Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1912-04-02

s1,lvania. and the eastern states, and the
6gbt is hot between Harmon and Will
son. with Wilson away yonder IN the
lead. even in Harmon's territory whlle
the people there don't even know that
Underwood and Champ Clark are IN the
race.
A CURIOUS SITUATION.
GO out to Missouri and its neigh
boring states of Oklahoma and Kansas
and the balance of the west, and It's
Clark and Wilson, with Wilson coming
down the quarter stretch throwing dust
in Champ Clarks face, and the people
there hear no more about Underwood
and Harmon than you hear of Clark or
Harmon.
"Come down to Georgia and Alabama
and the other states right around us
and the issue is Wilson or Underwood
while we don't hear a word of Clark
or Harmon, not even from Mr. Hearsts
paper, the Atlanta Georgian, that
fghting Wilson tooth and nail in Geor-
gia, and trying its best to get you TO
vote for Underwood, when everybody
knows that Champ Clark is Hearsts
candidate.
Now. what does all that mean, my
friends? It's a curious situation. If
Underwood doesn't run in Harmon's ter
ritory in the east and Harmon steers
clear of Clark's territory in the west
and neither Clark nor Harmon posters
Underwood in the south, you and 1, as
Democrats looking for strong national
candidate, and with kind feelings for
all of them, must ask ourselves what IT
means. If we don't look into 1T, we
haven't got sense enough to vote
well some people say that Clark,
bax mazda
trade and combine, just to beat Will
son, and certainly if that's so, 1t isn't
the sort of thing you and 1 would ap-
prove of. 1 don't believe in juggling
and trading by candidates. 1t isn't fair
TO the voters, though unfortunately 1T
is often done.
MEN BEHIND COMBINE.
Now, 1 don't believe that explana-
ton myself 1 don't believe these three
good Democrats have made a trade
among themselves TO beat the national
candidate Aside from the fact that
il is a discreditable thing to do.
think that all three of them are earnest
and sincere men and really want the
office. Perhaps it may be true that in
particular states there may be men
who would try to make such a combine
in order to accomplish somG base end
of their own, men who care nothing for
either of the three, men who would
sacrifice the party in order to get con-
troll of the Georgia delegation, and all
that sort of thing, but I solemnly de-
clare 1 believe Clark, Harmon and IN
derwood to be good men, honestly seek
ing the Office, and that they are not in
any combine to beat Wilson.
But what other explanation is there?
To my mind it is as clear as can be.
The explananation is that neither of the
three has any general national strength.
They are all local men mad by their at
titude they confess it. Harmon is strong
in the Ohio river country and the east,
because he lives there. Underwood has
a following in Alabama and the gulf
states because they are his neighbors.
But Underwood has no more chance in
the east or the west than Harmon has
in Georgia, and Clark is as badly out
Of it in New York as he is in Georgia.
That's the true explanation, and it's
perfectly plain. There is no bad faith
in their division of the country. 1t is
Just a confession by all three of them
that they can't really make it, them
selves, and are merely local candidates
seeking a complimentary vote. Wilson is
the only candidate or really national
significance.
WILSON ALREADY LEADS.
w look at IL OhAduDlld Is 0Hdillp
Clark's next door neighbor, and half
the delegates from Oklahoma are for
Wilson. The truth is that a majority
of the Oklahoma state convention was
for Wilson, but they let Clark have half
the delegates to keep him from feeling
bad So in Kansas, Kansas is Clark's
next door neihbor, but fifteen of the
twenty delegates are for Wilson.
Indiana is next door to Harmon, but
Harmon couldn't even carry Indiana.
The Indiana delegates are going to vote
for Marshall They say they'll vote for
him first, last and all the time. In
North Dakota the delegates are going
to vote for a Dakota man named Burke
on the first ballot, but they go to VIII
son on the second. The only other state
that has acted, that isn't next door to
a candidate is Maine, and Wilson will
get the solid vote of Maine the first
ballot and every other
Now you see Wilson is already in
the lead. There is no doubt that he
will go into the convention with a ma
jority, but il takes two-thirds to nomi-
nate What does it mean? 1t means
/ that the Baltimore convention is either
going to nominate Wilson or a dark
horse. Clark, Harmon and Underwood
confess by the very nature of their race
that neither of them n.get a majority,
much less two-thirds.
Now my friends, we have a cnance
this year to nominate a Democratic cam
didate at the ballot box. If Georgia
votes for Wilson, it guarantees his nomi-
nation If those who are seeking to
prevent it succeed in their purposes, it
means that the people will not nominate.
/ We will have rartered off our hard
earned right for the empty mockery of
/ mess of pottage. The nomination will
/ become again a mere juggling trading
convention business. The outcome of 1t
will be ..iat the Democracy goes back
/ into the old machine methods instead
/ Of pressing forward to a new and broad
er progressive policy in which the peo-
/ pie govern instead of the machine.
A WARMING.
LET those vote against Wilson who
are willing to be made catspaws. But
4 I warn you now that this fight against