Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-12-15
CHAPTER XIV
Continued


The direct wire between the Sea
Girt cottage and the Wilson head
quarters at Baltimore was kept busy
from early morning until late at
night. The telephone exchange in
the cottage was so arranged that
a branch telephone was kept in
the little room under the stair
way, which constituted a sort of
listening post, which permitted me.
in accordance with the suggestion
of the governor himself, to listen in
on conversations, not by way Of
eavesdropping, but in order that we
might intelllgently confer after each
conversation on the various matters
that might have to be decided upon
with reference to the organization
Of the convention. Many of the
most momentous questions having
to do with the conduct of the con-
vention were discussed and settled
over this phone. The most frequent
users of the phone during these
days were Colonel Bryan and Mr..
McCombs, our campaign manager.
During the opening days of the con-
vention I made it my business to
keep in close touch with Baltimore
both by conversations over the
phone with the active managers of
the Wilson boom and by carefully
reading each morning the news
items appearing in the New York
Times, New York World and The
Baltimore Sun, this last named pa
per being one of the leading advo-
Gates of the Wilson candidacy in
the country.
was personally, and in some
cases intimately, acquainted with
the special writer's on these great
journals, and knew from previous
contact with them that they were
on the "inside" of the situation at
Baltimore, and in this way much
information was CLEANED which
proved helpful in keeping us in
touch with the many happenings at
Baltimore.
Having successfully passed
through the Bryan-Parker crisis,
we decided upon kind Of strategy
that would win to our side the
various progressive elements in the
convention. In line with this idea,
we suggested to our managers at
Baltimore the advisability of put
ting forward the name of Ollie M.
James, of Kentucky, for permanent
chairman of the convention. While
hes was a stanch Clark man and a
devoted, follower of Mr.. Bryan, we
knew he could be relied upon to
give US a fair deal as the presid-
ing officer of the convention. There
was another reason, too. Away off
in Sea Girt we gathered the inn
preston that the sober second
thought of the convention favored
his selection, and that, even though
we might fail in our attempt to
nominate him for this office, our
efforts at least in this regard would
give the impression to those who
looked with favor upon Wilson as
their second choice. Another rea'
son was this:
Ollie James Selected
We were not afraid to trust our
cause to a Clark man, and Ollie
James for many years had been the
idol of convention crowds. When,
| upon the conclusion of the Bryan
Parker episode, Mr.. Bryan tele.
phoned Sea Grit to discuss with the
governor the matter of the chair
manship, he was greatly surprised
ana DlGdS6u TO nave the SONGIIlOI
say in the most hearty way that
upon canvassing the whole situa'
ton, he felt it would be an admir-
able and just thing to select Ollie
James Of Kentucky. Mr.. Bryan
said: "Rut, Governor Wilson, Mr.
| James is in the convention as a
Clark man." cit does not matter
was the governors reply. "He is
our kind of fellow and I am sure
| my friends can rely upon him to
treat our cause we'll" From Mr..
Bryan's subsequent conversations
over the telephone, it clearly ap
peared that he was delighted at
the suggestion of his own intimate
friend, and it was plain that he
was being convinced from moves
of this kind by the New Jersey
governor that Woodrow Wilson was
willing to stand or fall with him
| in attempting to organize the con-
vention along progressive lines.
Years after the convention the
senator from Kentucky, who became
my closest and dearest friend, and
who distinguished himself as a
| member of the senate, and who was
one of the stanchest defenders OF
| the president and the administra