Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-05-11
SENTIMENT CROWS
FOR UNRESTRICTED
STATE DELEGATION

0lAl[ U[L[0AIIOIV
That the state convention to be
held in Atlanta May Is will send to
San Francisco an uninstructed dele
cation divided among the three can
didates who ran in the recent preSi-
Dental primary is the growing be-
lief in political circles.
Senator Hoke Smith is expected to
return to Atlanta on Monday or
Tuesday and remain here until after
the convention. 1t is believed he will
urge an uninstructed delegation di-
vided among the candidates as the
only fair method of adjusting the
differences that will develop in the
convention.
Senator Smith will not consent to
the application of Rule 10 of the
tue of this rule, some of the Palmer
leaders have been claiming the right
to name all the delegates to San
Francisco. The rule provides that the
delegates to San Francisco shall b. be
selected from the supporters of the
candidate who received the highest
county unit vote in the primary. At
torney General Palmer received the
highest county unit vote on the face
of the returns, but there are ten
COuL6SlS yet " D0 SSlIl6u, anu lIl6
convention will be the final judge of
the credentials of all delegates.
There are sufficient county unit votes
involved in the contests to alter the
attorney generals status as the plu-
rality candidate, if they should be
sustained by the convention.
But entirely aside from the out
come of the contests, Senator Smith
will take the position, it is under
stood, that no state executive COM
nittee can control the action of a
state convention, much less when it
proposes to exert that control by and
Nthrorgh a minority of the delegates
voting in such d convention. In other
words, that minority rule is undemo-
cratic, unprecedented and unthink-
able.
Neither will Thomas e. watson
consent to the application Of Rule
10. He has announced that he and
his delegates will resist the rule to
the uttermost. He mas announced
that those who attempt to apply the
rule will invite political disaster for
themselves.
method whereby the Palmer leaders
can hope to apply Rule 10 to the Sc
lection of delegates to the national
con vention is to bolt the conven-
ton to be held in Atlanta or May
IS: and hold convention of their
ularly elected delegates; and elect
their~own delegates to San Francisco
and send them there to contest the
credentials OF any other delegates
which might be elected by the regu-
lar convention.
But whether it would be political
ly advisable to bolt the state conven-
ton is the question which is said 10
be causing grave concern among the
Palmer leaders. At their conference
I>f low ta1 in n
understood a majority Of those pres
ent were not in favor of the boiling
program. They would much prefer
some other adjustment of the con-
vention's differences if such thing
were possible.
An issue involved in the person
mel of the San Fracisco delegation
in fact, the main issue, in the opin-
ion of most politicians-is the Sc
lection a Democratic national
committeeman from Georgia. A
delegation named by boiling con-
present incumbent, Hon. Clark How
ell, who has held the position TWEEN
ty-five years, and who is the rank
ing member of the national commit
tee in point of service. A delegation
named by the regular convention,
whether it be divided among the
three presidential primary candidate
or not, might make another choice of
a national committeeman.
Quite a number of Palmer dele
gates to the state convention are
men holding public office or planning
to be candidates for public office in
the forthcoming state primary. It
is understood that they do not relish
the idea of boiling the regular CON
vention, especially when their oppo-
nents could charge them with bolt
ing to insure the reelection of the
present national committeeman.
Hence the situation resolves itself
into choice by the Palmer leaders
between two alternatives, as follows:
1. To bolt the convention, name
Palmer delegates, re-elect the pres
ent national committeeman, and go
to San Francisco with a contest
which might or might not be decld-
ed in their favor, and which if decid-
ed in their favor might entail en-
barrassing future political conse-
uuences in view of the manifest ten
dency of Georgia Democrats to lg-
more party lines where the League
of Nations and other great issues
are concerned.
2. To stay in the convention ana
make the best solution of the con-
vention's differences that can be
made, which solution would peces-
sarily involve a recognition of the
right of Senator Smith and Thomas
E. Watson to participate in the nam
ing of delegates to san FRANCISCO, DIS
well as to participate in the conven-
tons declarations with regard to the
League of Nations, a third-term
nomination for the president and
other questions that were threshed
out in the presidential primary.
AS between these alternatives con-
fronting the leaders of the Palmer
faction, there is said to be a grow
ing disposition in favor of the latter.
Conservative Palmer leaders, 1t is
understood on reliable authority, be-
lieve it would subject Democratic
harmony in Georgia to severe, If
not dangerous, strain to bolt the reg
ular convention and hold a rump
convention composed of delegates
representing a minority of the voters
who expressed themselves in the
presidential primary.
Should they decide to remain in the
convention instead of boiling, and
should the convention name a dele
cation in which all candidates were
represented, the method of selection
would probably be the same that has
always been followed in the past:
That is to say, the delegates would
probably caucus by congressional