Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1912-03-29
'RIIFE HUTCHENS
| SPEAKS OUT
4 Behalf Of Small Counties Of
Georgia
IO DEMOCRAT SHOULD Be
DENIED HIS VOTE

a. ocaI self-qovernment, the funda
mental principle of Democracy has
,.eeved another stab from the hands
, d.eioninu politicians" Manager
C. r. Hutchens.
Manager G. R. Hutehens, of the I'm
dorwood campaign in Georgia.
Wednesday, gave out the following
s+atament at the Aragon, in which he
soverplv denounces the action of the
o+ata committee, as a blow at local
self-goyernment:
Local self-government, the funda.
mental principle of Democracy, has
received another stab from the hands
Of designing politicians.
This language may seem, at first
bIush. to be in measure a little
harsh hut when we think of the sac
rifices that have been made in the
a history of the Anne can people, in or
der to secure a government by the
neople and for the people, it cannot
he said to be a harsh utterance.
when the state executive commit
n fee met Tuesday and took up the con
sderation of rules by which the De.
mocracv of Georgia would be gov.
erned. in the approaching presidential
urinary, they failed to recognize the
Il fundamental principles that underlie
n the structure of Democracy, not only
in Georgia. but of the nation as we'll
II have reference to the action of the
committee. wherein it abolished the
Y county unit plan of representation and
& substituted therefore the plurality
plan.
at is unnecessary to explain to the
people of Georgia the difference be-
i tween these two plans, for the reason
that they are already familiar with
them. In a word, however, it means
4 that the necessarily small majorities
given in the rural counties are to be
offset by the big majorities in the
counties where the larger cities are
situated, and the result will be that
the country counties will have to ap-
point delegates for the candidate who
is the choice of the larger counties, it
matters not what the preference o.
the smaller county may be. Under the
Il county unit plan each county had the
right to appoint delegates who repre-
s sented the wishes of a majority of
the people of that county. Under
10 ~ cd NV hn
each county must name delegates who
are committed to the candidate who
has received the highest vote in the
state, it matters not whether that
{ candidate received a majority in the
state or not or whether that particu.
4 lar candidate received less than ons
a hundred of the votes cast in
the election. 1t is manifestly unfair
horribly unjust obviously tricky.
Plan Has Been Regulated.
The executive committee, under
control of the same influences that
now control the personnel of the com
mlttee, abolished the county unit plan
q OF representation in Georgia, not long
ago, and the issue went before the
democrats of the state and in the
democratic primary election which
followed the action of the executive
committee was repudiated. The peo-
pie in the smaller counties of the
state resenting, on the part of that
committee, an effort to take away
from them their right to representa-
Iloh III the councils of the Democratic
party said to that committee: We
must have a fair deal. Yet, notwith-
standing this emphatic declaration of
'he Democrats of the state, we again
see the domination of the city politi-
oldhs IN the manipulation of the execu-
1--WE committee terminating in the &C
ZION OF tuesday, when it again sought
10 throttle full and free expression and
representation Of the people of the
country counties in the state.
Ihls IS not a partisan question
1t cannot be said to be partisan in any
sense except as it is made so in an
enoit 10 right a terrible wrong
sought to be prepetrated on the hon.
eSt democrats of the state. This is
simply, as | have above stated. the
fundamental principle of Democracy
'iiat OF local self-government. bv the
people and for the people, not of any
p"IIlcuIar faction, but of all factions
"nhlh the Democratic ranks. When
''IS principle was assaulted by the ex.
e'u'lVe committee that was elected
w lhe Macon convention, which all
elnocFats remember, and the effort
va" oelhg made to take away from
,'ie people in the country, who are the
oo"e ana sinew of this government
"Ho support its institutions and who
llehI us battles in time of war their
ornamental rights, thought then it
"'o tlhe to give it attention; not
u'i'L then did l feel like it was nee.
'9aiy TO defend Democratic doctrines
~ georgia, but go among the people
,He state and in my humble way,
OeSI l could, warn those who had
~ thought upon the subject, if any
iIieht lind, against this new pol't.
.r'i nlonstrosity, with the hopes that
10y would see the danger ahead and
Wy 10 stop the flow of this poisonous
uIFent and prevent the infection If
ene DemoNatic fountain. went
s any the Democrats of the state and
u"' my best along with others who
gre engaged in such service.
am sorry the occasion has arises