The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1910-06-22
THAT ALLEGED EXPRESSION OF CHOICE" IN CLAY
Snap Election Held Contrary to State Law and Action
of the District Democratic Executive Committee.

To the Voters of Clay, Randolph
and Terrell Counties: Owing to the
shortness of the time from now til
the primary, August 23rd, 1910, 1t
will be almost impossible for me to
meet all of you face to face. 1t would
be a great pleasure to do so, and I
will as far as l can. l am the mayor
of the city of Fort Gaines, but farm
ing is my chief occupation, and that
will take some of my time.
While l will not undertake to re-
ply to much of the scurrilous rot"
contained in that filthy sheet known
as the Adder" in Southwest Georgia
politics, which does not hesitate to
malign even the dead, as it did Judge
Griggs a short while after his burial,
and which is edited by my opponent,
I think it proper to refer to his claim
of having been already elected as
Clay county's choice and the only one
fit and qualified to be your senator.
Let's see. The new law regulating
primary elections, passed in 1908, re-
quires that no primary for governor,
state house officers, judges, solicitors
general and members of the general
assembly Representatives and sena-
tors) shall be called earlier than
sixty days before the regular cleo
ton in October, consequently not be-
fore August 5th and all to be on the
same day. This law was passed, after
having been fully discussed in the
previous campaign by Mr.. Smith, for
the purpose of preventing SNAP
judgment" for these important offices
by the various executive committees
and their favorites.
Governor Smiths opposition to and
explanation of the One-county ex-
preston was that if left to only one
county in each district all over Geor-
gia in the forty-fve districts it meant
that only forty-five counties would
name the senators, which made it TOO
easy for fraudulent and unclean
methods to be used, and by winning
twenty-three counties some political
or some interests adverse to the pub
lie good could block legislation and
make it so that the governor and
full house with him would be unable
to pass a law. The purpose of this
new law is to prevent the very thing
Mr.. Shaw is trying to do. He can't
plead ignorance of the new law, for
he was there and voted for the
change.
The executive committee of Clay
county met March 23rd for the pur-
pose of calling a primary for county
officers, which was called by them for
April 22nd, and unlawfully added
"for an expression for choice of SEN
ator." My opponent got his name
placed on these tickets as senator for
the next two years. 1t was unlawful,
not authorized by the senatorial exec
utive committee and not binding on
anyone and so recognized, being more
than three months before a primary
for a senator could lawfully be held.
1t was so far in advance of the lawful
time that no one had given the matter
much thought as to who should be
the proper man from Clay county,
whose time it is under the rotation
system to furnish the senator, and
no one else was attempting to get
off with such a fraudulent "snap,"
and no one was voted for in that early
April primary except my opponent,
who had "butted in" to have things
fixed contrary to law. The senatorial
executive committee, composed of
Judge NJ. G. Edwards of Terrell, Hon.
R. l.. Moye of Randolph and Hon.
E. w. Killingsworth of Clay. met on
March 28th, only five days after Clay
cOunty's committee met, and called
the primary for senator according to
law, and repudiated the action of Clay
county's executive committee, and in
fixing the rules for same stated that
any candidate would be recognized
who was a resident of Clay county
and who would pay his assessment
of thirty dollars by June list, 1910.
After this action of the senatorial
committee no one expected the sena-
tor to be voted for at the county pri-
mary, and to allow it done was mani
testify unlawful, unfair and unjust,
and such conduct should be rebuked
by the people of the district. |, with
many other good citizens of Clay
county, appeal to you to right this
wrong that justice and law may pre-
vail. / am a resident of Clay county.
and have paid by assessment. NY
opponent. although claiming to have
been nominated, not being satisfied
with his 'snap" comes in, too. I'M
der the same rules, but claims by the
unlawful procedure in April that you
are forestalled from voting for any
one but himself My county will re-
pudiate him, as such a fraud deserves
to be, when the time comes on the
day of the senatorial primary.
| am assured of a good majority
in Clay county, and although my OPP
ponent makes loud boasts of my pas
tor and neighbors being for him l
wish to state that such claim, like
many others he makes, is untrue. I
am member of the Presbyterian
church in Fort Gaines, and my pas
tor is Rev. S. w. DuBose of Cuth-
bert. Out of the eight of my nearest
neighbors seven of them are for me.
Ask them about it. In troublous
times in the past l have been honored
by my county as the standard-bearer
OF the party, and l never allowed it
w-------a----