Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1912-03-22
SOUTH CAROLINA TO
PLEDGE ITS SUPPORT
TO WOODROW WILSON
Palmetto State FaVorS Nomi-.
nation of New Jersey Cover
nor - Convention Will Be
Held on May 10
Especial Dispatch to The JournaI) .


COLUMBIA, S c., March 21.-Tbe Dem
ocrats OF South Carolina will hold their
state convention on May Is, at which
time four delegates at large will be
elected to the national Democratic con-
vention which meets in Baltimore. Dis
trict conventions are all held in South
Carolina at the same time that state con-
vention takes place, and there are IA
district delegates to be chosen for Balti-
more, and which are reported to the state
convention, so that the IS representa-
tives from South Carolina will all be
picked by the delegates which will gath
er here on May Is and express the choice
of the Palmetto voters for the nomina-
ton for presidency on the Democratic
national ticket.
That Gov. Woodrow Wilson, of New
Jersey, is the choice of the Democrats
Of South Carolina and will get this states
delegation is the way matters stand
now. Governor Wilson has an aunt living
in Columbia, and this adds to his other
popular qualities. He was the speaker
before the State Press association at
its annual meeting last summer and
thus gained personal acquaintance and
admirers from the ranks of the press,
which is almost solid in it's advocacy
of the New Jersey executive. Besides, he
stands for those progressive ideas in
government which are admired by the
best thinking people of the state, who
believe that in him they would find their
true representative.
A fight for an instructed delegation
for Wilson will be made and stands every
chance of success, but if the sentiment
Is too strong for instruction, 1t appears |
at this stage of the game that Wilson !
will at least get a delegation which |
will be friendly to him, and which can
be counted on to vote for him as long as
there is any chance for his nomination.
VOTERS KNOW WILSON.
The leading newspapers and almost all |
of the smaller papers are for Wilson. |
and they are daily presenting to their |
readers the many admirable qualities of
this prominent Democrat. Consequently |
Wilson's record is familiar to every voter |
in the state. and they feel that they |
know him and that he is a Democrat of
Democrats.
The only rift in the lutte is Gov. Cole |
L. Blease, who as far back as last sum-
mer announced that he favored the NOM |
nation of Gov. Judson Harmon. He will |
undoubtedly lead fight in the state con- |
vention for a Harmon delegation, and |
will urge his friends to support the |
Ohioan. When Governor Wilson was here |
last summer iR Columbia atsthe meeting |
OF the Press association he and Governor |
Blease did not meet, although Governor
Wilson made a call at Blease's office. He |
found that the lat,er was out.
The South Carolina executive represents |
what little Harmon sentiment there is |
in the state, and the strength that Har-
mon will have viii depend solely on the |
strength that Blease can rally in the |
state convention. There is no questioning |
the fact that the Bleaseites are going to |
make a desperate efrort to capture the |
control of the state convention, for they
have more than Harmon at stake.
The governor is already urging his
friends to attend the club meetings and
the county conventions and to see that
his friends are elected to the state con-
vention. Therefore, Harmon's chances
for the South Carolina delegation are
wrapped up in the outcome Of the fight
which Blease is making for the state
convention.
CAN'T SWING FOR HARMON.
Although the governor is a strong
politician and will undoubtedly have a
big following, it is not believed that
he will be of such strength in the state
convention that he can force the naming
Of a Harmon delegation when admit |
tedly the Ohioan is the antithesis- of
everything the Democrats of South
Carolina stand for. He is aligned with
the reactionary wing of the party and
opposes all that William Jennings Bry-
an advocates, and this has always been
strong Bryan state.
The governor will undoubtedly have
many supporters who would not back
Harmon and even if he succeeds in hav-
ing the control of the convention, which
is not at all probable, he will be un-
able, in all likelihood, to stem the
strong Wilson tide.
An effort to work up sentiment for
Congressman Underwood is now being
made. ]. P. Durham, a newspaper man
Of Washington. has been in the state |
the past several weeks sounding theI
people and sending out Underwood lit |
erature. He has been handing out in
terviews and working all he can, but
no evidence of any sentiment for the |
Albanian has so far appeared and
none is likely to develop. While the
brainy chairman of the ways and means
committee has many warm admirers in
this state, they do not consider that he
is the man for the Democrats to put up
to lead the fight this year.
Speaker Champ Clark is supported by
the members of the states delegation
in the lower house of congress, but no
been made. He, though, is probably the
second choice of South Carolina, and
were Wilson out of the way Clark would
have a good showing for the Palmetto
delegation. but, as it is, he is out of
the running.
Senator f. ID. Smith, the junior rep
resentative in the upper chamber at
Washington from this state. has de-
clared for Wilson. Senator Tillman is
non-committal. but is thought to lean
toward Wilson. and 1T is safe to say
that he will not oppose his nominal
ton Senator Tillman is a power in
party conventions in this state and
both the Blease and the anti-Blease fac
tions have settled on him as one of
the four delegates at large to the Balti-
more convention The other three will
depend on which faction controls the
state convention.
The Democratic clubs will meet on
1 April 81 to elect delegates to the coun-
ty conventions. which meet at noon on
May s. The county conventions in, turn
choose delegates to the state conven-
ton which will be called to order. at
noon on May 10 in the hall of the houAe
of representatives. A new state chair
man will have to be elected, as Gen.
Willie Jones' who has held that position
| for the past IA years, has announced
| that he is going to retire.