Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-09-21

confident that he would support me as
loyalty as sincerely and as Industrious
ly as | had supported him at Baltimore.
And so far as his word of mouth is con
cerned, he kept his promise to me and
my friends by repeatedly renewing it
until o'clock Friday evening, Septem-
Der 13, 1912, the day set for the cleo
ton at the sixteenth B. M. c.
My friends had heard rumors of dis
loyalty and treachery on the part of
Morris from the various parts of the
country but believing absolutely in his
honor and integrity, he was permitted
to explain away these rumors. Every
time it reached our ears that he was
untrue and unfaithful and he was adj
Vlsed of our Information, he would raise
his hand to God, in whom he does not
believe, and renew his vow and loyalty
honesty and faithfuness. All of this
was done for the purpose of keeping us
quiet and putting us off the track un-
til he could consummate the conspiracy
that he had planned against the integ-
rity of the order and the will of the
people expressed by their ballot In or
der to satisfy himself beyond a reason
able doubt that he had us so completely
deceived he directed me, against whom
the shaft of his deceptive plot was di-
rected, to call the members of the S.
c. M. and the prospective members into
| conference at my office at o'clock.
Each member answered promptly to
| the Grand Masters call. In this meet
| ing he explained that as time was get
| ting short it was his purpose to agree
on policy of getting through with the
! business by 2 O'Clock Friday night so
| the delegates could leave early Satur-
| day morning for Tuskegee or elsewhere
| He first explained that he was grieved
and very much regretted, because Of
! 1oating rumors. that his associates had
| doubted his loyalty to Brother Davis
| mad doubted his sincerity, and that he
took that method and occasion of re-
assuring us of his faithfulness, integrity
and honor; that gentleman's pledge
existed between himself, Brother Davis
and the members of the S. G. NJ. and
he was incapable of violating this
agreement either by letter or spirit, that
we might confidently rely upon him to
second Brother Davis nomination in the
event he was nominated, and that this
would be done in short order for under
no circumstance could he be less loyal
to Brother Davis cause in Atlanta than
Brother Davis was to his cause in Bal
timore.
Our suspicious had not been aroused
by rumors afloat, but by continued d.
rect onslaughts, encouraged and in
vited by the grand masters rulings
In the b. M. c. against the Georgia
delegation. But his word generally
satisfied us. While many of us doubt
ed him and said his conduct was in
consistent with his word, we believed
him, for we could not understand how
any odd Fellow or any man posing as
a gentleman could deliberately. will
fully, designingly and premeditatively
practice and consummate deception
upon the people who created him But
we were deceived in the man, nsled
and betrayed. Because of arbitrary
rulings and disregard Of the law on the
part of the grand master, we had many
reasons to doubt his loyalty. but we al
lowed his word to stand, and did not
provide against what no human eye
could foresee. and Friday night after
he had, with his hands to God, pledged
us loyalty and support and had sue
cessfully disabuSed our minds Of dis
loyalty on his part, the b. M. G. voted
to go into election and the roll was or
dered called the grand master presid-
ing. He was nominated by one W. II.
Nixon. / asked the grand master that
since he was in the race, contrary to
his promise, to retire from the chair
and permit me to nave a teller to count
the votes, that | might have some show
Of Justice but he said he was grand
it would not be necessary; that when he
made a speech or two more he was go
ing to carry out his promise and de-
cline. told him no; ] did not believe
it; that was not the thing to do, and all
| asked for was a square deal: for him
to get out of the chair and let us agree
on tellers and then hold the election.
He said: mo, | am grand master, and
by the authority vested in me ! shall
order the secretary to call the roll and
count the votes myself | shall not per
NIT you or anybody else to call it." The
roll proceeded under these conditions
for few moments. Then he called the
deputy grand master to the chair, gave
him one gavel and told him he could
have one gavel and order the roll called,
but he would do the counting himself
He said: II will not yield the chair, and
you may stand right here by me. | am
grand master and will not abdicate my
right to preside. 1t may be indecent
it may be unfair, but | am a rose born
unknown to blush" The roll proceeded
until ii got to Georgia, she having pres
ent, by actual count Of our chairman,
| 1856 votes, a majority of more than 200
OF all the votes present in the Conven-
! ton at that time. Morris had taken the
vote until it reached Georgia by the
method of having them stand. All in
favor of his name first-that is, all in
favor of Morris stand; all in favor Of
! Davis stand. When he reached Geor-
! gia, he himself challenged Georgia's
vote when the chairman cast it. and
said he would count them as he did the
others. | yielded and insisted upon his
counting our vote. Then he dillydal-
| lied for an hour and said too many peo-