Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1912-03-29
THE WHOLE STORY.

adopted for Georgias presidential primary leaves no
room for further criticism in the mind of any right
thinking man.
Mr. Wright shows that the state committee, far
from having broken an established CUSTOM has faith
fully complied with the mandate of the national
Democratic committee itself and has, in truth, full
filled both the letter ard the spirit of party prece
dent
He shows furthermore that the county unit sys-
tenn is not involved in a presidential primary where
of necessity, the state itself is the unit
He shows cOnclusivey. that the rules prescribed
by the committee are equally just to everyone Of
the candidates concerned and present the fairest
possible plan for ascertainfng the peoples choice
and carrying their will into effect,
Under a ruling adopted at the last meeting
Of the national Democratic executive committee and
supported, if not indeed designed by one of the
chief critics of the primary regulations the state
committee was limited to of two methods in the
matter of selection of delegates to the nominating
convention. 1t chose the method that appeared
simplest and farest to the voters and too, that
is strictly in keeping with the national committees
order.
The ruling referred to is this:
"Tn the choice of delegates and alternates
to represent the states and the territories at
the said national convention, the Democratic
state or territorial committees may If not 9th
cruise directed By the Iato of such states or
territories, proUide for the direct election of
such delegates dIternGtes If in the opinion
of the respective committee it is deemed desir-
able and possible to do so 1oith proper ard SUI
fcient safeguard. Where such provision is
not made by the respective committees for
choice of delegates and aHerndteS and 10here
the state IdOs do not proUide specifically the
manner Of such choice, then the delegates and
GIterndteS to the said national convention shall
be chosen in the manner that governed the
choice Of delegates from the respective states
and territories to the last Democratic national
contention"
Under this rule promulgated by the national
committee Georgias delegates, in order to be en-
titled to seats in the Baltimore convention, would
have to be selected in of two ways. They would
have be voted for directly the polls they would
have to be chosen Tin the that governed the
choice of delegates to the last Democratic national
convention"
The state committee eliminated the former method
in order that people might be enabled to vote di-
rectly for the presidential nominee himself This is
clearly a much simpler and more practical plan
than that of voting for multitude of delegates for
in the latter event. Chairman Wright points out,
the personnel of the delegates would have over
Swallowed the more important question of WHOM
they might favor for the presidency. Furthermore,
the voter would have been confronted with a con-
fusing and unwieldly list of candidates, ambitious
to go to the national convention. And, in addition
to both these considerations it is evident that such
a plan would have opened the way to all manner
of local and petty political trades thus RELOCATING
the one vital purpose of the primary, which is to
ascertain the peoples choice of a Democratic
nominee.
For all these reasons the committee rejected the
device of having the people to vote for delegates in
stead of voting directly for presidential candidate;
and having done so, its only remaining duty to
provide for the selection Of delegates in manner
that would comply with the national committees
ruling wherefore it adopted just such plan
prescribed by the state executive committee four
years ago. It could not have acted otherwise without
going contrary to the order OF the national commit
tee and if it had disregarded that committees rul
ing Georgias delegates would not have been entitled
to seats in the national convention.
That is the whole story of how and why the state
committee adopted such regulations it has for the
approaching presidential primary. It's sole motive
was to give the people themselves full and conclu-
sive power in expressing their choice of nominee;
and from first to last it controlled by the word
of the highest authority to which it could look for
direction-the national Democratic executive COM
mittee.
Yet despite this clear and consistent record, the
state committee has been assailed by partizans of
Congressman Underwood with the charge of having
played unfairly and what lis supremely ridiculous,
of having destroyed the county unit system.
A cantankerous character in one of Goldsmith's
tfrIo &c m MA lis