Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-06-25
Political Suicide for the
Party To Be Reac-
tionary in Face of
Will of People Ex-
pressed in Primary.
BY JOHN TEMPLE GRAVES.

BALTIMORE, June 2o.-The contest
over the temporary Craftsmanship of
the Democratic national convention
keeps growing, with w. ]. Bryan and
his forces refusing a compromise and
promising to carry the fight on Judge
Parker to the floor of the convention
today.
Meanwhile, the admirable attitude of
Champ Clark toward the incident is
everywhere approved.
Champ Clark is a progressive Of the
most definite type. He presented for
the temporary craftsmanship Senator
Ollie James, who is an out and out,
shoulder hitting progressive from Ken
lucky. When the committee voted
against James, Mr.. Clark accepted its
verdict rather than open the conven-
ton with row.
Ex-Governors For Clark.
Five Democratic ex-governors of
Missouri-Francis. Folk, Stephens.
Dockery and Stone-have called at the
Clark headquarters to express loyal and
whole hearted support for Clark
The presidency of the United States
is a tremendous office and the execu-
tive power at Washington means ire
mendous things to the people and to
the vast selfish intel ests that are ex
plotting politics and government to
their glory and gain.
The people are playing the game open
and fair In the preferential primaries
wherever they have been held, the peo-
pie. who are supposed to rule and who
are entitled to rule in this country, have
expressed their wishes as to measures
and men In five-sixths of the states
of the republic that have voted that
have been cast on the Democratic side
and on the Republican side the popular
will has expressed itself overwhelm
ingly fer progressive policies and for a
progressive candidate to lead them
Among the Republicans this vast
majority of the people who voted I'M
trammelled voted Overwhelmingly for
Theodore Roosevelt to lead them But
the selfish interests, swarning from
every quarter and spending money Ike
water, strangled the popular will az
Chicago and named an out and out re-
dictionary in Taft upon a platform
which both Roosevelt and LaFollette
have repudiated and which the people
will repudiate in November.
We Democratic people have also ex-
pressed ourselves clearly and definitely
for progressive principles and pro-
gressive candidate.
The question is, shall this small mi
nority backed by money interests,
throttle the majority of the people in
both parties and ram a reactionary
platform and reactionary candidate
down the threats of the people?
Clark Victories Shown.
Twenty six states and four terrific
ries of the republic have overwhelm-
.ingiy expressed a preference for Champ
Clark to lead the progressive policies Of
the Democratic party in the next cam
paign In nearly four ffths of the ter
ritory of the United States Champ
Clark has beaten all other Democratic
candidates by two to one, and In some
cases four to one in the choice of the
progressive Democracy to oppose the
reactionary Taft.
To hy in the face of this tremendous
expression of the preference of Demo-
cratic votes will be political suicide
from every point of view
Let it be understood by the Demo-
cratic convention that if we select
reactiona1y to lead our forces for No
vember. there viii be two reactionary
tickets in the field to represent this
small minority in both parties. 1t is
clear beyond all doubt or question
that me Democratic party is five
sevenths progressive in its creeds and
wishes-1ust as the Republican party is
Overwhelmingly progressive.
1t is the small minority who are
reactionaries the majority in both par
ties, ignored and unrepresented, will
turn naturally to any party which fair
" represents the dominant spirit of the
times.
The Atlanta Georgian, as l under
stand it. earnestly wishes the Demo
cratic party to take advantage of this
overwhelming sentiment and the def
mite opportunity and win this election.
TO nominate q IeHCllOudiN III TIE tOH-
vention is to make probable or certain
the election Of Roosevelt.
Great Issue Pointed Out.
To nominate an absolutely sincere
and unquestioned progressive Demo
crat like Champ Clark at this conven-
tion-one who has never been other
than a progressive-wi make Demec-
racv successful. This is the great
transcendent issue-the triumph of the
progressive principle through the pro-
gressive Democrat.
AS compared with this, all other con-
siderations are trivial. 1t is far better If
possible to have a progressive tempo
rary chairman like Kern or James or
Sulzer or O'Gorman.
1t is absolutely indispensable that the
progressive Democracy should have a
progressive permanent chairman and
a progressive platform and progress
sive nominee.
A reactionary nominee at Baltimore
is a rush to Roosevelt.