position in the late pri-
mary will be eligible. have no promises
| to fulfill and no old score to settle. We
are one family now, and all shall be treat
| ed alike. Merit, competency and accept
bility of the people shall be the controll-
| ing reasons In making all appointments"
All Georgians who love the Democratic
party Will, no doubt, read these senti-
ments of unity and harmony with great
deal of pleasure. "A word htly spoken is
like apples of gold in pictures of silver"
| Only one Of these gentlemen, however, has
had the opportunity so far to put into act
/ ual practice some act illustrating the
| want "of partisan bitterness and show
ing that Georgia Democracy was never
so harmonious" and proving to the party
| that I'VE are one family now and all shall
/ be treated alike" Mr.. Brown in the selec-
ton of the platform committee above re-
ferred to. There are divers ways Of Sc
curing unity, peace and harmony. 1t is
stated that General Smith, of the United
States army, was so enamored with the
beauties OF peace and the fruits Of harmo-
ny that come in its wake that in order
to obtain them he instructed a detachment
that he sent through the island Of Samar
| to destroy all the males over 10 years of
age and leave the island a bowling will
derness.
Under the rules of the convention, each
congressional district was authorized to
select three members Of the new executive
committee and two members of the plat
form committee, and the chairman Of the
convention was entitled to appoint four
members Of the executive committee from
the state at large. In the recent primary
Mr.. Terrell secured a majority of the del
egates in the second, third, fourth, fifth,
sixth, seventh and eighth congressional
districts The members Of the platform
committee in the late convention and the
new executive committee from the above
congressional districts, my information is
were ardent supporters of Mr.. Terrell
save one each in the second and third
districts, who were a supporters of Mr..
Estill There was not much difference be-
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