Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1912-05-10
THAT "HoUN' DOG" IN GEORGIA.

have his day and even the houn' dog his due
But the gentlemen who engineered the so-called
Underwood campaign in Georgia would fain forget
and utterly wipe out this long established canon of
canine and political Justice They won their victory
through an alliance with Thomas E. Watson. They
cannot and do not deny that it his support that
carried the day for their cause, If there
time when group of politicians should lift their
hats and pay the debt of gratitude to one man, the
Underwood leaders should do so for Thomas E.
Watson.
Yet, we find them squirming under this patent
obligation Instead of coming squarely forward and
handing him the craftsmanship of the Georgia delega-
ton to the Baltimore convention, as the terms OF
their trade with him require, they aheming and
having and unless all signs are awry, actually
preparing to kick him overheard This is worse than
ingratitude 1t is downright treachery
Indeed these politicians would place Thomas E.
Watson and the Democrats of Georgia in the same
class and deal them both the kind OF treatment
Under the mask Of running Mr. Underwood for
the presidential nomination, they have secured con-
troll of the states vote in the national convention
And now they are preparing to barter that vote in
their own interests Elsewise, why are they so
chary of the proposition that If the Georgia dele
gates are called upon to express second choice In
the convention they should vote for Woodrow Will
SON who is clearly the second choice of the people?
The same primary that made Mr.. Underwood the
states first preference made Governor Wilson us
second preference When Mr. Underwood's name is
withdrawn from the convention, the Georgia dele
gates will be duty bound to go to Wilson. But the
politicians hold otherwise. They know that Con-
gresham Underwood will vanish as a candidate, after
few preliminary ballots, and they purpose then to
throw the states support not to the candidate whom
the people have indicated as their second choice in
sucb an event but to some candidate Of their par
ticular preference some man whom the voters have
never considered
This we insist is treachery to the people. That,
however is not so amazing after ALL when the record
of this clique is considered; it is only what the
people might have expected and against which they
were warned But it is almost incredible that these
politicians should prove traitorous to Thomas E.
Watson himself, the one man to whom theyowe their
success in the recent primary.
Their debt to him is far more than one OF mere
sentiment; it is that of one who buys to him VINO
sells Did he not live stanchly up to his end of the
trade? Did he not perform certain kinds of labor
which no other hand could have been hired to do? 4
II was Thomas E. Watson who fathered the crown
ing SANDER of the campaign-a campaign STEPPED
in ALI manner of falsities 1t was he who printed
and circulated the falsehood that Governor Wilson
had sent note of sympathy" to Booker Washington
during the negro educators difficulty with one Ulrich
in New, York There was not the shadow Of foun-
dation for that gross libel. 1t was wholly mali
cious fabrication 1t was nevertheless broadcast In
the eleventh hour of the campaign How many well
meaning people it imposed upon and deceived, there
is no reckoning. But certainly, it brought the I'M
derwood interests multitude of votes. The anti
Wilson politicians freely and gladly accepted this
particular piece of service from Thomas E. Watson.
Can they now refuse to pay him for it? he ala his
work we repeat, as well he could and as well as
they could desire. And yet they are now trying to
WEIGH on their contract
At the very least Watson is entitled to place
O the Underwood delegation to Baltimore and, If
those who have benefited by his service do their full
duty they will make him chairman of the delegation
Early in the campaign he expressed modest
ambition to 90 to Baltimore and make the speech
nominating Mr. Underwood. No one can reasonably
Doubt that Just such an agreement was tacity per-
fected between him and Senator Bankhead of, Ala
hama the great captain and treasurer of the Under
wood movement in Georgia BY every right, there
fore Watson should be made the leader of this dele
CATION For with all their money, Senator Bankhead
and his Ieutenants could never have carried the
state without the particular sort of assistance that
Watson rendered
stand up to your trade, gentlemen! You have
used this man for all you could get out of him You
owe him debt Pay it like men. The dose is bit
ter hut the obligation is binding. Send Thomas E.
Watson to Baltimore at the head of your delegation;
for this is his just desert; this is what you are
due him.
Perhaps many a wife thinks she is chained to
rs-Ir