Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-03-09
THOMAS DEMOCRATS
ASK FAIR PLAY IN
GEORGIA PRIMARY
Issue Is Between Committee
and Voters Not Commit
tee and Hoover, Asserts
Representative Mcintyre
BY ROGERS WINTER
fstaff Correspondent Of The Jou.

mentS yet advanced CoACol AAAe tAA'
% action of the subcommittee of the
Democratic state executive commit
fee in shutting Herbert Hoover ou'
of the preferential primary is ina
Of w Irwin Mcintyre, member Of
the Georgia house of representatives
from Thomas county, and one OF the
most prominent lawyers of southeast
Georgia who discussed presidential
notifies at considerable length with
The Journal correspondent and ex
pressed himself unreservedly in op'
position to the subcommittee &C
ton.
1T is conceivable" said he, "tha'
the public may call man to the pub
lie service, 1 admit such thing does
not occur often, but when 1t does
occur, it is very encouraging. APP
uarently such a thing is about to oc-
cur in the case, of Herbert Hoover
and will occur if the public is allow
ed to express it's preference. And
when this rare, but very encourag-
ing, political phenomenon is about
to take place, it certainly is unfor-
tunate to have it thwarted by the
subcommittee of our Democratic
state executive committee.
The Real Issue
.HThe subcommittee seems unable
TO conceive that such a thing is
possible as public office seeking
man. VT seems to act upon the
theory that Herbert Hoover is seek
ing the votes Of the Democrats OF
Georgia, when in point of fact he
specifically disclaims that he is a
candidate. The subcommittee seems
to make the issue between itself
and Hoover, when, as 1 see it, there
is no issue between them at all, but
a very serious issue between the
subcommittee and the Democrats OF
Georgia
1T cannot be questioned that a
very considerable number of Georgia
Democrats wish the opportunity of
voting on Mr.. Hoover in the prefer
entail primary. That is to say, they
are in the attitude of calling to the
service of the party and the nation
a man whom they consider capable
of rendering service. They are pre-
vented from expressing themselves
although the primary is ostensibly to
ae held. for the specific purpose of a
Tree expression by those who con-
stitute the pc ty in Georgia. Hence
/ say the issue is not between the
subcpmmittees and Herbert HooyET
hut between the subcommittee and
3 the Democrats of Georgia.
Whether / myself will vote for
1sEf. Hoover if his name goes on the
ballot has nothing to do with my
conception of the issue raised by the
subcommittee action. AS a matter
Of fact, have not made up my mind
whether I will vote for Mr. Hoover
if given an opportunity, or for some
body else. but, nevertheless, 1 feel
that his name ought to go on the
ballot"
Mr.. MacIntyre's views were not
expressed with any feeling of animus
whatever toward the members of the
subcommittee. In point of fact his
personal feeling toward tho~e gen
tlemen is altogether friendly. One
of them, Judge James J. Flynt
chairman of the subcommittee and
likewise of the state committee, is q
member of the house, and they are
very pleasantly acquainted with each
other. His views are simply those
OF a Democrat who believes in fail
play, who believes tn members OF
the party have an undeniable right
to a free expression more especially
since that is the object of the pri-
mary who conceives it possible. as
ne says, for the public to call pri-
vate citizen to the public service, an6
when such a thing happens or is
about to happen, it is a most whole.
some political sign and should moi
be stopped or hindered.
Want Pair Play
Another Townsville man who dis
cussed the primary along pretty
much the same line, or rather from
the same disin terested angle of fair
play, was Edward Jerger, the editor
of the Townsville Times Enterprise
a staunch Democratic paper that last
week expressed itself editorially in
disapproval Of the subcommittee
action. Said Mr.. Jerger:
Il do not know whether MIR. Hoove,
would carry Thomas county or not
do not know whether he would
carry Georgia or not. But it seems
to me that the subcommittee made
a serious mistake when it shut him
out of the primary for no other rea.
son than his refusal to commit him.
self to underlined partisanship.
have heard many expressions of re.
sentiment here. The feeling il
brownsville is about the same as
the feeling everywhere else"
A rather peculiar situation has de
veloped( in Thomas county with ref
erence to the holding of the primary
The local county primary has no
been called. The Democratic execu
IS H.
in favor of holding the county pri
mary on April 20, the date of tn
!. preferential primary, as requested
by the state executive committee.
This will necessitate the formine
Of volunteer crew of election man
ayers to hold the primary in this
county. Editor Jerger is secretary O.
the county executive committee anC
is determined that Thomas count,
shall not go by default with no bal
lot boxes open. He intends to form
volunteer crew by his own person
al efforts, if the county committe,
does not move in the matter, anC
open at least one or two boxes wher,
the voters Of the entire county viii
be invited to cast their ballots fo
their preference for the Democrat
presidential nomination.
In other words, as he states him
self, Editor Jerger was not especial
ly rampant for having a primary e
start with, believing an uninstructeC
delegation might not be amiss unde
the rather extraordinary circum
stances of the present presidential
contest, but now since primary hal
been ordered he would like to Civ,
the voters an opportunity for full
and free expression upon everyon
whom they are interested in. and h
is determined particularly tina
Thomas .county's voters shall get
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