Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-04-16
lINCS THAT A FLOP TOGETHER
Peace and Harmony Wrought
BY a Compromise Convention,
EFFERS0N'S VOTE DIVIDED
.ftecn win Go to Montgomery for Johnston
!. and Fifteen for Clarke-MutuaI Con-
cessons, for the Partys Good.

=
The democratic county executive COM
n1ittee of Jefferson county met yesterday
morning in Sealssehall for the purpose Of
chnvassfng the results of last Saturdays
primary eleetions -
THE committee was called to order at
11.4O o'clock by Chairman r. ]. Waldrop.
Mr.. N. L. Miller, the secretary, kept
record of the proceedings, and on the call
of the roll the following members an
swered to their names:
w. X. Terry, w. C. Garrett, H. L. I'm
derwood, DR.. J. NJ. Gillespie, j. B.iGibson,
A. G. Morris, J. o. Rogan, William jack
son, H. L. Underwood w. L. c. Vann, c.
C. Truss, Paul Green, c. McAdory L. c.
Harrison, S. d. Weakley, r. V. Evans,
q. w. Shirling, d. w. Houston, J. w.
Sellers, ]. J. Callahan. DR.. j. L. Sandefur
Gby proxy, Henry Dill. r. Fl. Hendon, w.
A. Bradford, William Keeler, Henry
Simpson, Mr.. Gwinn, DIR. p P. Grove,
J.. L. Walthall, Fuller Vines, w. J. Creel,
70. A. Paschal, Charles Turnham, T. II.
Moore, r. L. Smith, ]. B. Arid, J. L. Stag
gers, w. B. Gere, M. w. Steele, J. d.
Worsham, j. C. Waldrop, c. L. Dobbs
and Mr.. Atkinson.
j. B. Elliott, j. NJ. Gillespie, C. McAdo-
ry, w. T. Kennedy. Bruce Ragsdale, O.
B. Powell and o. B. Short presented
proxies and were seated as delegates
Exclusivesof the committee about 200
persons were present. 1t was plain to the
most casual observer that the Johnston
ticket prevailed, in sentiment as well as
in point of numbers although the Clarke
feeling was as stubborn and pronounced
lively and prolonged debate followed
c. B. Powell's motion that the executive
ING
delegates to the county convention and
that to that end the chair appoint a COM
mittee of five to inspect the returns and
report their findings.
Speaking to his motion, Mr.. Powell
said:
my motion is made to offset a difficult
ty. Democratic precedent is in the line
of the motion. Many managers have
locked up the certificates of delegates in
the ballot box. My motion does not in
clude deciding on the right of the dele
gates, but simply starting the convention
in an orderly manner In other cases no
lists of delegates have been returned. I
make the motion for harmony" -
Mr.. Weakley Protests. %,
Mr.. S. D. Weakley took the position
that 1t lay solely in the province of the
convention to decide the prima facie
rights of delegates. Said he in that con-
nection: "a
Il have considered the question. 1t is
not one of obviating difficulty; it Is one
Of jurisdiction. do not impugn the COM
mittee's honesty, but we have no right
to carry out Mr. Powell's motion. | here
enter my protest. We are trustees, and
know no man nor set of men. (Applause)
Let us not sound discordant note here.
Let us go according to the plan of our
campaign as adopted by the committee
and provided in section of the campaign
plan"
Iara Mr. Won BIev rood tho fa1Inuino
section of the primary plan:
Immediately after the polls have been
closed the managers shall proceed to
count the ballots, counting first the bal
lots for delegates to the county conven-
ton. After counting these the managers
shall proclaim and post at the voting
place the result of the election for dele
gates, and they shall give to the dele
gates receiving the highest number of
votes a certificate stating the number of
ballots cast for each and that they were
duly elected delegates from the particu-
lar precinct"
Continuing he insisted that the mana
gers had no right to put certificates of
election of delegates in the boxes. He
wanted to go by the plan laid down,
which he held required that delegates
should be certified to in each beat and
by each beat and there declared. He
said that the contests for county offices
was provided for, because 1t was in their
jurisdiction, but the convention, he held,
was supreme in the contest for delegates.
:. Mr.. G. B. Powell asked the speaker
how about party law, to which the
speaker replied that every deliberative
body is the judge of its own qualifica-
tons. He spoke of his>ewn Endorsement
of Captain Johnston for governor, but
could not give the county or state to Cap
tain Johnston If he had to do a wrong
Said he further: 81 move as a substitute
that we now proceed to open these boxes
and count the ballots for county officers,
and, if certificates of delegates are there,
give them to the right man. I hope to see
this county go for Johnston (applause),