The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1913-04-18
.BRYAN'S PROCLAMATION
DATE 1T IS ISSUED WILL DETER
NINE NECESSITY OF ELEC-
TION IN GEORGIA.
TO REFLECT SENATOR BACON

Governor Brown Will Likely Call an
Election as Soon as Law Author
/ ICES 1t. MIDDLE Caused by Adop-
ton OF New Constitution.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. the date
of the issuance of the proclamation
| by Secretary Of State Bryan declar-
ing the amendment to the constitu-
ton providing for the direct election
of United States senators to be rati-
fed hinges the question whether Sem
ator A. o. Bacon of Georgia, who
was overwhelmingly nominated in
| the primaries for reelection, will
have to face another election by the
people of Georgia.
May BE No Election.
If Secretary Bryan does not issue
his proclamation until after July /
Senator Bacon's nomination in the
primary will be o. KID. by the Georgia
state legislature and he will be Geor- +.
gia's senator without further ado, If,
on the contrary, Secretary Bryan Isl
sues his proclamation before the Leg
islature meets in June Senator Bacon
again will have to face the people
of Georgia for the office he is now
holding by the grace of Governor
Brown.
Senator Bacon, a constitutional :
lawyer of no mean ability, regards /
this as the situation. He is prepared 8
to go before the electorate of Geor
gia again, but quite naturally wishes 4
to avoid the expense of doing So He
does not for a moment fear the out
come of such an election.
Official Notice From II States.
There is no question but that thir
ty-six states, the number required by
the constitution. have ratified the
amendment but the secretary of
state has received notification from
only twenty-one states. Under the
law he cannot issue proclamation
until everyone of the thirty-six states
have through the secretary of state
of the states notified the state de-
partment that the amendment has
been agreed to by the states.
Secretary Bryan has sent out word
that he wishes the states which have
not notified the state department. OF
the ratification of the amendment
to do so at once in order that he
may issue his proclamation.
Senator Bacon and his friends doi
not believe he will be forced to again
enter a primary before going into an
election, although. legally, he could
be forced to do so.
The Law of Georgia.
The law of the state of Georgif
provides at present that a nominee
selected at a primary shall be votes
on by the legislature next following
the one in existence at the time the
primary was held. M
The legislature in existence at the
time Senator Bacon was selected II
the primary to succeed himself ad
iourns sine die with the swearing j
of the new legislature. The new leg
jslature can insist on there being an
other primary as we'll as an cleo
ton.
What is expected here will be don
Is this:
As soon as the legislature meets
June the governor will call for sps
cial election for the purpose of cnoe
ing a United States senator. Senate
Bacon's name probably will be q
only one placed on the ballot. 81
election will be a perfunctionary
fair
Hearst Raises Question:
Friends of VIM r. Hearst, own
of the Atlanta Georgian, are tryil
TO raise the question as to the cons
/ nationality of Senator Bacon's prs
emf tenure of office. 1t is held by
Hearst people that the governor
Georgia had no legal right to appol
Senator Bacon to succeed himself
cause the vacancy which existed
March A did not occur by cause
resignation or death. It is held
the Hearst people that the vacaI
existed because the state of Geors
failed to elect a successor to Sena
Bacon.
Senator Bacons friends are
worried, however. They hold Il
the appointment of Senator Bal
was legal The appointment Of
late Senator Clay under similar
cimstances is pointed to as a pre-
dent. There are several other pre-
dents, too, in other states,