The Rome tribune. (Rome, Ga.) 1887-190?, November 17, 1897, Image 1

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|fln PAGES J tWr TODAY 4 ESTABLISHED 1887. DEMOCRATIC MACHINERY • HEEDSJAWCALCHANGE Unfair and Unequal Representation in Conven tions Under the Present System. ILLUSTRATION IN THE SEVENTH DISTRICT is the Only State In the Un- • ion Having Such a Backwood’s Method—Clear Statement. The legislature in throwing safe guards around the ballot box so as to insure " fair elections will receive the plaudits of all good citizens, but in this connection we wish to insist upon the democratic t party adopting the same method that will insure fair representation in conventions, and let every democratic vote have equal weight in the councils of the party. There is no use for the legislature to enact laws to protect the ballot, if the voice of the people is to be stifled in con ventions. It is just as essential to have fair methods and equal representations • prevail in our conventions as at the bal lot box, and it is our purpose to call the attention of the executive- committee men of this state to these inequalities. Under the present system nothing ’ like fairness can or Jwill prevail. One man’s vote in the party should count as . much as anothers, but does it? Let us see. ' Under the present system where a county has one representative, they are entitled to two delegates or votes in con vention. If a county should have two representatives then four votes or dele gates in the convention, or in other ■ words twice as many votes in conven tion as we have representatives in the legislature. Paying no attention to the numerical strength of the party in any given county, but basing the representa tion simply on the number of represen tatives the county may have in the legislature. How this plan came to be adopted is au enigma to any thoughtful man. When followed out to its logical results it is ridiculous and absurd and prevails no where else on earth. Repre sentation in the legislature is based upon population, and a representative repre- M sents all the people whether of the same party or not. Representation in the councils of the democratic party is based on the number of representatives you m have in the legislature no matter if they * are populists or republicans. Chatham county may have three re publican representatives in the legisla ture, and not have a hundred democratic votes within its borders. Dade may have one democratic representative with a thousand democratic constituents in his county, yet under the present system . - those one hundred* democrats in Chat ham would be entitled to six votes in a democratic convention, while the thou sand democrats in Dade would be enti tled to only two votes in the convention. Now we have secured the official vote in this congressional district polled last November. As every one knows that was presidential year and a full vote was polled, and that all parties were repre sented. We give the vote that each can didate received and the number of dele gates that each county is entitled to un der the present system, the whole num ber being thirty-tour: ? County. “ J- S 2 ? M -» 3 * Catoosa ? 16 287 ” vavoosa 472 101 hi « Cobb 00 * 1 "’ 811 348 324 2 p 348 105 60 2 Haralson 708 314 404 2 FaukHuu 458 212 261 2 Folk B 648 800 206 2 w'lLrr 556 347 574 2 WbVfi.u 1,028 >6B 493 2 Whitfield 862 217 361 2 Total 10,719 4,256 5.087 , 34 Os course Maddox’s vote represents ' the democratic vote. Now by reference to these returns you will see that the demo v crats cast 916 votes in Barta w oounty, / and that Bartow is entitled to four (4) votes in the convention You will a'so • observe that Walker county oast one thousand and twenty-eight votes (1028) for Maddox, and yet Walker is entitled to only two votes, The democratic vote in Walker county is more than the vote •in .Bartow, yet Bartow oasts twice as THE ROriE TRI BUNE. „• J f A| J ' many votes in the convention. Will any man say this is right? Again you will observe that Dade oasts (348) three hundred and forty-eight democratic votes, and Floyd twenty-one hundred and seven (2,107.) Dade is en titled to two votes in the convention, Floyd to six. It will be observed that a democratic vote in Dade is worth twice as much as one in Floyd under the pres ent system. We call your attention to the demo cratic vote of the following counties and the numbei of delegates they are enti tled to as shown by the above official report: g, 5- tzj COUNTY. §* « ® • M ST o s "> Bartow 916 4 