Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-03-18
DEMOCRATS BALK
At HAND PICKING
YSUBCOMM|T TEE
State Senator Claude C,
Pittman Won't Vote in
Primary if He Can't Vote
fonHoovef
By ROGERS WINTER
(staf Correspondent Of The Journal)

(Stan correspondent OF 1ne journal
CARTERSvILLE, Ga, March IL
That the subcommittee on rules of
the Democratic state executive COM
mittee selected a dangerous time to
hand-pick candidates in Democratic
primary becomes increasingly evil
dent to one who has travelled the
state from the mountains to the sea
and made observations in number
of the leading Democratic communi-
ties.
Many upheavals were caused by
the war, and not the least extensive
and significant among them is a
breaking away of the old political
crust. Georgia Democrats are say
ing outright that they are going
to vote an independent ticket this
year if they are given a deal from
the same old deck of cards manlpu-
lated by the same old machine poll
ticians who have always done the
dealing. And this growing spirit of
impatience, with politics and poli-
ticians has not been assuaged by the
subcommittee high-handed attempt
to enforce upon Georgia Democrats
the proposition that they shall not
be allowed to vote in their primary
for their choice of standard
bearer.
State Senator Claude C. Pittman,
who is a prominent Gainesville law
Yer and whose district embraces the
counties of Barlow, Chattooga and
Floyd, said to The Journal corre-
spondent:
'I consider myself as loyal to the
Democratic party as any member OF
the subcommittee l consider my
self capable of exercising a sounu
political judgment in party prl-
mary. I would vote for Hoover IN
the presidential primary If the SUD-
committee would let me vote as
want to vote. But if they don't con-
cede me that privilege, then l am
not going to vote at all, and VIII re-
serve the right to vote as Please
in the presidential election. p! nave
heretofore belonged to that element
o. faction of the party IN Georgia
whose leaders are supposed to be re-
snonsible for the subcommittee &C
ton in shutting Hoover OUT OF the
primary, but I cannot travel with
them on this proposition.
Patience Exhausted
Senator Pittman is neither a Doll
or nor a Republican, nor a SOCIALIST
He is simply Democrat whose pa
tience has been utterly exhausted
nv notifies and politicians, and the
action Of the subcommittee IN at
tempting to hand-pick the candidates
in Georeia's preferential primary
was the final straw. He is not alone
in his feeling that party whose OIL
ficers would be guilty of such ABUSE
of power cannot enforce upon him
claim for continued loyalty ana sup
mort. There are many others ike
him all over Georgia.
What the subcommittee undoupt-
edly intended was to eliminate
Hoover from the presidential prl-
mary. That is to say, to put him
out of reach of those untrustworthy
Democrats who must not be allowed
to get hold of him for fear, it must
be supposed, that they would do.
themselves or their party political
harm by voting for him. But II
the subcommittee had been schem-
ing to pile up big independent vote
in Georgia. thing that admittedly
would be harmful to the whole Dem
ocratic organization-they could not
Lave picked a better method. Demo-
Gratis in Georgia, good, loyal Demo
Gratis, who have supported const1tut-
ed party authority and stood by the
Democratic administration and been
loyal to their government during the
war, are not in any favorable mood
to be tempered with by such politi-
cal trickery.
Oscar T. Peoples, one of the most
prominent business men of Carriers
Vile, expressed the feeling when he
declared in an editorial in the Tri-
bune-News, of which he is president
and associate editor with Milton
Fleetwood, that I'VE respect our con-
stituted party authority as long as
that authority is justly and properly
exercised, but when it is not, then
that authority becomes thing de-
serving of our conteL-pt."
"obey, Though MistreateU'
Yet his sense of regularity, of 10y
atty to the organization, is still so
strong in spite of his resentment,
that he admits he will bow
his head in obedience" to the, sub
committees ruling. In other words,
he will obey the subcommittee, al
though he feels that they have gross
ly mistrcated him.
His feeling is that the Democrat c
party ought to nominate man who
can be elected, and he does not
iieve either Palmer or MeAdoo has
a ghost of a showing. He does not
believe even President Wilson could
be elected to a third term. He says
he would not vote for him for "a third
term. His opinion is that Hoover's
service to the Democratic admins
I 1, hot hi m.
Crd of achievement as an orphan boy
who fought his way up to success
and fame, that his public utterances
On the dominant questions of tie
day, constitute in the last analysis
the very essence of democracy, spell
ed with small I'd" He feels that
il is an insult to- his intelligence to
be told N the subcommittee that
Hoover 'ks not q De~7o"rat," and tt
have a lot of other meaningless fo-.
nlulas banded around among polite
ians. He believes Hoover could win
for the party, and that the best party
service. the most disinterested serv-
ice, that can be rendered now, is tc
nominate a man who rises aboV.
partisanship and meets the great
American demand for Americanism.
Finally. he regards Hoover as one
Of the ablest business men in the
world. and his opinion is that tht
United States government nee1s 6
business man as it has never needed
one before.
How the Farmers Feel
It was interesting to hear an eX'
preston of opinion by DR.. r. e. Will
son, one of Barlow county's leading
physicians, and man who stands
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