Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-09-13
GEORGLA'S DEMOCRACY


fomen dscord and open the old wounds of strife They
go August wnthrd and the primary
all again Against the majority they pit their in
divdua ambitions and count their selfish interests more I'M
porant than the public welfare
policy and deserves heed IN the serious
business of this commonwealth.
These politicians keep harpng what they term the sea
roller convention They persist in claiming that they mao
right to thrust into party platform certain policies that had
been voted down by the people at the ballot box ~
The Journal has intention desire to Prolong poh''
believe that practically Georgian regard
the under which he have marched the days OF
campaign wishes forget what has been and to work
earnestly broadest development 1t in that oil
rection that and purpose lie YET proper
just point briefly the illogical and unjust attitude Oh
these trouble lest by their continuous talk
they should mslead honest minds.
In so far as the position they hold is due to reasoning
it comes that they fail to distinguish between inc
object Of state Democratic primary state Democratic con-
venton radically different both in purpose ana
method and when clearly understood the
claim that three or four sesyed leaders Of minority were
entitled dominate considerable measure 10 drec W
recent convention becomes untenabe
The purpose Democratic primary in Georgia to as
certain by popular vote the maJory Will with respect
to issues and The OF the state convention
to give definite party to the peoples will thus a
and to provide party machinery whereby can be carried
Tho convention is no more primary than the primary is
convention is deliberatve body but rather MINISTERIAL
ono II Is not designed to but to formulate and x
press policies already been determined by the people
II the messenger the master of the popular WI"
Therefore it neither the business nor the rlght OF STATE
convention 70 % hack of the primary and recall issues which the
peope themselves have already decided at the polls For this
same reason state convention not properly
with any question mnores maorites that may nave pre-
sened division When the popular vote has
been counted and result determined then mnertles ana ma
iorites are and there is left only the Demorauc party
The primary establishes the policies for which the party nan
stand the regular election and the soe PrGv0e u w
ton is formulate the policies thus established - i+
If therefore selfsyled leaders of minority come INTO
convention is bound popular mandate to proclaim and carry
out they in the case they are the 70
party ethics and law, and they must be halted . -,
precisely the situation at the convention IN s
it ae had been ndorsed at the polls majority of Demo
Gratis demanded by their votes that Tor the next TWO years Inc
nav machinery committed to the friends OF these pocles
had been these policies The duty
of the plain Yet three or four ndVouas
ing to minority which they were really never autno
d sought the making of the platform and
the running the machinery solely order that they might W
hook or by crook vitate and far as possible tape down
those very policies convention had assembled to declare
in accordance with Democracys demand
who had papaby all but avowed for the purpose OF
breeding strife and of reopening issues settled IN tne mao
they right demand to expect to be gwen power tne
hairs had been thrown them could that convention ever
have transacted for which had met or adequately
forth the principles 1t was commissioner W 0 4
Would it have Democratic convention at ALT On the
contrary would have been reeora nght nt only Io street
The ubernaoriai campaign that August the twenty
third was not primarily between but between
two opposite sets OF polces Oh Nv" t t;
of political thought the current saying Is The real question
subm
sets policies shall be the Democratic party PLATFORM IN the
coming eecton second To whom shall entrust our
narv machinery years The result OF the pr
mary furnished asucient There reason or
RIGHT in seeking to 90 back The pary platform
principles for which Hok Smith stood
Then by conceivable could he have been nom
mated on platform containing policies he could not believe In and
which had the pols Yet this just what
few minority leaders camorng for They wanted
the pav candidate the general election platform
he had opposed primary To contend that because the
minority happened considerable size should therefore be
given proportonae weight the platform ridiculous as to
Brown and Governor Smith should divide
time in the executive office from 1911 to 1913
nineyegh thousand Georgans who voted Tor
oe Smith found the minority But they did not
simply because number they had right to
dictate Governor platform direct his party machin
that the successful candidate entitled
70 run ON platform embodied his and the maorys
views entitled the machinery for carrying them
And that convinced the attitude of the nnetthree
in at