Murray4sß 2 Catoosa472 2 Dade 348 2 Gordon 708 2 Haralson 437 2 Polk 556 2 Paulding 648 2 Total 7 These eight counties havet a majority of the delegates and can control the convention. The other five counties are entitled to only sixteen delegates, but they actually poll one thousand six hundred and forty-three democratic votes more than the eight counties. The minority oan easily to the majority and it will be seen that it only requires a majority of the four thousand five hundred and thirty-three votes cast in the eight counties to control the con vention, or in other words under the present system itps possible for a little more than one-fifth of the party to con trol the other four-fifths. You will fur ther observe from the above table that the Cherokee circuit, composed of Bar tow, Gordon, Murray, Whitfield, Ca toosa and Dade are entitled to fourteen delegates, while Walker, Chattooga and Floyd are entitled to ten delegates only. Yet they cast one hundred and eighty-two more democratic votes than the other six counties. It will be observed that Bartow and Cobb are entitled to the same represen tation in convention, but Cobb cast (452) four hundred and fifty-two more demo cratic votes than Bartow. You ask how you are going to remedy this wrong. Easily enough. Just adopt the common sense rule in vogue every where. except in this state. Base your representation in convention on the numerical strength of the party in each county as demonstrated by the last gen eral election. To illustrate what we mean take the official returns in the last election for congress giving the vote for Maddox as the democratic vote in each county, and give one vote for every one hundred oast in that election, and one vote for every fraction less than one hundred and more than fifty and half vote for every frac tion of fifty and less. ~ ‘ g O<! » 2.0 p. a ST COUNTY, ” * $3 Bartow• 916 9| Catoosa• 472 5 Chattooga 817 84 Cobb• 1,368 14 Dade • 348 34 Floyd. 2,107 214 Gordon• 708 7| Harrelson• 437 44 Murray• 458 5 Paulding• 648 64 Polk 556 6 Walker 1,028 104 Whitfield 862 9 T0ta110,719 112 This would give a congressional con- ••■■-f-.p ■ ■■'" '<■ - "■ ’ i ’di, J HOME. WEDNESDAY. NOVEMBEH 17. 1897. HARRIS DECLINES Hal Lewis Will Be Supreme Court 'Judge. Judge Harris Won’t Accept and Governor Will Send in Mr. Lewis Name Today. Atlanta, Nov. 16.—Judge Sampson Harris has declined the supreme court judgeship, and will remain in tne Coweta circuit. Governor Atkinson will send in the name of Hon. Hal T. Lewis, of Greensboro, for the supreme court judgeship tomorrow. The appointment of Mr. Lewis will be a most acceptable one, as he is a fine lawyer, and will add strength and dignity to that body. He is also very popular throughout the statej and the knowledge that he is to wear the judicial ermine will prove accept able news to the members of the bar all over Georgia. ASKED TO RESIGN. Dr. Boggs Asks Dr. Hunnicutt to Hand In His Resignation. Atlanta, Nov. 16.—1 tis learned here tonight that Chancellor'Boggs has requested Dr. Hunnicutt, who holds the chair of agriculture in the State University, to hand in his resig nation. Dr. Boggs says that Dr. Hunnicutt has unduly criticised the university, and moreover (has proven himself in competent. BOSTON CAPITALIST. Robert Wiswall Is Dying In {Grady Hos pital In Atlanta. Atlanta, Nov. 16.—Robert Wis wall, a prominent and wealthy capi talist from Boston lies at the point of death in Grady hospital. Mr. Wiswall fell down a flight of steps last night and was found in au unconscious many hours later. He is said to be worth several million. The chances for his recovery are slim. k • SOME FEVER YET, New Orleans Reports Eleven New Cases And Two Deaths. New Orleans, Nov. 16.—There were eleven new cases of fever here today and two deaths. It is believed that the cold wave headed in this direction will effectual ly stamp the disease out, Mobile re ports two new cases. case of is Closed. Defense In the VQuinu Murder Trial Opens—Strong Points For Accused. Atlanta, Nov. 16.