Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-07-12
HALL PLAN WILL
BE EXPLAINED ON
NEXT WEDNESDAY
State Chairman Says He
Hopes to Make Even a
"JournaI Reporter Under
stand His Primary Rules"
EXPLANATION TO TAKE
"SIDE" OF NEWSPAPER

Will VI ~
State Chairman Hewlett Halls antici-
pated explanation of the rules governing
the Democratic primary of August .,
viii not be forthcoming Tuesday morn
ing, as has been expected. Mr.. Hall has
not vet concluded the preparation of his
statement. which he announced Monday
morning would take the whole side of
newspaper and contain between 5000 and
1900 words. He hopes to have it ready
for publication Wednesday morning, and
confidently expects that il will clear
away the confusion surrounding the rules,
particularly the prorating feature.
II expect to remove all confusion and
doubt concerning the rules. and to make
them and their application easily under
stood by every one. even a Journal re-
Porter" remarked the state chairman,
good naturally. Monday morning at the
capitol 1.-The statement will take several
columns OF a newspaper. probably
whole side, and will cite concrete cases
TO illuminate the matter. I will take the
case cited editorially by The Journal on
Saturday and show the representation
each candidate would receive under the
rules.
II was mildly suggested to Mr.. Hall
that. perhaps. his explanation would be
more effective and come nearer to accom-
plishing the desired purpose, il it were
boiled down" into fewer words.
The state chairman only laughed at the
suggestion that, maybe. he would solve
the rules problem after the fashion of
the lawyer who solved the problem of
complex will. to-wit:
A POSSIBLE SOLUTION
The deceased had left II horses, and by
his will had decreed that the eldest son
should receive one-half the horses; the
second son one-third the horses; and the
third son one-ninth the horses. The ex-
ecutor of the will and the sons were in a
quandary as to how to prorate the horses
without giving one of them away, or cut
ting ii up.
The puzzle was solved by a lawyer.
who borrowed a horse. which he placed
with the II left by the deceased. Then,
he gave the eldest son one-haf the
HORSES: to the second son he gave one
third the horses-6; to the third son he
gave one-ninth the horses-2. 9x6x2-
II. The lawyer then returned the Dor
rowed horse, and took his fee.
The primary rules might be solved
similarly, IL is stated, IL the state COM
mittee arbitrarily borrows from one cant
didate's vote to even up the overplus OF
a competitor.
WERE SUGGESTED IN 1906.
From a reliable source IL was learned
Monday morning that the Hall prorat-
ing scheme, which appears in the present
rules, were suggested in 1906, when
Hoke Smith, Clark Howell, J. H. EstilI,
r. B. Russell and J. NJ. Smith were can
dIdates for governor The then execu--
tive committeeman considered the ad-
visibility of adopting some such plan
for handling the primary. but the idea
was finally abandoned because of OPP
position from unexpected sources.
II is not known whether the prorating
scheme, in 1905, had support from the
same quarters as in 1910, but there is
no doubt that the principal of the plan
proposed for the five-cornered race WAS
identical with the multiple, fraction
unit rule under which IL is proposed to
nominate this year governor, state
house officers. Judges and solicitors.
Hoke Smiths election. Ii appears, sim
ply delayed the adoption of the COM
plicated scheme for four years.
The concrete examples referred to The
Journal by people from all parts of the
state. having to do with the application
Of the rules OF the 1906 primary, be-
comes all the more significant, in view
Of the fact that sucn rufes were really
and seriously urged by the then DOM
nant faction OF the party, which again
controls the machinery, to govern the
primary.
ANOTHER CONCRETE EXAMPLE
One Of the reasons urged for the pro-
rating plan finds expression in a desire
to give the minority representation in
the nomination convention. This fact has
invited attention to the following con-
crete case, which some people believe Is
within the realm OF possibility:
Suppose Pike county gives the following
result in the present race:
smith. ..SO1
Brown. 80
Under the rule, all of Pixies representa-
ton in the convention would go to Smith.
he having received a clear majority Of
the popular vote.
Suppose Butts county, which adjoius
Pike. gives this result:
Smlth.... .......-oOl
Brown.. .......... ......SO
haft...- .......... z
In this case, under Mr.. Halls arbitrary
application OF the rule, Smith would re-
ceive one vote in the convention, and
Brown would also receive one vote in the
convention.
The 300 citizens of Butts county who,
supposedly, vote for Governor Brown will
have representation in the convention,
while the 800 citizens Of Pike, the ad-
joining county. who supposedly. vote for