Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-07-04
CA. DELEGATION
LOST CHANCE
To CONTROL
II Opportunity Had Been Seized
Champ Clark Would Have
Been Nominated.
BY JAMES B. NEvIN

time that Il is not the facts Of history
that make It interesting, so mucn as II
is the IFS" thereof
Wherefore. one may speculate en-
garingly enough with respect to VIVA
might have happened I'm the Monu-
mental CITY had the Georgia deiega-
ton TO the national convention Tn Ba
tin,oye elected to disregard It's lnstruc-
lions for Underwood. In the sincere
and righteous knowledge and belief
that ne could not be nominated ana
cast It's vote early in the game for
Champ Clark
The Georgia delegation preferred
clark to Wilson.
Had it ever come to the point where
the Georgia delegates might have reg
iEtered an opinion as to that the truth
OF the assertion would have been es-'
tahlished in the written record beyond
dispute But the Gsorgians wers for
Underwood first and they were in
stIacted for him under an iron-clad
resolution that fo~ downright stupidity
and lack Of common sense and fore
sight could hardly have been surpassed
Could Have Named . President
At one time the Georgia Underwood
delegates had in their hands the nam
ing of president Of the United States
one word from the Georgians would
have nominated Champ Clark
But Georgia. hoist by its own petaro'
so to speak, let the psychological mo-
ment pass And when Georgia finally
realized that 1T had let golden oppor
tunitv 20, It would have undone the
thing it had done-or, rather it would
. have done the thing It had fooishly left
undone-but 1t was too late.
Champ Clark received, and held for
nine ballots. a majority Of the votes OF
the convention BY every rule of the
game as heretofore played Clark
should have had the nomination then
Never before save in one isolated
and subsequently disastrous instance,
had q convention Of either big party
refused a nomination 10 candidate
once passing the majority mark
Never has a Democratic convention
treated favorite son SO unfairly and
50 disloyally as Champ clark was
treated in Baltimore
Now there is no knocking Of Wilson
or "beefng" in this. The New Jersey
governor has wor his fight and so ia
as HE is concerned. it was a clean and
manly fight Remember, Wilson says
himself that he, despairing of a nomi
nation when Clark held so persistently
to a majority telephoned to Baltimore
and released the Wilson delegates, so
sure was Wilson that Clark would be
awarded that which. under majority
rule, Clark had won.
The point is that Georgia, having the
certain direction OF things in its hands
Al vital stage of the proceedings,
failed to rise to the coca sion. and let go
by the golden opportunity 1t had been
hoping for and through which it might
have named the next president Of the
United States.
Deferred by Bankhead.
Georgia was persuaded by senator
Bankhead that Underwood had a
chance to be nominated. even after
Clark had received and held majority
through several DallOlS-
The hopelessness Of Underwood's
candidacy was pointed out to the I'm
derwood delegates time and again by
Clark leaders and others from every
point Of the compass. Many Under
wood men were convinced. and wanted
to switch 10 Clark. but not the major
ity OF them
The arguments ot the clark men
we're met with the bland and pious as
sursnce Of Senator Bankhead that Tn
derwood must be the eventual nominee
that 2 deadlock was Underwood
compelling hope and sure omen Of vic
tory And Bankhead held the Under
wood men in line stubbornly
The dope" of that point ot view ran
thuswise
Bryan was blocking Clarks nomins
tion. and CLARK IN retaliation, would
block Wilson Therefore. Underwood
was the key TO the deadlock
Its palpable errors are painfully clear
today nov that 1t is ali too late,
BRYAN did in bad faith and SANDER
Gus urterance. succeed i'm putting
through his part Or the blocking of
Clark, but it was the unvituus and sue
reasoning the halfway pathetic. as
sistance NJ the Underwood vote tha:
enabled the Nebraskan TO consummai e.
that piece of political ueechery ana
wrong
When it came TO the Blocking IL
: Wilson's nomination by the CLARK men.
the Underwood delegates found that
the Clark men were NOT willing to 60
The length 81 depravity "a which BRYAN
inclined, and SO much 10 some Under
wood surprise Wilson's nomination
was achieved "a much the same cir
cuustances under which Clarke un-
righteously vas made impossible
Bryan Thinking Of Himself.
Bryan had no thought ~ nominating
Wilson when he stabbed Clark To his
deatn III Was no more for Wilson uri 3
MARTY than he was for Clark He was
FOR BRYAN He struck down Clark. with
the un0iuins assistance aforesaid. and
b. Thought hai Clark might be- depend