—The prosecution in the trial of Walter O’Quinn, charged with the murder of Policeman Ponder, announced closed at noon and the de fense began its side of the case. Louis Williams and W. H. Elliott were placed on the stand by the defense shortly after noon. Both swore shat they were standing in the baggage room of the union depot, across the street from where the murder occurred, on Monday night, and that on hearing the report of pistol shots they ran im mediately across the street and saw O’Quinn behind the retail bar next door serving drinks. This is considered quite astrong piece of evidence for O’Quinn, and the public is anxiously waiting to see what the prosecution will bring out in rebuttal. O’Quinn went on the stand this after noon and made his statement. He swore that he was behind the bar, and the first he knew of the killing was when he heard pistol shots. It is generally held that O’Quinn has made out a very strong case and will be acquitted. The state concedes that Steinau did not do the shooting, and Simon, it is said, can make out about the same case as O’Quinn. vent ion of a hundred and twelve and would give every democrat an equal representation in the convention. It is useless for the different counties to hold primary elections without they are to have equal representation after the primaries in the conventions. Now, gentlemen of the state congressional senatorial and oounty executive com mittees, the people are going to have a change, you had just as well get about it; they are going to have fair play. We say again, base your representation on the voting strength of the party in each county, and yon will have fallen in with the methods adopted by the party every where else except in Georgia. While the illustration which we have used above concerns the seventh dis trict, yet the principle applies to the en tire state. CONVICT QUESTION House at Last Takes It Up. NOT MUCH PROGRESS Representaiiye Stone Offers a Substitute For Straight Lease, TEE HALL BILL BOBS UP AGAIN Debate on First Section Was Not Completed. FIGHT ABOUT STATE UNIVERSITY Senate 1. the Scene Os An Exciting De- bate About Hearing the Trustees of the University. Atlanta, Nov. 16.—The convict lease came up in the house of representatives as the special order, and the fight on this important question is now well un der way. Two substitutes were offered. One of them is a straight lease bill, dif fering only in detail to the present lease system, except that it provides for the election by the people of the principal keeper of the penitentiary. This sub stitute comas from Mr. Stone of Wal ton. The other substitute is the Hall bill, Which .reflects the sentiment of the present administration, and looks to ward a re'nrmation of the lease system. It is the e..ginal bill, of which the com mittee’s measure which bears its name is a much battered likeness—or rather not a likeness at all, since all of its most radical features have been effaced. The fight did not progress far. The house went into a committee of a whole to consider the measure, which it was proposed to take up section by section. The house got no further, however, than the first section. This section provides for the appointment of a prison commission by the general assembly. A warm fight was precipitated in the senate over the resolution inviting the trustees of the state university to speak before the general assembly Wednesday at 10:80 o’clock. Senator W. W. Turner of the Thirty seventh district was opposed to the trustees taking up the tim'e of the as sembly in the daytime, which he deemed eminently valuable. President Berner came down from his chair to favor the passage of the resolu tion as it stood. Senator Battle also spoke in strong terms favoring its pas sage. The question was put and the resolu tion passed the senate without amend ment. The trustees will therefore ad dress the joint session Wednesday morn ing. The bill by Mr. Johnson of Hall, pro viding that electrical companies be given the power to condemn private property for the purpose of erecting railway lines thereon, came up for a third read ing and was tabled owing to the lack of votes to pass it. A number of local bills of little in»< portance were introduced. ConfeMsea an Atrocious Crime. Biddeford, Me., Nov. 16. Jean Baptiste Guillemete has confessed to the murder of his uncle, B. Laplante, at St. Liboire, P. Q., on Oct. 30. Guil lement was arrested here and at first denied his guilt. He now says that the crime was committed at the instigation of his aunt, the wife of the murdered man, who promised to marry him after the death of her husband. Pol Ice man Uae« Hl« Pistol. Shelbyville, Ky., Nov. 16. —Willis R. Campbell was shot and killed by Policeman Oscar Duncan. Campbell was an ex-policeman and very danger ous when drinking. He was intoxicated and boisterous, and the officer asked him to keep quiet. He pulled his pistol and snapped it at the officer’s face, when the latter shot him through the heart Pope on Manitoba Problem. London, Nov. 16.