Weekly journal-miner., 1920-03-03
DOUGLAS-AKERS CLEAVAGE FOR
 DEM PARTY

SIlu UuII
 PHOENIX, Feb. 24.-With its radical wing trailing in the mud of despair as the result of grievous wounds and with the body polite of the organization covered with the scars of dissension, the old bird of Arizona democracy is nursing life sized grouch today as a sad after math of the recent meeting of the state democratic committee.
 The conservatives are sore because Jimmy Douglas was not named na- tional committeeman to succeed Fred Colter, who apparently has be- come d resident of Los Angeles, Cal. The radicals are sore because of the taking back into the party fold of one Charlie Akers, editor of the Arizona Gazette" and because of the alleged trickery to secure for him a leather medal in the form of a seat in the national convention al San Francisco. The middle of the roaders are sore over the lack of leadership to whip the various recall citrant groups into line, and the gen. eraI lack of harmony which was evinced on all sides at the Saturday meeting.
 Akers Causes Row
 But most of all is the radical ele- ment up in arms because Akers was named as an alternate Such action they regard as a direct slap, for it was Akcrs, they recall, who refused to publish advertisements for the radical leader, Colter, whom he was running for governor. The Ga zette's" attitude toward Golfer has never been forgiven, and it was this feeling of resentment which resulted in its editor being read out of the party by a fiery resolution which was adopted by the party council one short year ago.
 Efforts in behalf of Akers are said to have been engineered by w. T. Webb, recently appointed prohibition commissioner for this state by Mark Smith. The proposition is said to have been put to the Maricopa com mittecmen like this: Hunt does no' care for the honor He has attended one national convention and he be- lieves in stepping aside in favor of some other man. In the interest of party harmony in Maricopa he would like to see Charlie Akers go."
 It was this line of argument which came within one vote of making Akers a delegate with Alex Baker, assistant attorney general, and which did make him an alternate, with the understanding that he would prob ably go to the floor of the conven- ton at that.
 Hunt on Akers
 Now it develops that Hunts pref erence for Akers is a myth.
 q did not express preferment or otherwise for Akers or any other candidate" Hunt stated yesterday. All that I said was that I, myself, did not care to go to San Francisco. and for this reason I did not attend the meeting"
 And so it has come about that iii Webb Hunt has a new mouthpiece, in whom, as might be expected, he is not so well pleased that one would notice it.
 Douglas Thown Over
 The selection of Judge W. L. Bar mum came about as tht result of many hour struggle in the nominat- ing committee, consisting of a rep resentativc from every county but Apache, which was not represented At one time the members of the con- nlittee were united on the appoint mcut of James Douglas, feeling sure that this was the one man in Arizona democracy who could bring the dis senting factions together. With the mention of his name, there was some discussion as to the chances of his accepting the democratic nomination for governor. This he would do, someone suggested. but for the fear of defeat and for this very reason he was not the man wanted for the inn portant position of national commit teeman. Another argument used against Douglas was that his sclec- ton would only serve as d rcd flag Haunting in the face of the radical forces, and it was with this in mind that the committee nominated Bar mum.
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