Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1923-07-27
Will ATLANTA GET
DEMOCRATIC MEET?
Patty Leaders Declare 1t Is the
Proper Time to Hold Ma
iicnal Convention South

ATLANTA, July 27-Atlanta is
making Strong and bona fide bid
for the Democratic national con-
vention to hold its 1924 session in
this city. The biggest objection
so far raised against the PROPOSE
ton is that the convention can
not be held in the South. For po-
litical reasons it must be neId in
a section where there are doubt
full votes.
New York City is also making
an earnest effort to have the con
vention meet there, but this offer
also, it is stated here, is meeting
with much opposition.
The drys say it would never do
to meet in wet stronghold Tor
fear the convention would come un-
der the influence Of the wet sur
roundings, and those opposed to
Governor Smiths presidential as
pirations imagine that he would
gain seem advantage by the, hold
ing of the convention in New York.
The fear Of Wall Street influence
is also expressed.
AS pointed out by Georgia Demo
Gratis, it is doubtful if a political
convention is ever influenced by
the local sentiment Of any city
where ii meets. The delegates are
influenced, political leaders here as
sert, by each other, by what takes
place in the convention hall and
by things and people which the va
rious interests place in strategical
points, and these various lnt.u-
ences, it is pointed out here, will
work about equally as well in one
city as another.
The fact that the Republican ma
tional convention met in Chicago
in 1929, political leaders here de-
clare, did not seem to be to the
advantage Of Governor Lowden OF
Illinois, although he was one OF
the strongest candidates for the
presidential nomination. Georgia
Republicans assert that Senator
Harding would have been nominal
ed whether the convention met in
Chicago, New York or Kankakee.
As they point it was all mapped out
in advance, the various influences
We're put to work in the right places
and the result was just as expect
ed by those who did the planning,
although comparatively few of the
delegates themselves had any idea
beforehand what was going to nap
pen.
If the Democrats do not think
this is the proper time to nomi-
nate a Southerner for president, !
though many of them do, right
here in Georgia, the leaders of the
party in this state think it is a
proper time to hold the national
convention in a Southern city. Not
only is the South entitled to an
occasional meeting of the Demo
cratic national convention, it is as
serted here, on account of loyalty
to the party, but the convention
should be denied to no section of
the country. As shown, it should
go at different times to each sec
ton of the uniCA, and it has@been
sixty-three years since it met mi
the South.
More than the continued refusal
to let the convention be held in
the South, Georgia democrats pro-
claim, is an indication of fear,
weakness and dependency which
should. not be evident because there
Is no necessity for it. Since tie
Civil war and up until few years
ago it would have been admittedly
unwise, some Atlanta Democrats
state, for several reason, to have
held the. convention in a Southern
city, but those reasons no longer
exist Sectional lines, it is point
ed out, would disappear in this day
before sound platform, an attrac-
tive nominee and vigorous cam
paign.
Should the Democratic party
hold its convention in the South
next year, Atlanta business men de-
clare, it would not only show CON
fidence in its own strength and an
appreciation Of the way this sec
ton has stood by the party for the
past, but would also show its con-
fidence that this country is no
longer controlled by prejudice.