The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-06-08
EXTRAORDINARY ONE MAN POWER

| - Although the contest for Governor and other State ohicers in Georgia was decided at the recent primary election. . convention made up of dei- egates from every County Is to meet in few days. That convention will name the delegates from the State at large to the National Democratic Con- vention and the delegates from each Congressional district win select the district representatives to Denver. Up to this time no calculation as to how the Georgia delegation to Denver will stand has been made and there is an extraordinary reason for this si- lence. It will be recalled that when the last State Convention met in Ala bama. Governor Conner, who had been successful In the primary made his will the law in everything. It did not suit his purposes for the districts to name members of the State Executive committee and the selection for the first time in Alabama was made by the convention. Phior to that time the districts had selected their own men, reported to the convention and the district action was ratified. There was one exception in 1902 when the Com mitteemen were chosen at primary. Governor Smith was the power in Georgia at the convention in 1906 and he had a Committee selected that would suit his purposes and we be- | hold the result. That Committee in ordering the Georgia primary broke up the old plan in vogue in each coun- l ty for selecting delegates to the State convention to register the will of the people and ordered straight State primary. those receiving the highest votes to be the nominees. Of course Governor Smith supposed that he was all powerful and that no one would dare to oppose him. That he was mis- taken in that view of the matter has been most impressively demon strated.
 That Committee provided for State Convention, and prescribed the number of delegates from each County. besides did the extraordinary thing of allow ing the successful candidate for Gov ernor to virtually name every delegate. That is to say if County had given 5000 majority for Hoke Smith for Governor as it has turned out under that plan of the State Committee Joe Brown or his friends through him would have the right to name the dele gates regardless of the wishes of the majority of the Democrats of the county Here again Governor Smith miscalculated for he and his friends supposed they would carry the State overwhelmingly and select delegates to the State convention who would be absolutely obedient to his wishes.
 It can be seen at once that the suc- cessful candidate for Governor if he so chooses can have State conven- tion from which can be excluded every man who voted against him. In ad- dition to that it Is in the power of Joe Brown and not Hoke Smith prac- tically to name every delegate to the Denver Convention regardless of the wishes of the people. This was not Browns work nor that of his friends. but solely Governor Smiths and his following. who sought like Governor Conner, in Alabama to lodge all power in one mans hands. No wonder with such evidence of desire to rule with an iron rod the freemen of Geor- gia rose in their wrath and smote the would be usurper "hip and thigh"
 It is interesting to note that during the campaign Smith and Brown were asked what they would do in the way of securing a delegation to Denver. To be explicit the Bryan Club of Rich mond County asked them if they would pledge themselves to use their infience tO 5OOuAS 0SACS4lAOls SOh9A nor Smith made no reply. But Joe Brown did as follows:
 q shall not undertake to dictate to the convention. I shall ask the exc cutive committees throughout Georgia to select delegates representative of the sentiments from their respective counties"
 In other words Hoke Smiths nice nt- tie scheme of carrying a solid State delegation to Denver in his vest pock- ct has been broken up and under Mir. Browns plan every County in the State can act so far as he is concerned. as 1t pleases. That is true unadulte- rated American Democracy.