The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1920-04-13
nISCRACEFUL SCENES
IN STATE CAPITOL
.rpvIRLICAN cow ZEN TlON
WAS A BoISTEROUS AND
nowDY AFFAIR. WHITE MEN
DprsENT WERE RIDICULED.

,-,do, factions of the Georgia re-
-,bl;can party Thursday proclaimed
tLoroselves victors in the state repub-
taon convention, which Wednesday
ieo,cb+ the most turbulent and excit-
;ao scenes ever witnessed in the
reoro;a state capitol and resulted in
.o,,ora+e conventions, two sets of del
coates to the national convention in
Chicago. and two sets of state off,
GERS for the party.
On what he declared was "a fight
for equality of citizenship" which is
never to be yielded, Henry Lincoln
Johnson, an Atlanta negro, and a
connie of hundred or more negroes
and white men got into the hall of the
GEORGIA house of representatives and
broke up Roscoe Pickett's state re-
publican convention.
The final outcome Of the whole af-
fair was a spit wide open in the par
+v the naming of two delegates and
nreparations for a contest over the
whole thing in Chicago.
Hopelessly Split.
The boisterous scenes attending
the state convention and the split of
the two factions, it was agreed by
leaders. has hopelessly divided the
republicans of Georgia. Each fac
ton commended that it is the state or
ganization, and a bitter fight is
promised before the credentials COM
mittee at Chicago when the two sets
of delegates clash there to seek recog-
milton.
The Wood faction named Clark
Greer of Augusta as new state chair
man to succeed Roscoe Pickett, while
the Lowden faction elected c. 2.
Goree, Atlanta lawyer, as state chair
man. The Wood faction also chose
D. C. Cole of Marietta as vice chair
man, and J. G. Lemon, colored, OF
avannah, secretary. M. H. Karnes,
f Atlanta, was named as vice chair
man for the Lowden faction; H. H.
Pace, Atlanta, secretary; w. S. Scott,
Atlanta, assistant secretary, and j.
L. Johnson, treasurer.
The Wood delegates to Chicago
were chosen as follows: Charles
Adamson, Cedartown; Clark Greer,
Augusta; H. A. Rucker, Atlanta, and
Or. G. P. Washington of Waycross.
Yhe two latter are negroes.
The Lowden faction delegates are
c. P. Goree, Atlanta; Henry L. john
son, Atlanta; J. H. Watson, Albany
and B. J. Davis, Atlanta. The lat
ter three are negroes.
Johnson Pulls Another Rotten One.
The scene beggars description. The
reconstruction legislature" of South
Carolina, held up in the pages of his
tory of dark days as about the rot
tenest thing of the kind ever, was
piker compared with that stuff in the
state capitol at this meeting.
Johnson is the same negro who,
several weeks ago, grabbed one of
the district conventions, in the same
hall, and after ridiculing c. w. Nc
Clure, Atlanta merchant, to his
hearts content, introduced Brother
Mcclure" to the dusky brethren
of the meeting.
In Wednesdays gathering there
were negroes of all colors, kinds and
descriptions. 1t was notified mass
with a sprinkling of white men who
fraternized, equalized and enjoyed
themselves with the blacks. When
his delegates had been assembled,
and time was ripe for getting down to
business of selecting delegates to the
Chicago convention, the doors were
locked and, by order of Pickett, the
whole bunch of Henry Lincoln john
son followers, including Lawyer Co
rec were barred out.
Threats and promises were made to
break down the door, or "get in some
other way" but the thing didn't go
quite to that length, Governor Dor
sey's office was appealed to. The
doors were ordered opened, the or
der being accompanied by half doz
en- policemen, and Henry Lincoln's
gang poured in on top of the Pickett
meeting like drove of blackbirds
IN the fall time.
Sing and Shout Down Speakers.
Pickett and his crowd not only
We're Interrupted; they were dis
rupted and effectively routed. john
son himself secured possession of the
prelding officers post, started to
speak and then bedlam broke loose.
The Pickett faction yelled so John
son could not be heard for a while
and then, when one of the Pickett
men tried to speak, the johnson fac
non yelled So he could not be heard.
FOR half an hour that went on, John
son all the while talking against time
and everybody and starting every
lew seconds yell against the other
crowd
j, Eventually, and with a remarkable
tHe!ehness. Johnson turned the whole
,mng first into ridicule of the white
!epublicans, during which he declared
tFhite Democrat has as much use
WI negro republican as l have for
sVhlte republican" then into sing
lug festival which he kept moving
oppsSmodically for couple of hours.
S suu they were still at it, with no selec-
nOn OF delegates made nor any con-
te.vnuon business of any kind yet
Transacted.
Will Introduce Bill.
j. R. Mason, of Hart county, a
tuIlenber of the legislature. announced