Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1908-04-22
What Will State Executive Committee
Do?
augusta ChrOnicle.)

What will the Democratic state
executive committee do when it
meets next Friday?
This is a question that is giving
food for thought to every politician
in Atlanta The consensus of opin-
ion is that the committee will do
nothing beyond Strengthening out a
split in the Democratic ranks of
Gilmer county, and possibly making
some decision for the nomination of
delegates to the national convention
to be held at Denver. 1t may also
change the rule adopted for the
the coming primary whereby all
delegates to the state convention
must be chosen from among the
friends of the successful candidate for
governor.
There is talk, of course, about the
committee deferring the date of the
primary. Some say that it is HOke
Smiths only hope of getting the NOM
nation again-by allowing him the
time to make a complete canvass of
the state. AS the legislature will
meet the latter part of June, the
primary if deferred, would have to
be put off until late in the summer or
in the early fall.
1t is stated that a postpOnment
would not aid the governor on the
ground that he will have to stick to
his post of duty at the capitol while
the general assembly is in session.
Others argue, however, that the leg
islature would not seriously in
terfere with the governors campaign
ing, the argument being based on
his conduct during the past three
weeks The chief executive virtually
deserted his office, and has left the
affairs of state to care of his secre-
| taries. They have been performing
the duties we'll. The governor hasn't
spent ten hours in his office in more
| than two weeks.
Unless the Smith forces should de-
| eide that the situation is a very des-
perate one, there will be no effort to
| put off the primary date. In the first
| place it would be an admission of
serious, if not fatal, weakness. In
| the second it would cause endless con-
| fusion. More than Is county commit
| tees have fixed the date as the one
| for holding their local primaries; it
| has been adopted in all the congress
| siOnal and senatorial districts, and
| all the contests for places on the
/
| torships have been waged with June
| 4 as the prospective end
There will be many bowls in case
| the committee undertakes to defer
| the date. The body cannot take the
| position that it acted hastily in the
matter, as a strong fight was made at
| the last meeting for a later primary
| Colonel r. l.. Barnes, of Macon, led
| the fight, and declared that those
| voting for it would probably regret the
| action.
The other radical action the COM
mittee might take is to abolish the
| rule providing a majority nomination
| and re-establish the delegate system
| 1t is openly stated that the present
rule cuts both ways for Brown. The
| opposition candidate is strongest in
the cities. The small rural counties
are resenting the action of the state
committees, which was virtually die
| tated by the governor.
| If any effort is made to change the
| method of nominating, the same
| will be a confession or weakness and
an admission that Hoke Smith can
not get a majority of the popular vote
| The committee will also find itself
faced by the following plank of the
| platform adopted by the Macon con-
vention:
1--WE declare it to be the policy OF
the Democratic party of Georgia that
hereafter all primary elections for
United States senators, state house
officers, supreme court and appellate
court judges should such latter court
be created, shall be by direct and
popular vote.
Governor Smith will find it difficult
to evade responsibility for the subor-
dination of small counties. He advo-
Gated the adoption of the new nom
mating system in many speeches,
particularly in the one before his
convention in Macon. He framed the
Macon platform, and he dictated the
rules for the coming primary cleo
ton. His own secretary wrote them
out.