The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1920-05-04
COMMITTEE NOTIFIED
OF MANY CONTESTS
MEMBERS MEET TO CANVASS
RETURNS OF THE PRIMARY.
STAND BY RULE TEN.

ATLANTA. - After wrangllng
more than two hours over whether
the subcommittee on rules of the
domocratic executive committee
sbonld settle county contest vote
oosos in the presidential preference
urinary or whether these cases should
he settled by the state convention at
tic meeting May Is the sub-commit-
tee meeting in the Kimball House,
decided to handle such cases and set
Nav II as the date to hear them.
! R. Smith, representing H. -"
Hoke Smith, and Ben. M. BlacA@S~1hs
ronresenting Thomas E. Watson, urg-
cd the subcommittee to refer the
contests to the state convention. I.
r. Parker, a member of the sub
committee, made a motion to that
effect He said the decision of the
subcommittee would be appealed to
the state convention either way the
contests were decided, and hence
It was a waste of time for the sub
committee to hear the contests.
Judge James j. Flynt, chairman OF
the Subcommittee, and also chair
man of the state committee, sup
ported Mr.. Parker. He thought the
subcommittee would be going be-
yond it's province in attempting to
decide disputes between rival dele
cations from a county or counties:
He thought the subcommittee should
declare the result in the uncontested
counties and should refer the con-
tests to the state convention.
Motion Was Defeated.
Mr.. Parker's motion was defeated
by a vote of four to two.
Col. H. H. Dean of Gainesville
had prepared a resolution having
the committee declare Attorney Gen
eral Palmer entitled to the Georgia
delegation to the national convention,
but when the question of contests
came up he did not offer it.
Contests of the vote in several
counties in the primary of April
20, including Fulton county,
were filed in behalf of Senator Hoke
smith and Thomas E. Watson.
B. M. Blackburn filed contests for
Watson in Fulton, Chatham, Lee,
Echols. Columbia and Ebert. He
said he was not acting for Watson,
but as a citizen. In one Fulton coun-
tv precinct, he said, thirty-seven
votes for Watson were thrown out.
Palmer carried this county by only
four votes. Mr.. Blackburn claimed
that in Lee county Watson's name
was left off the ballot and Palmer's
inserted twice, above and below that
of Smith, and that the city detectives
superintended the election in Chat
ham county.
The Official Results.
Contests were filed for Smith in
Atkinson and Murray counties, where
it was claimed a precinct that went
for Smith in each county was given
to Palmer.
Official returns from the primary
gave Palmer 148 county unit votes,
Watson 1870 and Smith 106. Column
bia county returns were missing. IT
went for Watson.
Mr.. Blackburn made a spirited talk
before the committee, in which ne
declared that he had never heard OF
any state executive committee in the
past trying to bind the state conven-
ton to any method of procedure. He
said majority of the convention
should choose delegates to theFcon-
vention in San Francisco. In reply
to a question put by H. H. Dean. OF
Gainesville, Mr.. Blackburn said del
egates were elected by majority rule
in the last state convention, and that
this is the proper procedure.
T. H. Parker of Moultrie said that
in his opinion the committee has not
the right to bind the convention to
4 plurality rule.
Wide Difference.
The committee debated motion by
i Fermor Barrett that the committee
meet May 1 to consider the contests.
1t was the general opinion that this
matter would be left to the conven--
ton. There was wide difference OF
opinions, and the verbal contests
were waged with much heat at times. |
Notice of all county contests
must be filed with Secretary Hiram
Gardner by May 6, five days before
Ihe adjourned meeting.
The subcommittee was unanimous
as to its right and duty Under rule
~ to declare the election in favor
Of the candidate who received the
highest number of county unit votes
in the state.
Plan to Name Delegates.
That the Palmer forces in the
state convention are planning to
slalm the right of naming all dele
gates to the San Francisco conven-
sOn was plainly indicated by the ac-
~n of the subcommittee.
Inc Palmer supporters will base
Sr claim on rule 10 adopted by
t5s state executive committee for
nv. RESIDENTIAL primary. This rule
5 p,VNaes that the delegates to the
Ie aat0 convention shall be Sc
cs sr,sq from the supporters of that
H. SpuIlaate for president who received
mr. rS highest county unit vote in the
fip5l3ary." They claim this rule is
"WGlng on the convention.
nlo Not only are the Palmer forces
EnIana nm to claim the right of nam
al