—The Daily Chron icle publishes the opinion of the pope on the Manitoba school question, con firming the Montreal Star’s version, plainly setting forth that his holiness does not accept the Laurier- Greenway settlement Pen Argyll, Fa., Nov. 16. The Bangor and Pen Argyll slate region is receiving a visit from English capital ists, who have formed a company to de velop the American slate trade in Gre 4 Britain and on the continent of Eu rope by the importing of slate from the United States. COLD WAVE ARRIVES Freezing Weather and Frosts io Yellow Fever Regions. Most Decided Cold Wave of the Season is Predieted—Weather Burea Report- Washington, Nov. 16. Willis L. Moore, chief of the weather bureau, has issued the following special bulletin: “Frosts and freezing weather in yel fever district. The most decided cold wave of the season is indicated for Wednesday throughout the yellow fever districts of the south. “Freezing weather will "probably oc cur throughout the northern and cen tral portions of the gulf states and in the Ohio valley Wednesday morning and frosts generally throughout the southern states Wednesday or Wednes day night. “The fall in the temperature will be most marked in the Ohio valley, where it is now about 60 degrees. , The warm weather on the Atlantic coast will prob ably be followed by a decided fall in the temperature and two or three days of cold weather will follow.” MEET AT CHICAGO NEXT. Th. Knight, ot Labor Select the Windy City Over Several Rivals. Louisville, Nov. 16.—The general assembly of the Knights of Labor se lected Chicago as the next meeting place and the first Tuesday in Novem ber, 1898, as the time for their meeting. The selection was not made without a contest, but Chicago developed the most strength and won on the first ballot. Cincinnati, Pittsburg, Boston, Wash ington, New York, Galveston, Rich- I mond, Baltimore, Hot Springs and New Orleans were among the cities placed In nomination. The selection of Chi cago was finally made unanimous. Little else was done at the morning session. Reports from several minor committees were heard, but nothing of importance was taken up. Grand Mas ter Workman Hicks said that the as sembly would not complete its business before Saturday. Capital to H»v» a Big Coll.ga. Washington, Nov. 16. —The oft agi tated question of establishing in tne city of Washington a great national university on the lines suggested by President Washington has at last taken more definite form than in the past, and a number of representative men and women have taken hold of the project with a determination to push it to a successful conclusion if possible. They have started out by seeking to raise the first $250,000 necessary for the erection of an administration building to form the nucleus of the university and hope to be able to lay the corner stone on Feb. 22, 1899. .... The Schooner Janet A. Lost. St. Johns, N. 8.,N0v. 16.—Word has been received from Chatham that the schooner Janet A., from Tighness, was lost Tuesday night or Wednesday morn ing of last week, off Fox Reef. She was loaded with oats and produce. Three men and two women were aboard. The bodies of Captain Gillis, Susan Oham gion and an unknown man, brought to lhatham by the steamer St. Isidore, confirmed the news of the wreck. The Janet was a vessel of 90 tons register, was built at Church Point, N. S., in 1882 and hails from Chatham. Est.rhi.sy Denies th. Chsrg.. Paris, Nov. 16. —Comte Esterhazy, who, it is said, answers the description of “a rich and titled officer, well known in Paris society,” who has been re quested to resign his commission in the army in consequence of the continued leaking of military secrets since Cap tain Dreyfus was deported, has written a letter to General Billot, the minister for war, with regard to the alleged “in famous accusation.” He demands an investigation and says that he is ready to reply to all the charges that may be brought against him. Judge ThomiU Nelsen Dying. Worcester, Mass., Nov. 16.