Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-05-06
Denies Authority of the Conn.,
mittee to Pass on Contests
Except for the Purpose of
Making Up Temporary Roll

J. r. Smith. one Of the campaign
the recent presidential primary,
Tuesday addressed letter to James
J. Flynt. chairman of the Democratic
state executive committee. request
ing him to state the purpose of the
meeting of the subcommittee on rules
to be held in Atlanta on May IL.
This is the adjourned meeting call
ed by Che subcommittee when 1t
met in Atlanta last Wednesday,
and its object is to hear and decide
the contests brought by tHoke Smith
and Thomas e. Watson in several
contests is concerned. Mr.. Smith
makes no objection. But when it
comes to the deciding of contests by
the subcommittee, he notifies Chair
man Flynt that he does not recog-
nize their authority on that point.
purpose of the subcommittee is to
hear contests. consolidate the returns
and declare the result as the basis
for temporary roll of the conven-
ton (to be held May 49,, then he
will submit his contests. But he de-
MES the authority of the subcommit-
tee to decide any contests, Or de-
clare the result of the primary, or
seat any delegates in the conven-
ton. He took this position before
the subcommittee when it met in
Atlanta last Wednesday.
For the subcommittee, he con-
tends. to attempt to control the
convention by deciding contests, or
declaring the result, or seating dele
gates, or enforcing or attempting to
enforce rule ten, would be equiva-
lent to an attempt by the Democratic
ran% iNtn 1o11
the candidate for the Democratic
presidential nomination who went to
San Francisco with a plurality of
votes should be the nominee. when
everybody knows that the Demo-
cratic national convention always has
nominated by the two-thirds rule.
Mr.. Smiths letter to Chairman
Flynt requests definite reply on the
above points. It is as follows:
Hon. James J. Flynt,
Chairman State Democratic Com
mittee.
Dear Sir: In view Of publica-
tons with regard to the meeting
Of the subcommittee on May II,
I will appreciate it If you will
give me a definite statement as
to the purposes for which the
committee will meet.
In order that the attitude of
the supporters of Senator Smith
may be definitely before you and
the committee, we wish to advise
as follows:
If the purpose of the commit
tee Is to make up a temporary
roll of the convention and pass
on contests for this purpose
alone, this we recognize to be,
according to Democratic usages,
within the power of the commit
tee, and we will appear and pre-
sent our contest.
IN tho 0thnr hand rnSnaPt-
fully deny the authority of the
committee to pass on contests
for any other purpose than the
making up of the temporary roll
Of the convention and with the
understanding that the conven-
ton itself must finally settle the
rights of any delegates to seats.
We emphatically deny that the
committee has any authority
declare any person as a success
full candidate in the election and
if the purpose of the committee
in meeting on May II is to con-
slider contests with a view of is
suing such declaration or with
g. view of finally passing on the
contests, or with any other pur-
pose than the making of the tenn
porary roll of the convention, we
deny the authority of the COM
mittee, and to preserve our right
will be forced to decline to par
ticipate in the proceedings.
This is the position L took when
the committee met last in
Atlanta, at which time I pointed
out that such position was fair
and right to all concerned. To
adopt any other view is without
a precedent in this or any other
state. 1t is contrary to every
usage of the Democratic party
and can only be described as COM
pletely revolutionary.
Suppose the national Demo
cratic committee should meet now
and pass a rule that the candi-
date coming to the San Francis
CO convention with the largest
plurality Of votes should be de-
clared by the national commit
tee to be the nominee of the
party, and that the national con-
vention was to be helpless so far
as the wishes of a majority Of
the delegates to the national con-
vention were concerned. This
would be on a national scale eX-
actly what is now proposed as a
regulation to contr"1 the state
convention in Georgia.
We are mentioning this so as
! to put on record our position as