Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-05-13
SENATOR SMITH IN
FAVOR Of DIVIDING
STATE DELEGATION
Declares, in Card, That Con-
vention Should Disapprove
Third Term and League
Without Reservations

The Georgia delegation to the
democratic national convention. at
San Francisco should be chosen and
proportional by the state convention
from among the friends of the three
presidential candidates who contest
ed in the recent preferential primary,
in the opinion of Senator Hoke
Smith. He holds that they should go
to San Francisco uninstructed.
This view was expressed Wednes-
day morning in statement issued
by Senator Smith. 1t Is the judg-
ment of the senator that the con-
vention should be governed by To-
cal political conditions in Georgia
and should avoid doing anything
that might justly be considered as
unfair and cause discomfort and dis
trust among the Democrats of the
state.
Senator Smiths statement is pref
aced with the declaration that near
ly 10000 voters participated in. the
recent primary and expressed their
wishes at the ballot box. The con-
vention should, Senator Smith thinks,
carry out the wishes of the voters,
who, he remarks, declared agains:
the League of Nations as it was
brought back from Paris by Presi-
dent Wilson, and against nominating
Mr.. Wilson for third term.
The statement follows:
I'm the recent primary nearly $780,
900 voters expressed their wishes at
the ballot box. No one can doubt
that the convention should carry out
the expressed wishes of the voters.
They clearly declared against the
League Of Nations as the president
brought it back from Paris, and
against nominating the president for
third term. l think the conven-
ton should, by suitable resolutions,
instruct the delegates to observe in
the national convention the wishes
of the voters on these most impor-
tant subjects.
authorized to control the votes of
400 delegates representing in the
convention the voters of Georgia.
For a. committee to assume such au-
thority would be to set aside all
past party practices and especially
would this be true with reference
to action by congressional districts
where heretofore always district del
egateS have selected the delegates
from their districts to national Demo
cratic conventions.
Il think the. convention should con-
slider conditions in our own state and
avoid doing az ching which might
Justly be considered unfair and
cause discomfort and distrust among
Democratic votehrs.
I'm view of the situationI believe
it would be fair and wise for the
convention to elect delegates select
ed by the friends of each of the
three candidates as nearly as practic-
able in. proportion to their relative
strength.
THE delegation might well go to
San Francisco uninstructed as to
candidates, free. after consultation
with delegates from other states, to
select candidate whose strength
would contribute most to the success
of the party. My interest from
the first in the action of Georgia
he :. in no sense, been a personal one.
Il am deeply convinced that the
League of Nations as brought from
Paris should not be ratified. Geor-
am now chiefly concerned to see that
s action by the voters is faithfully
expressed. by the delegates at San
Francisco"