Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-04-01
PETITION FILED To
PUT PRESIDENT ON
PRIMARY BALLOT
Secretary Gardner Awaiting
Word From Mr., Wilson,.
Senator Smith Defines IS
sues of Campaign

With the entry list closing at I!
o'clock Thursday for the Georgia
presidential primary to be held April
20. new and interesting develop
ment came to light Wednesday in the
announcement that petition has
been filed for the name of President
Wilson to go on the ballot.
Henry B. Baylor and III other
Democrats Of Atlanta filed the petit,
ton. Acting at the direction of the
subcommittee on rules in charge OF
the primary, Secretary Hiram Gard
ner, of Eatonton, has telegraphed the
president to know his wishes with
regard to the petition. 1t is believed
he will reply that Attorney General
Palmer's candidacy indorsing every
phase of the administration makes it
unnecessary for him to enter the pri-
mary. In addition to this, his &C
quiescence in the use of his name
might be construed as an announce
ment of his candidacy for third
term, and he has not yet made known
his position on this question.
In addition to telegraphing Presi-
dent Wilson to know his wishes, Sec
rotary Gardner has likewise tele-
graphed all others for whom petit
gtions have been filed and whose
wishes are not known to the SUBJ
committee These. are Senator Reed
and Robert Lansing. There was No
inquiry sent to Senator Smith, At
torney- General Palmer Or Thomas E.
Watson, as their wishes are known.
+tA
ident, Senator Reed and Mr.. Lansing
will govern the subcommittee ac-
ton. No name will be placed. on the
ballot against a mans wishes. An
Associated Press dispatch from
Washington Wednesday afternoon
was to the effect that white House
officials had no information as to
President Wilson's probable action
concerning the petition" and that the
petition was filled without his know
ledge"
J. 3. Smiths Statement
Chairman James j. Flynt, Of Grit
fin, and Secretary Gardner will meet
in Atlanta Friday to prepare the Of
fetal ballot of the primary, and the
names going on it will depend upon
the replies received from those men
toned above.
At Senator Hoke Smiths head
quarters in the Piedmont hotel We'd
nesday morning steady stream or
callers from all parts Of the state
were being received by the senator,
and a corps OF stenographers were
busy replying to letters and tele-
grams.
]. r. Smith, who is Jointly in
charge OF headquarters with H. w.
McCord, gave out the following
statement concerning Governor Dor
sey's decision not to enter the prt-
mary:
"I believe it is the Judgment OF
everyone that the governors nap
served him well, for had the Palmer
committee swapped horses in the
Middle of the stream by substituting
Dorsey for Palmer it would have in
voIyed the usual hazard of such a
transaction, and would have been the
height of 'camoufiage,' which the
governor realized as shown in his
statement, although it appears that
some of the Palmer leaders failed to
realize it when they made the sug-
gestion, of putting the governor into
the contest in place of the attorney
general.
II heartily agree with the COVER
nor that national issues should con-
troll in this campaign. His decision
clears the way for a determination
Of the most important national issue
before the country in contest be-
tween two conspicuous national fig
ures, Senator Smith and Attorney
General Palmer.
gTyl,
over, upholds the purpose of the pri-
mary, which is to enable the Demo-
Gratis of Georgia to determine for
themselves, at the ballot box on April
20, the policy they wish their party
to follow in the national campaign,
rather than having politicians mis-
represent them in the councils of the
party"
Senator Smiths campaign, it was
stated by Mr.. Smith, is going for
ward with the utmost activity and
enthusiasm. The senator will speak
next Saturday morning in Gainesville
and the same afternoon in Commerce.
He will speak next Monday morning
in Dalton and TIE same afternoon in
Rome. He will speak next Tuesday
night in Macon and will spend We'd
will speak Thursday night, April 8,
In the Atlanta Auditorium.
Senator Smith will spend Wednes-
day of next week in Americas to
see his friends not only in Sumter
but adjoining counties, and invites
them to meet him in Americas on
that day, saving them a trip to At
lanta.
Senator Smiths Statement
Clement E. Dunbar, manager OF
the Palmer headquarters, states that
the progress Of the Palmer campaign
is entirely satisfactory, especially
with regard to newspaper support.
The attorney general will speak in
Gainesville next Tuesday morning
and Atlanta next Tuesday night.
Senator Smith on Wednesday is
sued the following statement:
"Let me call the attention Of the
people of Georgia to the great ques-
ton to be passed upon by the voters
o fthe state on April 20. The ATTAIN
ia Constitution and it's satellites are
doing all in their power to divert at
tention from it,
"As an illustration Of their efforts
in this direction I will mention the
utterly false publications they have
made about the call I paid Senator
Reed when he was in Atlanta. My
call had no reference to politics, and
not one word was said that bore di-
rectly or indirectly upon the coming
Georgia primary or upon my candi-
dacy or upon Senator Reeds candi-
dacy. 1t would have been a breach
of courtesy for me to have failed
TO call upon a senator visiting my
home city. Others were in the room
besides Senator Reed and Mr.. Hard
wick; Constitution reporter was
admitted while I was there. There
was no secrecy about the visit, and
not one word was said which I
would object to see published. I do
not know Senator Reeds plans; l
had nothing to do with his visit to