Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-03-23
BARTLETT MAKES
RED HOT ANSWER
DECLARES STATEMENT THAT HE
HAS BOLTED STATE DELEGA.
TION CAUCUS FOR PAST TEN
YEARS is FALSE.

WASHINGTON March 19.-Although
the Georgia delegation in congress IS not
and has never been a recognized Demo-
cratic unit, having no chairman or sec
rotary, two or three of the SIX Geor-
gians who bolted their party last Mon
day and challenged the wrath of all or
ganized Democrats, are endeavoring to
distract attention from their plight by
counter charges against Representatives
Bartlett and Hardwick, two OF the reg
ular organized Democrats from Georgia
The simple statement that the state
delegation is not and never been recog-
nized as a unit is regarded as quite sum-
cient to refute the assertions that Hard
wick and Bartlett have bolted every eau
Gus OF the delegation for the past ten
years.
1t is pointed out by regular Democrats,
however, that they have never YET bolteO
an action by the general Democratic eau
Gus, while as much cannot be said or
some other Georgians; indeed, II is re-
marked upon a s TO the credit or the ster-
ling Democracy OF Bartlett and Hard
WICK that they have not followed and
I agreed with the Georgians who at the
! first call bolted their party.
| 1t is we'll enough to remember that
the boilers injected into the question
! the unfounded declaration that Hard
wick had threatened to take the stump
against the Georglans VINO poited lhSH
| party.
What MIR. Hardwick Says
Although he has disavowed any such
utterance it has been repeated with in
/ sistence.
When seen today Mr. Hardwick said:
! while l have not been going around
! with a chip on my shoulder looking Tor
/ trouble and have not threatened to stump
the districts of my colleagues, who bolt
/ ed last Monday, 1 have no hesitancy In
| declaring that l stand ready TO meet any
man, anywhere. anytime in Georgia who
wants to meet me on this issue 1 have
not challenged them nor am challenging
! them"
Continuing Mr. Hardwick said that. in
reply to the charge that he and Bartlett
| had bolted caucusses of the state dele
| CATION, that the Georgia delegation is not
now, nor has ii ever been recognized as
| a Democratic unit. 1t has no chairman,
neither has it a secretary.
Issue Not Personal
However, 1t rarely happens that L can
| agree with some of my colleagues here
/ or at home, for which / have no excuse
to offer and of which l am exceedingly
proud" added Mr.. Hardwick. They be-
long TO one wing of the party and l to
| another
|
| towards any one of my colleagues, and
have never sought to do any of them an
injury about committee assignments, or
anything else.
"ln conclusion, I have only to say that
the issue is in no sense a personal one,
and cannot be made so either by them
| or any newspaper"
1.-THE endeavor to muddy the
water by falsely charging that
- ~ Ca a
delegation cannot and shall not
be used as a stalking horse behind which
anybody shall hide" declared Represen-
| tative Charles l.. Bartlett today wnen In
formed of the effort of the Atlanta Con-
stitution to complicate matters and hide
their real issue in order to protect the
| six Georgians who bolted the party eau
| Gus last Monday and voted for perpet-
uation of Cannon and Cannonism.
Answering the direct charge that he
had bolted every caucus of his state dele
CATION for the past ten yeara ana tnaI ne
aspired to Judge Griggs' place on ways
and means committee, Judge Bartlett
| said:
II desire to brand that statement as a
falsehood, and those who inspired the
story authorized the publication of what
they knew and intended to be a false
| hood.
Signed the Call
ION Saturday last at a meeting of the
| Georgia delegation which had been pre-
viously called as a conference, a paper
| was presented to me to sign, not as
result of any caucus action but as the
! opinion of each individual member" con-
tinued Judge Bartlett.
1.-THE call for the conference which l
signed, contained no reference to, nor
contemplated the consideration of any
such questions and the statement was
| made in the meeting by Mr.. Howard that
| 1 need not feel myself bound to partic-
ipate in it by reason of having signed
| the call.
THE Georgia meeting took no action
as a caucus upon the propositions pre-
scented, but when they declined to add
to their three propositions a fourth pro-
posed by me, to abide the action of the
| Democratic caucus, 1 declined to sign the
| paper and retired. 1 did repudiate and
| oppose these propositions in the Demo-
cratic caucus and they were voted down
overwhelmingly, receiving only about
seven votes
Proud He Supports Clark
| 81 am proud of the fact that I am
la supporter of MIR. Champ Clark. the
Democratic leader and while he has not
confded in me any more than in other
Democrats, that L am aware of, yet the
men who struck on him and the party oil
Monday last and Joined with the Repub
llicans are certainly not entitled to his
confidence or the confidence of the Dem
ocratic party.
| II did not oppose the resolutions adopt
| ed by the Georgia conference on the
| ground that they did not go far enough:
| / believed then, and believe now that
| they were a sham, and a fraud put up
to deceive. and in effect would aid Joe
| Cannon to keep control of the house.
What 1 did insist on was that Mr.. Clark
had reached an agreement with the in
surgent Republicans which would be sub
mitted to the general caucus for its ap-
prevail on Monday.
This agreement was presented to the
caucus and approved by it on Monday.
and this agreement provided that the
control of the committee on rules should
be taken out of the hands of the speaker
and placed in the control of the house.
Must Prove Charges
| THE delegation has not held a caucus
since 1905 for any purpose. not even for
the selection of the member Of the con-
gressional committees. Since il is charged
that / bolted a caucus of the Georgia
delegation. let them name the time and
on what subject or stand branded as fall