Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-05-15
What the Subcommittee Is
"FIxing" to Raise in Georgia

r n declining to follow his subcommittee
associates on the State Democratic Ex-
ecutive committee in their usurpation of
Convention powers Chairman Flynt uses en-
phatic words. The subcommittee, he argues,
may only declare the result of the primary as
it appears on the face of the returns; 1t has
no authority to settle contests, or to antlcl-
pate any steps which only majority OF
the convention delegates themselves can
rightfully take. AS to the subcommittee
resolution giving Mr.. Palmer the entlre
Georgia delegation to San Francisco, in ad-
vance of the meeting of the only body en-
powered to take such action, Judge Flynt
has this to say:
at want to serve notice that I do
not intend to sign such a resolution DIS
this and will not certify it to the state
Convention. l am not going to blnd my
self to anything that is not r1ght-tne
rest of the Committee can do so IL IL
desires. But 1 tell you now that you are
exceeding your authority and are liking
to raise hell in Georgia.
Nv this last feckful phrase Inc
subcommittee's chairman means u 49,!
NV. we take it, that any 1actloh VI p~ 49,,
that arrogates to little group or seven men
mowers which by every Democratic prece-
dent and principle only the Convention may
oxercise is sowing the wind ana stanos ool-
tain to reap the whirlwlnd. MOE Can anS
open-minded observer doubt tnat "loe
reaching resentment would Dc Inc 49,"
consequence of delegating to one small COM
mittee. which the people had no part III
naming and on which they evidently nave
no influence whatever, the serious business
of determining the entire states pollcy at
SO grave juncture in It's pontlcal alidli D.
Notbing less than this is what the SUD-
COMMITTEES now presumes to do. 1t under
takes to award the Georgia Presidential DEL
egation wholly and finally TO certain Can
didate of the three concerned, oesplIe INC
contests which have been raised IN the case
of twelve counties, involving some twenty
six unit votes, and which only the 1ortn-
coming Convention is empowered to settle.
Net until those contests are decided can IL
be said for a certainty whether MT. falmel
or Mr.. Watson has plurality OF the coun-
" unit votes. The subcommittee may as
anne that all of the claims for Mr.. Palmer
are warranted and should stand, while all
claims in conflict witt. his are groundless
and should be brushed aside. But mere
assumption is not evidence and law. There
Las been no official inquiry into tie merlts
Of the pending contests, no hearing, no au-
.udication nor can there be until the State
Convention itself takes the matter duly in
hand. 1t is sheer presumption, therefore,
for the subcommittee to declare the WIN
ner before the contests on which depend the
Conventions ultimate personnel and pollcy
EdY0 D6en Q6ClQSu. Inc NdIlOud1 D04uOSAoI-
lie Executive Committee as we'll might pre-
sumo to settle all State contests in advance
Of the San Francisco Convention, and die
safe the party's Presidential nominee. GeOr-
ala has never submitted long to political
oligarchy in any form; and assuredly her
freedom-loving rank and file would lose no
time in regulating a faction that stood for
such high-handed methods as the sub
committees usurpation. Judge Flynt speaks
none too forcibly when he employs Sher-
mans synonym for war to describe the re-
suit which tactics like these, if thrust upon
the people, inevitably will raise.
AS democratic body the Convention
which meets in Atlanta May the goth will
naturally be governed by the judgment OF
it's majority, acting upon principles OF non
esty and justice. 1t cannot be fettered by
subcommittee arbitrary rules and preJu-
uices. It cannot be domineered by MI
nority, not even of its own members. 1t
cannot be intimidated by threats of boiling.
Living up to it's duties, it will handle with
out fear or favor the contests which it is
called upon to determine; and having adj
iusted all such differences, will proceed by
upright and truly democratic methods to
name delegates to San Francisco. Such pro-
cedure may not suit the politicians to whom
the men composing this Convention are but
20 many pawns in game; and certainly 1T
will not suit the subcommittee; but unless
all traditions of Georgia democracy are be-
lied, it will suit the mass of the Convention
ITSELF and will suit the great body Of the
people
Are not these after ALL the interests that
ought to be served and satisfied? Is not ma
jority rule, even with it's mistakes and limi-
tations, incomparably fairer and better than
rule by cliques and bosses? Factionists who
talk of boiling the Convention unless it
takes their orders and serves their ends,
will do we'll to remember that in Georgia
it is the rank and file who govern, and
that here the way of the bolter, like that
NJ tho iS nrovarbioJIv how'd