Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-04-05
COUNTY UNIT.
VOTE RULES.
IN PRIMARY.
AUGUS 7 10.
State Executive Committee Fixes
the Time and the Method Of
All Nominations From United
States Senators to Legislators.

Endorsement of Wilson's Canal
Tolls Program Brings 0ppOsi-
ton as Being Unfair to Under-
wood and Other Democrats.
After a prolonged, sometimes bitter.
and at all times wordy, session Of the
State Democratic Committee held in
the Senate chamber Of the Capitol
Saturday. general Statewide couns
ty unit primary was ordered for Au.
gust 10, to be followed by conven4
ton in Macon on September 2.
Incidentally. resolution was Of
fered, and, after long wrangling.
adopted, congratulating President
Wilson on the success of his admin
istration thus far, with special refer
ence to the currency measure, the
tariff and the canal tolls repeal.
The first two sections Of the reso-
luton were adopted unanimously. but
on the canal tolls proposition the
committee split.
The matter OF county unit pri-
mary was argued at great length by
Joe Hill Hall, of Macon, who opposed
it, and by c. R. Hutchens, Of F1oyd.
who favored It. Both Of these GENTLE
men grew so emphatic and SO pro-
longed in argument. pro and con, that
Chairman Harris was forced to ran
them to order and to remind them
that there were other matters before
the committee that must be thrashed
out.
Mr.. Hall said the entire theory Of
the county unit plan was wrong. and
served to promote minority rule in
Georgia. He said that It made no
difference whatever that past Demo-
cratic conventions" had Endorsed It,
and that people never were elected
to office on platforms in Georgia, any
wayl"
Unit Plan Wins.
Mr. Hutchens argued in favor Of
the county unit plan, and in this he
was backed by communication from
former Governor Brown warmly in
dorsing the plan. and. in effect. ask
ing the committee to adopt 1t again.
And this the committee proceeded to
do, with great enthusiasm
II Mr. Hutchens rode TO victory in
that matter however, he was no less
promptly TANNED along to defeat ia
another direction. He managed the
Underwood Presidential campaign
successfully in Georgia, and when Mr..
Hall proposed to approve the Presi-
dents canal tolls stand Hutchens evil
IDENTIFY construed that as q reflection
on Underwood. who opposes the Ad-
ministration in this matter and
thought It might be used by Hobson.
Underwood's Senatorial rival in Ala
bama. as campaign card against
Underwood on the very eve of Tn
derwOod's election to the Senate In
Alabama
Several members OF the COMMITTEES
Joined Mr. Hutchens In this protest.
believing that party differences should
not be fought out in committee meet
ings called for such purposes as yes
terday's, and so expressed them 1
selves. The argument became at
times exceedingly heated in this mat
ter, and while on the final vote the 1
Hail amendment won by "a to z. still |
it was apparent that large number [
Of the committee membership be-
lieved that a tactical mistake rad /
been made and that legitimate differ I
ence OF opinion among Democrats !
should not have been accentuated in /
the committee meeting.
What System Provides. /
The committee call provides that
all convention delegates shall be
chosen TO the State convention upon A
popular plurality plan in the county
elections, but that every candidate
nominated by the convention must (
receive majority OF the full county
unit vote cast I'M the convention. Only .
in case Of tie shall the popular plu- I
rality rule be applied to convention I
nominations
IN judicial circuits. upon motion Of 4
Herbert Clay OF Cobb. IL was ruled +
that plurality nominations should 1
hold good inside the judicial circuits /
affected. Only in this regard was the I
county unit rule relaxed with respect 7
to state officers
II has been many days since a State 4
Democratic Committee was called (
upon 10 arrange for the distribution 4
OF so many fat plums as the one that 4
met Saturday
Two United States Senatorships a +
Governorship a fun OUTFIT Of State
house officers. as well as three Ap-
peals Court iudgeships and three SUI
preme Court judgeships. are tho
prlZes TO be cOutended for