Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-11-11

respondence. .)-Last night and this morn
ing the hotel lobbies were scenes of life
and activity. At the Exchange lobby
there was such sWarming of politicians
and members and such hubbub of dis
cussion that the late national contest
seems to have sunk into insgnificance
compared with the issues involved in the
meeting of the Alabama legislature. Vet
ertan democrats who have visited Mont
gomery at the convening of the legisla-
ture for the past forty years say that the
present gathering is indicative of more
interest than has been displayed In many
terms past. Possibly this is due to the
fact that the candidate and "his friends"
are more in evidence than heretofore.
No office in either house, 1t matters not
how subordinate will go begging in this
good year of our Lord. Men with axes
to grind are here i'm numbers that could
have defeated Wellington at Waterloo.
But the races are all made with good ma
ture No animosity has been developed,
and good fellowship marks the character.
of the congregation.
HOUSE CoNvENES.
At 2 o'clock today, as is the custom
on the first day of convening, the house
of representatives was called to order Tor
the purpose of temporary organization.
Hon. Thomas H. Clark, hold-over speaker
from the last term, presided, and the
meeting was opened with pdayer by the
Rev, DIR. Davis, of Montgomery. work
of temporary organization was then pro-
ceeed to under the rules, and certincates
of ninety-eight members were filed with
the clerk and the bearers were sworn into
office by Chief Justice Brickell OF the SUI
preme court
]. T. Bradshaw, democrat, of Coving-
ton county, surrendered his certihcate OF
election to e. ]. Beaseley, populist, on ac-
count of certain Irregularities in certain
precincts of that county. Mr.. Bradshaw
denied that any fraud was committed In
the election but his majority in the coun-
ty was only two votes, ana ne certlIieo
to the speaker of the house that Mr.
Reaseley was elected to the seat. MT.
Bradshaw was not here, and declined to
contest the case.
Hon. A. A. Wiley, of Montgomery
county, moved that Mr.. Beaseiey pe
seated, and after short but earnest op-
position by Mr.. Davis, of Marion county,
the motion prevailed
On motion of Hon. Wilson X. Brown
of Colbert, committee on seats was ap-
pointed. 49,,
ulists would hold caucus in the senate
chamber at a O'Clock p. M, ana tnat a
demOcGdplc CauCuo "OuiN ~ -N~- -
house tonight.
The house then adjourned until 10
o'clock tomorrow morning
IN THE SENATE.
The senate was called to order at noon
todav by President Pettus for the pur-
pose of nominating officers for the en-
suing term. The meeting was opened
with prayer by Senator Robinson, OF 81.
Clair county. Thirty-two certificates OF
Ia1 Garfo fnr n
ga n. county, being the only absent MEM
ber. The president of the senate admin
istered the oath of office and the body
Immediately went into caucus.
There are twenty-five democratic m M
hers present, and all others were request
ed to retire. Senator Hundley, OF MAUI
son. did not participate.
The first action of the caucus was the
nomination of q president OF the senate
to succeed President Pettus, VINO resiaed
over the last session with such marked
ability and who declined only last night
TO be a candidate for reelection on ac-
count of Gen. Pettus candidacy for the
United States senate.
Hon. A. d. Sayre, of Montgomery was
the only name presented to the caucus
and he was nominated by acclamatlon;
II was believed until this morning that
Senator Fitzpatrick, of Wilcox. would pc
a candidate, but his friends declined to
propose his name for nomination in the
caucus today.
HON. A. d. SAYRE.
The newly chosen president is a native
Montgomerian and one of the most prom
inent figures among the younger mem
hers of the Alabama bar. AS parma
mentarian he has no superior in the state.
His career in the public affairs OF Ala
ba ma has been marked with decided sue
cess. He was first recognized as factor
in political affairs in 1890, when he made
a popular and easy race for the legisia-
ture. His record during that term made
his reelection in 1892 an easy undertake
ing IT was during his second term in
the house that Mr.. Sayre framed and In
troduced the election law, now statute,
known as the Sayre election law. At the
expiration of his second term in the
house he was elected to the senate in
1894 and there was no member of that
session whose ability in the discussion
of important issues won him more adj
mirers He was reelected to the senate
in the recent contest During the state
and national campaigns Mr..
Sayre was chairman OF the democratic
executive committee of Montgomery
county. and in the latter campaign was
appointed a member of the state cam
paign committee. The compliment paid
him nv the senate today indicates the es-
tee,n in which he is held by his co-work-
ers In that body. Although he has only
attained to his 2Sth year, his eminent
success in public affairs Is a foregone
conelusion He was an ardent supporter
of Goyernor- Elect Johnston in the state,
"a mpaigr and an enthusiastic advocate
81 the principles of the Chicago demo-
cratic platform. MI Sayre Is a nephew
of Senator John 7. morgan. he VIII en-
ter upon his duties In regular session as.