—Judge Thomas Nelson of the United States district court is dying at his home in this city. He was taken ill at the Parker House in Boston last March, and though the serious nature of his sick ness was recognized, he recovered so far as to be able to work for short inter vals. He has failed fast during the last month. He is now unconscious and death is hourly .expected. Atkinson For the Senate. Parkersburg, W. Va., Nov. 16. There is no longer any doubt of Gov ernor Atkinson’s senatorial ambitions. “I have been requested by a large num ber of influential party fneuds to be come a candidate,” he said, “and I am inclined to say to my friends that I am a candidate for senator and will thank the people for their support.” * Medal For a Lit. Saver.. Berlin, Nov. 16. —The United States consul general here, Mr. Goldschmidt, has received for transmission to the United States a large sized medal awarded by the Emperor William to Valentine Forakes ot Milwaukee, Wis., for saving a child from drowuiug while Forakes was in thia city. SIT IS TRUSTWORTHY. 5 X The one paper that lead.— x T reaehe. all cissies of people V W —give satisfaction to adver- W W tisera—The Rome Irlbune. M PRICE FIVE CENTS’. OFFICIAL REPORTODT Bi-MetallicConimissions European Trip, ENGLAND’S ANSWER Willingness of French Government to Open Its Mints to Silver. IF A BIMETALLIC UNION IS FORMED India, Says That Lord Elgin Might Then Agree. CREDITOR NATION IS CAUTIOUS When Other Nations of Earth .Form a Bimetallic Union' of Substantial Co- Operation May Consider It. Washington, Nov. 16.—The official report of the correspondence in regard to the bimetallic proposals of the United States monetary commission to the gov ernment of Great Britain, together with the report of the proceedings at the con ference of thier British premier, the sec retary of state for India, the flrat lord of the treasury aud the chancellor ot the exchequer with the French ambas sador and our commissioners, has reached this country. It fully confirms the reports cabled to the Associated Press on Got. 21 and 22. . s( The negotiations fell through, not-? withstanding the expressed willingness of the French government to open its mints, owing to the rejection by the British government of the proposition to again open the Indian mints to the free coinage of silver. None of the other propositions were replied to, be cause that one, the most important the concessions requested of Great Brit ain, could not be acceded to. The government of Great Britain, in making her answer, deferred to the wishes of the government of India, to which the proposal was referred, and the reply of the government of India, there fore, is the most important communica tion in the correspondence. Reasons For Rejection. It is a lengthy document in which the advantages pro and con to India are argued and a very strong case from their standpoint is made out in favor of the rejection of the proposal The dis turbance of values in India with the attendant paralysis of trade, at least temporarily, the fall of silver prices in India concurrently with the increase of gold prices in Europe aud America, etc., are advanced, but thp most potent rea son argued against the proposition is that the burden of failure, if failute should come from the experiment foY the re-establishment of bimetallism by France and the United States, must in evitably tall on India. Both the United States and France, the reply argues, with their supply of gold. could protect themselves if the ex periment did not succeed. In other words the Indian government, as a pre liminary proposition, declared that il could not take the risk of agreeing to the suggested measures. A definite aud absolufe rejection of the proposi tion was so, forth in the cable corre spondence, but the document contains a reservation which would seem to indi cate that if the scope of the proposed experiment were sufficiently broad In dia might be willing at least to recon sider her refusal. Lord Elgin’* Letter. That paragraph in Lord Elgin’s letter is as follows: “We note that the proposals of the government of France aud the United States are subject to the proviso that they are satisfied that they will receive assistance from other powers in inereas ing the demand fyr silver. We believe that a limited increase of the quantity of silver used as currency will exercise a very trifling if any, m raising the gold price of silver and that the only assistance from other powers which oan be of any real value would be the addition of other countries to the bimetallic union of France and the United States. “If. however, assurances of really substantial co-operation should be se cured from ocher countries we shall be glad to learn the exact nature of the as surances, and we shall then consider whether the promised co-operation changes the conditions of the problem or adds materially to the chances of success. ’ ’ Fotta* New H4»esMl * ‘S.bilM. Mobile, Nov. 16 —Four new cases. No deaths. Recoveries: Joseph L. Wil son, John McCob, EdwaruM. Jon is con.