The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1912-06-01
SATURDAY, JUNE /, 1912.
Georgia's Humiliation
Is Complete

Under the head, "A Staggering Price
to Pay" the Atlanta Journal discusses
C'orgia's present humiliation as fol-
lows:
IL some malicious Jester had cast
about for a particularly odious insult
to fling in the face of Georgia Democ-
racy, he could not have hit upon
surer scheme than to make Thomas f.
Watson a delegate to the party's ma
tional convention. 1t is almost incred-
1ble that this humiliation should ac-
tually have been heaped upon our com
monwealth ny men of it's own soil.
Yet, that/is the fact. The state con-
ventton has met and acted. Leaders
of the dominant faction have cringed
and koW- tO~Ecd to man whose record
is series of venal treacheries and
whose name is synonym for civic
indecency. Him. they have deliberately
chosen as a representative of Georgia
in DemocraGy's national council.
We assume. in charity, that these
gentlemen found their performance ex-
ceeding distasteful. We cannot be-
lieve that any right minded Democrat,
no matter what his affiliations may be,
would trail the party's standard so low,
save under dire compulsion. The truth
is, as everyone knows, these leaders
were shaCkled to Watson by the terms
of their pre- election trade with him.
They had bought and Watson had sold.
He demanded his pay for services duly
rendered. and they handed out the
price even though it was a states dis
honor.
Let us get this fact clearly once and
for ali: Watsons election as a dele
gate to Baltimore by the convention
which met Wednesday in Atlanta is
the direct and logical outcome of the
Underwood victory in Georgia. 1t was
his particular work that won the cam
paign. He played, as usually, the only
role for which his heart and head are
suited, the role Of an INSCRIPTIONS
slanderer. He invented and scattered
abroad the baseless libel that Woodrow
Wilson had sent an expression OF sym
patty" to Booker Washington during
the negro educators trouble with one
UlriCh I'm New York. 1t was Watson,
the political muck-man, the political
cut throat who saved the day for the
Underwood interests. And when the
Job was done. he demanded the reward
ne had been promised, he insisted upon
the pound Of flesh.
How completely his demands were
met, the convention and its results
abundantly testify. He came to the
convention with all the buster and ar
rogance of a Tartar chief. Not as
delegate or a counselor, but as the
Great FIRST Cause and the "One Far
Off Divine Event of the whole affair
he strobe among his creatures and de
livered his commands.
What an inspiring spectacle was
this! Thomas E. Watson, who has
bolted Demo nominations and
will bolt them again whenever it
serves his own interests to do so, who
betrays every cause he cannot tyran-
nize and ISLANDERS every leader he can
hot -;
tanning to the party's organization and
who is forever breeding discOrd for his
own vanity and gain-Thomas z. Wat
son, receiving the obeisance of the
heads of the now dominant faction in
Georgia Democra Cy-Thomas E. Wat
son, a Georgia delegate to a national
Democratic convention
1t is almost incredible. we repeat.
that such a disgrace has befalIen this
state. However irrevocably a few
leaders may have been bound to do
WatsOn's will, in accordance with the
terms of their contract. it is to be de-
plored that some man, unfettered by
that bargain. did not stand forth to
lead the rank and file of the conven-
ton and utterly repudiate Watson's
domineering demands. But the deal
was irOn-clad; it was contaminated to
the letter, and now it only remains for
the Mad Mullah of McDuffie," as he
has appropriately been called, to COM
plete his program by unleashing his
discord and indecency in the national
convention at Baltimore. When he has
realized that browning ambition. as he
promises to do, Georgia's cup of hu-
initiation will have been filed and run
ming over.
But worse than Georgia's humilia-
ton is the effect which Watson's pres
ence in the Democratic convention will
have upon the prospects of whoever Is
nominated for president. Georgia is
now simply paying the price of her
own folly in allowing Watson to domi-
nate her politics. Georgia deserves tC
pay it. But why should the balance o.
the party be made to suffer?
Mr.. Underwood himself is much too
good a man to be burdened with the
support OF a character assassin like
Watson. At Baltimore, Watson will
prove handicap to Underwood's nom.