Birmingham state herald., 1896-03-05
RAIDS SPLIT IN THE FOURTH Two Candidates for Congress
 Named at Calera. w. A. WILSON, w. F. ALDRICH Row Started Up Early Over Admission of Del egates-M Mckinley Delegates Elected
 to the National Conyen ton.

Democrats are not alone in their troubles.
 The first shot in the republican cam
 paign of 1896 was fired at Calera yester- day and resulted in dual convention
 and two nominees for congressman from
 the Fourth district
 Promptly at noon a large number of re-
 publicans from all over the Fourth and
 other districts of the state gathered to-
 gether under one roof to name delegates
 to the national convention and also nomi-
 nate a candidate for congress- Ere the
 shades of evening fell, however, there was a split in the ranks and the harmony
 which at the beginning had prevailed
 was displaced by discontent and bad feel ing, as it were.
 The republican district convention for
 the Fourth Alabama district was called
 to order by Hon. J. D. Hardie chairman
 of the district executive committee. It developed that there were several
 contested delegations, and the chairman
 ordered all delegates out of the hall ex-
 cept those who held uneontested creden-
 tials. The delegations who remained in
 the hall were those from Calhoun, Chil-
 ton and Shelby counties. The chairman
 then instructed these delegates to proceed with permanent organization.
 A chairman being the first order of
 business the names of J. D. Hardie and
 Fl. A. Wilson were placed in nomination.
 The first vote resulted in tie and as the
 presiding officer was In the race he de- clined to cast the deciding vote, A second vote was ordered and the re-
 suit was Wilson 12, Hardie il. MT. H. A. Wilson was declared elected and took the chair.
 On motion a committee on credentials was named by the chairman, as follows: Col. R. H. Knox of Chiffon, William J. af Shelby.
 The committee retired to examine into and report on the credentials of the con- testing delegations, and on motion the convention adjourned until o'clock. to await the action of the above committee At o'clock the convention was called to order by Chairman Wilson. The com mittee on credentials reported, and same was adopted.
 The convention then proceeded to the business for which it was called together. Thomas G. Dunn and William J. Stew ems were elected delegates to the na- tional republican convention at St Louis and were instructed to vote for William Mckinley first, last and all the time The next order of business was the nomination of a candidate for congress, which resulted in favor of Hon. H. A. Wilson
 Robert Knox of Chiffon was elected chairman of the district executive com
 mittee.
 The Bolt. The retiring of the committee on ere dentials seemed to- be e signal to the disaffected delegates and they proceeded to church near by and began to hold a convention of their own. It | seemed that the permanent organization | of the regular convention was not to their liking
 J. D. Hardie was named chairman of | this convention. The deliberations of this convention | resulted in the nomination of William r. l Aldrich for congress. The reporters informant left Calera l before the last formed convention had l named and instructed delegates to the | national convention and a chairman of | the district executive committee. | The question as to which convention
 was regular will be decided by the na- 1 tional convention when it meets June 16 | next