Birmingham age-herald., 1894-11-24
CHAIRMAN HEWITT, For the City Democratic Executive
 Committee, REPLIES TO A LETTER
From Chairman Roden of the Reform Party, Declining to
 Dictate to Inspectors.

Mir. B. F. Roden, chairman of the citi-
 zens' reform party campaign committee, yester rday addressed a communication to Col G. w. Hewitt chairman of the city democratic executive committee, making certain requests, the nature of which are | set forth in the answer. Colonel Hewitt l made the following reply:
 BIRMINGHAM, Ala. Nov. 23, 1894. MT. B. F. Roden, Chairman Citizens Reform Party Cam .aign Committee, City
 DEAR SIH: 1 nave the honor to acknowl- edge the receipt of your communication of l this morning .inclosing certain agreement to be executed by the inspectors of election | appointed last night, With the assurance on your part that each aud every inspector l appointed to represent the VanHoose ticket l will sign tue agreement.
 l think you are mistaken in this assur- l ance, for do not believe there IS a man appointed as inspector on the VanHoose 1 ticket who will sign the same, unless they do so without understanding their duties and what will be thelr sworn obligations when qualified as inspectors, will be Fhown further on. You ask the inspectors to sigu an agreement "In order to insure fair election,' to agree that a com mmittee named by you shall be appointed by them
 ito select two clerks and two ticket fixers for each voting place in said city; one of the clerks appointed at each voting place shall be appointed as a representative of the Warnock ticket, and one of the clerks appointed at each of the voting places shall De appointed as representative of the Van Hoose ticket; one of the ticket hxers appointed at eacn of the voting places shall be appointed as a represe tatlve of the Warnook ticket, and one the ticket fxers appointed at each of the voting places shall
 be appointed as representative of the Van Hoose ticket.D The inspectors are acquired to ratify and confirm the appoint ment of clerks and tixers made by this committee.
 tions for mayor and aldermen to be held and conducted according to the law gov erning elections for offices under the laws of this state, except as declared by tbis act. The state law req2tres the iEspactors, and makes 1t their duty to select two clerks. The inspectors must take an oath is per- form their duties according to law; one oi these duties is to select two clerks of the election. This law applies to the mayor and aldermen's election of this city. It Is the sworn duty of the inspectors to make the selection of the clerks, aud you ask mo to get the inspectors of election appointed last night to sign an agreement to allow a committee, not recognized by law and in direct conflict with their sworn duty. to perform their duty. must most respect fully decline your request, and am sure that you yourself, upon reflection, will ap- prove of my action iu the premises. If WQaL you Call me V all uOOS0 inspectors are
 willing to delegate duty they have sworn to perform themselves to committee not recognized by law and thereby commit perjury lam very much mistaken in the men.
 The Sayre election law confers the power on the inspectors or managers of election, and makes it their duty, when necessary, to select and appoint one or more fixers to aid such persons as cannot read or write in fixing their ballots. These inspectors, before fhoxy 1fnrr hair drlf ina inon tovc must take an oath to perform their duties according to law, and yet you ask me to ask the inspectors appointed last night to confer this sworn duty upon a committee. never have and never will ask officers of the law to do that which is contrary to their duties as such officers. 1 am not that kind of reformer.
 But there are other reasons why cannot comply with your request. You say in "order to insure fair election on Decem- Der in this city' you ask for me to re- quest the signatures of the inspectors to this agreement. What you request is a direct reflection upon all the inspectors, or at least upon the two who are supposed to be for the regular nominee of the demo- cratic party of this city for mayor. It is charged that unless this agreement is signed by them that the election will not be fair; that these inspectors are going to
 join you in saying that we cannot trust the Warnock inspectors. must be permitted to decline making any such reflection upon men whom regard as your equals and mine in every res pect. l regard tn em as citizens of good moral character and integ- rity, and incapable of cheating and de- frauding at elections, and Icannot join you
 in making any reflection upon their honor and character. l am strongly
 in favor of your having clerk and
 fixer at. every voting place in the
 city, and have not the least doubt but
 that you will get them. am for fair
 election, and am determined that the
 election shall be conducted fairly. I would
 not support MT. Warnock and his ticket if
 l did not believe that they were for fair
 and honest election.
 know that Warnock and the executive
 committee are with me in the determina-
 tion that the election shall be fair on both
 sides.
 You urge as another reason why the
 agreement should be signed that 1t would
 set the public mind at rest. Are you sure
 that such an agreement would have satis-
 fled your people that the election would be
 fair? Suppose we had gotten all of our
 inspectors to have signed the agreement,
 do you suppose that would have stopped
 certain persons from crying out in the
 streets that Warnock's e crowd WAS going to
 cheat VanHoose; that the inspectors had
 no Idea of abiding by the contract when
 they signed itf If you cannot trust them
 to do their duty under oath and under the
 penalties for violation of the law, how
 consideration and which would be null
 and void as againet public policyf
 Now, while am not willing to do any,
 thing to reflect upon their characters as
 men or infringe upon their duties as in.
 sbectors under the law, am, and know