Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-05-18

Delegates representing the three
candidates in the recent presidential
primary were in Atlanta Monday in
readiness for the convention which
meets at 10 o'clock Tuesday morn
ing in the Atlanta theater.
The delegates representing A.
Mitchell Palmer were claiming the
right under Rule x Of the Demo-
cratic state executive committee to
name the entire delegation to repre-
sent the state at the Democratic
national convention to be held in
San Francisco on June %. Rule x
provides that the candidate receiv-
ing the highest county unit vote in
the primary shall name the national
delegation. On the face of the re-
turns, Mr.. Palmer received the high
est county unit vote.
The delegates representing Sem
ator Hoke Smith and those repre-
senting Thomas E. Watson deny the
authority of the state committee to
make a rule governing the action
Of the convention. They assert the
supremacy Of the conventions au-
thority in naming the delegation to
San Francisco. They deny that Mr..
Palmer carried the primary. They
concede him the right to name the
delegates in those congressional dis
tricts which he carried, but they do
not concede him the right to name
all the delegates. They hold that
the primary was inconclusive in the
sense that neither candidate received
a majority of the county unit votes.
They claim that the convention, if
it means anything at all, must be
controlled by a majority. Inasmuch
as the delegates representing Mr..
Palmer are not a majority, but only
a plurality, they refuse to concede
the Palmer members the right of
controlling the convention.
willing to Compromise
Though claiming the right under
rule 10 to name all the delegates to
San Francisco, some Of the leading
Palmer supporters at the same time
WAY tn1
agreement which would be satisfac-
| tory to Senator Smith and Thomas
e. Watson in the interest of harmony
| in the party in Georgia.
Some Of these Palmer leaders went
| so far as to declare that they would
agree to the election Of a new ma
I tional committeeman in place Of
| Clark Howell, who has held the posi-
ton twenty-five years, in order to
satisfy Senator Smith. But they in
sisted, nevertheless, on delegation
to San Francisco which would be
composed exclusively Of Palmer sup
porters and which would be instruct
ed to vote for the attorney general
first, last and all the time"
SO far as Senator Smith was con-
| cerned, it was understood that he
| continued to stand upon his original
proposition of a divided delegation
uninstructed as to the Democratic
nominee. That is to say, he thought
the fair way and logical way to com.
pose the conventions differences
would be to name a delegation com
posed of the supporters of all three
candidates in the presidential pri
mary, the ratio to be determined &C
cording to the congressional districts
they carried, and their instruction.
to leave them free to vote for which
ever Democrat they considered thu
best qualified and most available a!
the party's standard bearer.
It did not seem likely that the Pal
mer leaders would consent to a di
, vided delegation.
The outcome, therefore, of tn
harmony" suggestions going tn
rounds was very much in doubt whel
this edition of The Journal wen
. to press. 1t did not seem likel
: that the Smith supporters would con
ton apportioned on the basis Of tn
. popular vote in the presidential pri
. mary.
|. Caucuses Monday Night
In the meantime, there was
meeting of the Democratic stat