From Julian Bond to Art Pine, 31 Dec 1968

December 31, 1968

Mr. Art Pine ATLANTA CONSTITUTION - Washington Bureau National Press Club Building Room 647 Washington, D.C. 20004

Dear Art:

I was disturbed to see some week ago a column by you in which you speculated on the outdome of the "Committeeman challenge" filed by the Georgia Loyal National Democrats.

I say "disturbed" because you indicated that I had not supported the National Democratic ticket as heartily as did Mrs. Thurman or Mr. Trotter.

Their support, or my lack of it for that matter, is not an issue in this challenge, just as the loyalty, or lack of it, was not the supreme issue in the Georgia Chicago Convention challenge.

Had loyalty alone been in the issue there, we could have won easily. You will recall that the "regular delegation" had difficulty finding 21 members of the 107 member delegation to fill their seats when a loyalty oath was imposed, and had to resort to using wives and husbands as Delegates.

However, in both cases, we have chosen to state the issue of procedural lines. We believe that the election - or rather, selection - of Mrs. Thurman and Mr. Trotter was irregular and a part of a process disapproved of by the National Convention.

Our information is that they were chosen on the afternoon of Tuesday, August 27th by the regular delegation - prior to the seating of any delegation from Georgia. The loyalists were neither informed or invited to attend the meegting where this election took place. In fact, some regulars have told us they did not even know of such a meeting. The Democratic Manual states that Georgia's Committee posts are to be filled by election by the Georgia Delegation.

Mr. Art Pine December 31, 1968 Pg. 2

Rule #54 of the Georgia Democratic Executive Committee, however, provides that the Chairman of the Committee alone elects the Committeeman and Committeewoman. We understand that the regulars are now contending that the August 27th meeting was held merely to ratify the Chairman's choice.

On August 28th, we sent a telegram to John Bailey protesting the selection process. On Thursday, Mr. Bailey advised me orally to "try to work something out" with the regulars.

We invited the regulars to meet with us at a meeting in a caucus room at the amphitheatre. Several of the black delegates did so, but left, saying they agreed with us, but did not wish to vote twice on the same issue.

I hope to be in Washington on January 13th with Representative Ben Brown to appear before the Credentials Committee on the Democratic National Committee.

Representative Brown, incidentally, is our choise for Committeeman; Mrs. Mercedes Wright of Savannah is our choice for Committeewoman.

If the swearing-in ceremony here at the State Legislature allows us to attend, we hope we will see you there.

Sincerely,

Julian Bond

JB/ew

bcc: Rep. Ben Brown Mr. Albert Horn, Attorney-at-Law

Encls. (Newspaper clippings)