Jasper County Democrat, Volume 23, Number 30, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 July 1920 — WOOD, LOWDEN VOTES COSTLY [ARTICLE]

WOOD, LOWDEN VOTES COSTLY

Spent SIOO,OOO for Seventeen Delegates to the Republican Convention. JOHNSON TELLS OF CAMPAIGN Declares Democrats Were Worse Than Republicans in the State of Georgia —Names Palmer Chief at Atlanta and His Methods. Chicago, July 9.—A revelation that SIOO,OOO was spent in the LowdenWood battle for the 17 Republican national convention votes from Georgia was brought out when the senatorial comnllttee investigating pre-conven-tion campaign expenditures launched into the cross-examination of Henry Lincoln Johnson, the Atlanta negro who led the Lowden forces in Georgia. Johnson, who was made Republican national committeeman from Georgia after his delegation was seated by the G, O. P. credentials committee, has been dubbed Lowden’s $9,500 Georgia peach because of previous testimony by other Lowden leaders that lie had been handed that sum out of the Illinois governor’s campaign funds. After questioning Johnson the committee adjourned to meet Friday at St. Louis, where it will examine Edward F. Goltra, Democratic national committeeman from Missouri, and a number of other Missouri Democrats. Johnson testified that he spent “about $20,000” in lining up delegates, while the Wood forces, led by Frank H. Hitchcock and Clark L. Grier of Augusta, spent SBO,OOO in an endeavor to secure a Wood instructed delegation. i

Lowden Aids Accept Wood Coin. The negro leader said that Grier complained to the Georgia delegates who were seated that they had accepted Wood money and should give it back if they were .going to vote for Lowden. “They came to me about it,” Johnson testified, “and I told them to keep the money and vote for Lowden.” “Had they been paid before voting?” asked Senator Kenyon. “Yes, they were paid before talking.” the witness replied. “Did Grier consider himself a shrewd political leader?” asked the lowa senator., “He did until that hour," said John-, son. “Were you endeavoring to secure Lowden instructed delegates?” asked Senator Kenyon. “I was running for national committeeman and I preferred to have an uninstructed delegation to bring to Chicago and take my chance there,” said the witness. “I had known Lowden since he was a congressman and was friendly to him.” Gets $9,000. Q. —Huw much Lowden money did you get? A. —About $9,000 from Illinois. It was from statesmen who presumably were much Interested in Governor Lowden’s success at the convention. I spent from $7,000 to SB,OOO of my.own money and Joseph H. Watson, a Georgia colored man, put up $2,500. I spent about $20,000 in all, but I was building up an organization to last longer than one convention.” Democrats paid from $5 to $5,000 for votes in Georgia this year, and “generally spent more money than the Republicans,” Johnson told the committee 1 . “Not one cent given to me was given to any delegate to the Republican national convention,” the witness declared. He said he received $9,000 from Illinois, “but not from Governor Lowden himself.” He spent $7,000 or SB,OOO of his own money, he added, and $4,000 was raised from other sources. When the witness charged the Democrats had spent more money than he did and had bought votes in local elections, Senator Reed (Dem.) Interrupted to ask:

$9,000 Obscures His Vision. “You don’t care when you get $9,000, do you?” “Not a bit,” the witness replied, “but I would need about $50,000 to combat some Democratic conditions thfere.” The steam roller in the Republican national convention was an “institution of benevolence” compared with the Democratic steam roller in Georgia, Johnson said, adding that conditions there were controlled by the administrayom Senator Kenyon suddenly turned to the Palmer campaign in Georgia, asking Johnson if officials of the'department of justice took*part in the attorney general’s campaign there. “Hooper L. Alexander of Atlanta was the leader,” Johnson said. Other questions concerning activities of the department of justice In Georgia brought no definite information. Hits Wood Backers. Going back to the Wood Campaign, Johnson said National Committeeman George Bean of Florida, Capt. Henry Blum of Savannah, Ga., and D. C. Cole, former postmaster of Atlanta, “cared nothing about Wood,” but were ordered to “prepare a delegation for Mr. Hitchcock to boss.” Johnson charged that offers of postmasterships were made openly by Wood backers to men of influence to get Wood votes. “Many of the men backing Wood were former postmasters,” he said.