Americus times-recorder., 1920-04-02
ELIMINATION OF
WILSON'S NAME
RELIEF FTO MANY
Threatened New Compli-
cation In Muddled Sit
uation Obviated

ATLANTA, April 2.-(SpeciaD-
Georgia politicians experienced con-
siderable of a stunning jolt yester-
day afternoon by the announcement
from the White House in Washing
t n that President Wilson had taken
no steps to have his name removed
from the presidential preference pri-
mary ballot in Georgia, thus assuring
that his name would stay on the bal
lot, the requisite number of voters
having filed it. The announcement
seemed to add infinitely to an al
ready complicated, and in many re-
spects embarrassing situation, and
speculation was widespread as to
what effect the presidents entry
would have upon the race. But the
sensation was short lived, for Hiram
Gardner, of Eatonton, secretary OF
the state executive committee, ap-
peared in Atlanta late in the day
with the announcement that there
had been a number of Withdrawals
of signatures from the president
petition, nullifying his nomination
for the ballot. This left only three
names qualified, according to the sec
retary, they being Palmer, Hoke
Smith and Thos. E. Watson.
Gardner's Statement.
The following formal statement
was issued by Secretary Gardner:
81 am not prepared to make any
official announcement until L nave
had a conference with Chairman
Flynt, but l have no objections to
stating that the preferential primary
for president has developed the fol-
lowing:
IN A. Mitchell Palmery
" Hoke Smith,
Thomas E. Watson.
"The names of each OF these nave
been presented in accordance with
the regulations prescribed by the
committee.
"Other names were officially pre-
sented to me, but they were with
drawn either by personal direction or
by withdrawal of the name of the pc
titioners.
1.-The name of Senator James A.
Reed, of Missouri, was entered ana
withdrawn by him.
"The name of Ex-Secretary OF
State Robert Lansing was also en-
tered and withdrawn by him.
"The name of President Woodrow
Wilson was filed, by duly signed pc
tition. but the names of a number OF
the petitioners were formally with
drawn, leaving the list below the one
hundred names required by the state
committee to make formal entry OF
anv name. Of the names appearing
on this petition many of them were
evidently signed by one person, but
it was not necessary for US to go into
the validity Of the petition, for even
as it stood, and taking every name as
a bona fde signer and Votef, the
Withdrawals by letter reduced the pc.
tition below the required number Oh
signatures
Hoover VS.. Watson.
question which has been embar-
rassinp the members of the state
committee somewhat is by what man.
ner of logic they can permit the name
of Watson to go onto the ballot as
a Democrat when the name of Her
bert Hoover was rejected. 1t Is
nointed out that Watson has been
Populist for many years, and most
of the time against the things that
the Democratic party has stood for,
whereas Hoover voted for Wilson IN
1916 and has given voice to set OF
principles held by him that accord
thoroughly with the principles OF the
Democratic party from It's begin
ming.
An angle of the Wilson entry
which is still causing speculation Is
whether or not Palmer is really the
administration candidate. Men VINO
profess to be as close to the INSIDE,
as is possible, which all agree is not
so very close, differ as to whether
the president sponsored Palmer's an
nouncement or not Those who say
he did not now point to the presl.
dents acouiescence in the tlllng of
aAs name in Georgia, an attitude,
ev point out, that would scarcely
have been possible had he sponsored
Palmer's candidacy.
Men of both the Smith and ram
err camps in many cases nave peeh
greatly relieved by the elimination
of the president from the primary, as
there are thousands of loyal support
ers of the administration who would
have felt it impossible to vote for or
support any other candidate should
Wilson'S name have appeared on the
ballot.
League Form the Issue.
The issue that seems uppermost IN
Georgias preferential primary for
president, according to, editorial ut
terances of state newspapers, IS
whether the party in this state shall
go on record as favoring the peace
treaty and League of Nations with
out reservations, as indicated by the