Birmingham state herald., 1896-09-11
GERMAN-A MEXICAN UNION
Resolves to Vote as a Unit in the City
 Election.

Resolves to Vote as a Unit in the City
 Election.
 The German-American union held a mass meeting last night at Turner hall. Ihifd avenue, between Twentieth and Twenty-first streets, for the nurnosa of discussing what action they wouId take relative to the coming municipal election. Resolutions offered by the executive committee of the union, heretofore pub hshed, were adopted The resolutions were not to abide by the plan of cleo ton wherein it was provided for the jn direct nomination of candidate for mayor.
 motion was offered that the German American union vote as a unit for what ever candidate that may hereafter be agreed upon, not giving any member the night of pledging his vote personally to any candidate.
 It was also discussed and motion was made to ask the legislature to prepare q. bill to abolish the police commission, as the citizens of Birmingham would rath- CT risk their lawmakers, the mayor and eighteen aldermen, than five appointees by the governor to rule and regulate their city and police.
 A suggestion was made by Alderman Enslen that the city was running at too great expense for officers, which could be curtailed considerably and therebv
 
 ness and at ths same time liquidate it's debts. He did not think it fair to charge poor shoemaker, or tailor, or black smith license and excuse the largest mills and furnaces. He said he believed in a liberal city administration to in. duce investors to locate here, but they would not come to bankrupt city. He would never be party to running the government as matter of politics, but as fair and square citizen was ever ready to lend his aid, politically or oth- erwise, to the upbullding of every in- terest.
 The chair then called for the motion on the club voting as unit
 R. H. Fries said that they, the so- ciety, should not indorse any man unless he was a democrat.
 "What force will our society have or what influence can 1t exert if we pull apart? I say the German-American union will not stand six months unless we pull together and vote together on meas ures of public interest"
 Chairman Lesser said he didn't think city matters had anything to do with pol tiles. We are democrats, all of us, when 1t comes to state issues. A man who goes into the primaries forfeits his rights as to personal privileges when he enters the primaries. but when he goes into them 1t is his duty as a man and citizen to abide It's acts"
 The resolution to vote as unit was then adopted
 The chair stated that the registered German vote in the city was over 8S7. In the county 1200 and that the membership of the German-American union had reached 438.
 motion was made that a committee of three be appointed to canvass the re- maining German voters In the city, not members of the club, to become members of the club at once.
 The chair appointed Sam Miller, Erwin Schillinger and Henry Unrath.
 A motion was made that a committee of five be appointed to go before the city executive committee at its meeting next Monday night for the purpose of inform ing them of the wishes of the union. Carried.
 The chair appointed on the committee $. Steiner. R. H. Fries. Gus Rothalz, Adolph Stockman and H. Behrens.
 After some discussion it was decided