Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-04-15
ALL EYES ON JEFFERSON.
Several Precedents Cited as to Who Shall Set
tie Contested Cases-A Clarke Mans
Opinion.

Montgomery, April )-All
eyes are now on Jefferson. A gentleman
from there tonight gives the situation in
that county as he got it from a Clarke
enthusiast. He says the result in JEFF
ferson's convention depends on one big
beat in Birmingham. The returns give
1t to Clarke by one majority. -Four
delegate tickets were thrown out. They
contained the names of Johnston'S dele
gates In an adjoining beat. 1t is claim
ed that the four voters intended to vote
for Johnston delegates in that beat, but
were mslead. There are several other
votes that are challenged by the john
ston men for othes causes. The trouble
now appears to be this: Whether the
county executive committee shall settle
the contest or whether the convention
shall. The Johnston men claim that the
executive committee should decide. The
Clarke men insist the convention should
and that all who have credentials as del
egates including those Clarke delegates
whose cases are on trial. should be al
lowed to vote on the proposition. The
state convention of 1890, which nominat-
ed Governor Jones, adopted rule vest
ing the executive committees, state and
county, with the authority to determine
in all cases of contesting delegations
which delegation had the prima facie
right to seat on the floor of the conven-
tion.
The first application Of the rule was in
the numerous contests brought up by the
friends of Mr.. Kolb in 1892, the state ex-
ecutive committee meeting on the day
before the convention to hear and deter
mine. The result of this hearing was
the rejection by the committee of all the
Kolb contestants, except from two or
three counties, and Kolb and his friends,
feeling aggrieved, arranged for the opera
house convention, a few of the regularly
aIA Tod
ing the rejected contestants to form the
convention. In 1892 the same rule was
applied in Montgomery county, resulting
in changing the delegation from two
beats and effecting the nomination of
Judge Randolph. The rule was also ap-
piled In the last state convention in the
contests from Lee and Hale. The exec
utive committee of Montgomery county
is called to meet tomorrow two hours be-
fore the assembling of the convention to
consider any contests that may come up.
1t should be understood that the dele
gates in whose favor the state or coun-
ty committee decides are entitled prima
facje to seats in the convention and to
participate In the selection of a tempo
rary cha arman, whose duty 1t is to ap-
point the committee on credentials. be-
fore which all contests are again heard,
and the finding reported to the conven-
ton. which accepts or rejects the report
as il sees fit being the final judge of who
are entitled to membership. Prior to the
adoption of this rule the custom of the
party, according TO a gentleman who has
attended every state convention since
Houston's nomination, and to whom /
am indebted for much of this jnforma-
tion given, was to exclude all contesting
delega tions from any participation In the
convention until the committee on Gre
dentials raised by the uncontested dele
cations had passed upon the contests.
I'go into these details fully for the reason
that this proposition promises to be
bone of contention In several of the coun-
tv conventions tomorrow.