The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1920-03-30
CROSS CURRENTS
in GEORGIA POLITICS
MANY GEORGIA DEMOCRATS DO
NOT FAVOR EITHER PALMER
OR REED FOR PRESIDENT


the political tide, and unquestionably
the candidate who could unite num-
Der of them into a single current
would carry the primary.
Palmer's supporters are anxious to
place the state of Georgia on record
with an unqualified Endorsement of
every act of President Wilson's adj
ministration, which includes the
presidents refusal to yield to COM
promise on the peace treaty, the deal
ings of the administration with or
ganized labor, the passage of the
Susan B. Anthony amendment and
numerous other acts.
Reeds supporters, on the other
hand, are anxious to place the state
of Georgia on record with an unqual-
flied reputation of every act of the
Wilson administration, including the
entrance of the country into the war,
the use of the selective service meth
cd of raising an army, and likewise
all of the great constructive achieve
ments of the democratic congress and
president prior to the war. Senator
Reeds prominence in Georgia is bas-
ed entirely upon his known attitude of
bitter personal antagonism to Presl-
dent Wilson.
Those who favor Palmer's candi-
dacy would naturally like to give
President Wilson an unqualified in
dorsement. Many of the Palmer sup
porters are federal Office holders.
Others are members who admire the
president with an intense ideallsm-a
kind of hero worship.
Those who favor Reeds candidacy
are equally as anxious to give Pres
ident Wilson an unqualified repudia-
ton. They represent the Wilson hat
ers in Georgia, those who have moth
ing to say in support of the president
on any act of the administration, those
who feel personally aggrieved against
him, like ex-senator Hardwick; those
who feel that the administration pun
ished them during the war, like
Thomas E. Watson.
These two conflicting currents, dia-
metrically opposed to each other, nat
urally give rise to the questions:
Does Georgia indorse every act of
the Wilson administration?
Does Georgia repudiate every act of
the Wilson administration?
Is there not a middle ground more
nearly representing the states real
attitude?
Between these two extremes of po-
litical viewpoint are ranged a very
large body of Georgia democrats who
are not enthusiastic over the candl-
dacy of Palmer or Reed. In this
body of democrats are to be found
those who would prefer to see the
democratic party nominate Edwards,
or Hoover, or Marshall, or McAdoo,
or Cox, or somebody else.
But none of these names are to be
on the ballot of the preferential pri-
mary. Edwards has kept his name
off in Georgia as in all other states.
Hoover has been ruled off by the
democratic state executive committee.
Marshall has not been put forward by
any organized group of supporters,
though he has many admirers. Nc
Adoo has kept his name off. Cox Of
fered no encouragement to admirers
of his in Augusta to put his name on
the ballot.
So the primary gave promise of
settling down to Palmer-Reed
choice. Hoover's supporters are not
satisfied, and some of them have re-
uuested Senator Smith to enter the
primary. Other democrats are not
satisfied and are talking of an unin-
structed delegation.
In this situation Senator Smith
has stepped in with an opportunity
for a middle ground expression. So
far as the administration is con-
cerned, he has supported it IN
some matters and opposed it in
others, so that he does not repre-
sent such an unqualified Endorsement
as Attorney General Palmer; and
neither, on the other hand, does he
represent the opposite point OF the
political compass, represented by
Senator Reed.
Many of the supporters of Senator
Smith express the belief that Attor-
new General Palmer's candidacy in
Georgia was brought about by Sena-
tor Smiths enemies for the purpose
of erecting a platform from which
to launch a candidate against him for
the senate.
In other words, as they see it, the
success of Palmer in the Georgia prl-
mary, if he should win on his an
nounced platform, would be construed
by Senator Smiths enemies as re-
pudiation of his record in the senate,
and would be the political spring
board which his enemies would launch
some man against it. AS they see
it. the Palmer platform in Georgia
has been so presented and espoused
as to make it a direct attack upon
Senator Smiths record in the senate.
Hence they regard it as a challenge
to the senator. If the issue is to be
made in the preferential primary, they
naturally want him in it to make his
own fight, for they regard him as pc
culiarly well qualified to look after
his own interests.
1t is further argued by some OF
the senator's supporters that his en-
+,.o,,oo into the urinary would be very