Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-04-08
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. SMITH

AUGUSTA HERALD: With the
withdrawal of the name of Pres:-
dent Wilson from the presidential
primary. the race in Georgia lies be-
tween Watson, Palmer and Hoke
Smith. 1t is conceded that the is
ues involved are principles rather
than any serious effort on the part
of any of the candidates for election
to the office of president of the Unit
cd States. In fact it is immaterial
which of these candidates carries the
Georgia primary so far as it will
have any effect upon their chances
either to secure the Democratic
nomination or to be elected by the
people of this country in the national
election.
Georgia being solid1y Democrat
ic state on one hand and Pennsylva-
MIA, the home of Attorney General
Palmer, being equally solidly Repub-
lican, none of these candidates offer
any hope to carry doubtful and
needed states in the national, cleo
ton. This fact is so well recognized
in national party politics that it is
useless TO argue it from practical
standpoint.
On the other hand, the principles
involved in the candidates. of Thorn
as E. Watson, A. Mitchell Palmer and
are the same principles that will be
fought out and decided in every
state of the union by the various
elements that compose the Demo-
cratic party. These principles must
eventually be decided upon in the
national Democratic convention when
it assemblies at San Francisco.
The Herald believes that a ma
jority of the American people, as
we'll as a majority of the voters of
Georgia are in favor of reservations
for the League of Nations that will
hrin CT nc,1Ir ha via avn
and preserve American traditions.
We believe that this sentiment will
prevail in the Georgia primary, just
as it will prevail in the Democratic
national convention when it declares
the will of the party on this subject
in San Francisco.
And the way for Georgia to make
it's voice heard and effective in the
councils of the national convention
is to send to the convention dele
gates who will represent majority
Of the voters of the state. .. ,ss
1t is to be hoped that Senator Hoke
Smith will speak in. Augusta before
the date of the primary and that .the
voters of this, section of the state
may have an opportunity to hear his
views on the peace treaty and
League Of Nations. d.
Smith In the Lead
DUBLIN COURIER HERALD:
Senator Hoke Smith has quite fol-
lowing hereabouts; Watson has nu-
merous friends here and probably
some could be found that see the
Palmer, but of the three it is like
ly, in fact very likely, that Mr.
Smith would emerge with a consid-
cradle lead OF the three candidates,
Hoke Smith and Palmer are undo
niably presidential timber, for what
ever there may be said against them,
they are big men in the political
arena, with quite a political record
of which the Georgia senator's is
probably the longest and most ac-
tive. Then, whatever other argu-
ment may be brought to bear, we are
undeniab bly, confronted with the fact
that of the three two represent the
extreme ground of being absolutely
for and against the League of Ma
lions, while the third represents
what is held to be a middle course.
The only Issue
SYLVANIA TELEPHONE: The
newspapers that are supporting At
torney General Mitchell Palmer for
president should not hope to obscure
the issue that is before the people OF
Georgia by attacks upon Senator
Hoke Smith. This they. are doing
if they can find flaws in the senators
record, then they have made out a
good case for Mr.. Palmer and the
League of Nations.
| But the people will not be fooled
by this. There is one issue in this
campaign, and only one-the presi-
dent himself hath said it, and upon
this it must be fought-the League
of Nations as Mr.. Wilson drafted it
without the change of a single WORD
or punctuation, or the League of Ma
| tions with the reservations that E
| large majority of the senate wanted
| to pass.
| Senator Smiths candidacy is {
secondary matter, and if he had moi
gone on the ticket in this state thou
! sands of Georgians could not have
voted at all in the primary, on Apr
! 20. So let us not lose sight of the
! main issue-it rises higher than the
personality of any, candidate, it i:
a fight for a principle, for the preser.
votior of tbe Drin ciD1eS that were