To Julian Bond from John Bailey, 29 January 1968, with Bond's draft response

[image: D N C with drawing of a donkey above letters] THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE January 29, 1968

Mr. Julian Bond 823 Drummond St State Representative Atlanta, Georgia 30314

Dear Mr. Bond:

On February 23-24, the Democratic National Committee will hold a "Victory '68" Regional Conference at the Dinkler Plaza Hotel in Atlanta, Georgia, for a limited number of outstanding Democrats from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, the Canal Zone, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.

I am pleased to invite you to join us at this important Conference.

We will have an interesting, exciting and meaningful program. A number of our own staff members will conduct workshops on grassroots politics. There will be special video presentations, a new group of issue material and some innovations I think we will all find helpful––in addition to a great deal of the old standard, but very necessary, how-to-do-it material.

We also will feature nationally prominent speakers.

The program will begin on Friday afternoon, February 23, and will conclude with a banquet on Saturday night. A registration fee of $15 will cover the cost of meals and materials during the Conference.

I have enclosed a registration card for your convenience. If you plan to attend, please fill it out and return it to me with your check as soon as possible.

A reservation card for your hotel accommodations also is enclosed. You may send it directly to the Dinkler Plaza Hotel or, if you prefer, let us know your needs and we will be happy to make your reservations for you.

I cannot exaggerate the importance of this Conference. It is the official "kick-off" of the 1968 national campaign for your region and will lay the groundwork for a Democratic victory in 1968. You will find it to be a valuable and significant event.

I look forward to seeing you at the Conference.

Sincerely, [Signature John Bailey] JOHN H. BAILEY Chairman

2600 VIRGINIA AVE., N. W., WASHINGTON, D. C. 20037 202/333-8750

George Booker Democratic National Committee 2600 Virginia Avenue, NW Washington, D. C.

Dear Booker George:

Please let this note constitute my acknowledgement of Mr. Bailey's letter and my kind rejec sorrowful rejection of the invitation to attend the meeting. As I believe I told you. I will be out of town for two of the three days, and besides, $15 is a little steep.

Additionally, I am enclosing a copy of the speech you requested. I hope you like the additions. Please let me hear your criticisms.

There's another subject I wanted to talk to you about. I have been getting a few, short jobs of writing and consulting. I know that consulting is a highly renumerative field, and that a great deal of money can be made from it with not too much work.

Several people here have approached me with the idea of setting up a small consulting firm, two or three fellows who would have an office and a secretary and solicit work for the group as a whole or individually.

None of those who have come to he^me so far, however, have been exactly the sorts of people I'd like to do business with.

I just wondered whether you had any leanings in this direction, because I happen to think that you might be just the person for such an operation.

I'm not thinking about beginning this tomorrow or anytime soon, but let me know what you think.

Sincerely,

enc: speech