Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-03-07
PARTY NOTES AND NOTIONS.

| WilCA duyDOQy OtCd6lOH W llCdo-
ure the relative followings of the two
| candidates for governor. You probably
have also noticed that when it comes to
backing their faith and. judgment with
some oftAeir sound money" these young
sound money sages evade the issue.
| Right there is where their Strug-
| gle for principle takes a tumble. Now.
l know where $1,000 is waiting to be COW
cred, which talks that Johnston is go
ing to be the democratic nominee for
governor. In the language of the es-
teemed Clarke column, when the UNDER
| signed speaks of letters 1t has seen or
| of men it has talked to, it is always ready
to give names to any interested IN
| quirer."
AS Charley Lane of the Huntsville
| Tribune would say, the goldbugs act
| ually seem to expect 1--WE farmers who
| believe in silver as we'll as gold coinage
| to get clear out of the road and let them
| walk off with Jefferson countys deiega-
| ton of seven representatives in the Ala
| bama general assembly at a time when
| the election of a senator of the United
States is at stake. Now they are dear,
glorious fellows, these Birmingham
| young goldbugs, especially heroic when
| it comes to principle, but they seem to
| forget their conscientious computations
| when one of I'VE farmers" take notion
| his side has convictions that are worth
| fighting for. Funny situation, ism II!
A man in Selma offers to bet is to
that Johnston will carry Dallas. No
| taker so far. The Clarke men somehow
| don't seem to be able to maintain
J parity between their bluffs and the nerve
| to face the issue they have forced-face
| Ii with cash as well as conversation
| Now, l am no sport with a wad myself,
but as l said before, in the language of
| the Clarke column, l am always ready
to give names to interested inquirers,
| Who would ever have dreamed that the
Castor and Pollux of Alabama republic
cans. w. F. and T. II. Aldrich, having
been chosen to lead their party In their
several districts, would not both have
smooth sailing?e Yet although assured
that he is certain to get the seat FOR
which he is contestant against CASTOR A
Robbins, the democratic incumbent, mere
comes a. republican convention, that
which met at Calera, and repudiates its
standard bearer, Mr.. w. +. Aldrich, ere
he has a chance to show how well ne
could serve his constituents. was there
ever worse irony of fate in politics?
.
But was Mr.. Aldrich repudiated? III
so, what for? If he wasn't repudiated by
the original convention how comes 1t
that, being again an aspirant, he was not
the choice of that body?
In conversation yesterday with repub-
leans who were on hand when the two
Calera conventions met l learned that
Mr.. Hardy, chairman of the district ex-
ecutive committee, invited all those who
were contesting delegates to retire from
the hail. otherwise he would not open the
convention.
1All.except the Shelby, Chiffon and Cal
houn delegates retired. Chairman Hardy
called the convention to order and an
nounced the election of a temporary
chairman of the convention in order. The
first vote resulted in a tie, Mr.. Hardy re-
fnsing to vote. On the second vote Hon.
H. A. Wilson was elected and Mr.. Hardy
called him to the chair and introduced
him to the convention as the chairman
thereof. One McLauren was then chosen
secretary of the convention. A motion
was next made to appoint committee
on credentials, to consist of one from
each nncontested county. 1t was carried
and Colonel Knox, a Reed man, chair
man, M. A. Pope and w. J. Stevens were
selected on such committee. 1t being
then about 2 o'clock a motion was made
to adjourn until to give the committee
time to report At 4 o'clock the conven-
ton was reconvened and the committee
on credentials made their-report which
was adopted In the time intervening
the Aldrich men repaired to the colored
church and held their convention.
Mr.. Hardy was not a delegate to the
convention, but was only designated by
the district committee to call the con-
.venton to order.
The Aldrich men appear to be much
incensed at the action of William j.
Stevens. 1t will be remembered that this
same bill Stevens" was in the conven-
| ton that nominated Mr.. w. F. Aldrich
| for congress two years ago.
II. A. Wilson, Esq, who was nominated
by the convention for congress, is well
| known in this city and in the politics of
| Alabama as an active republican. He is
| a native of Cass county, Georgia, and re-
| moved with his parents to Alabama when
| boy. He was too young to be in the
| army, but lost his only two brothers,
killed in the Confederate army, both
| having volunteered upon the first call to
| arms by the Confederacy. Mr.. Wilson
| was for years the secretary of the state
| committee and an active party worker.
| He attended the national convention at
| Minneapolis in 1892 and voted for William
| Mckinley for president. He Is now and
has been for two years United States
| commissioner, with his office at Birmng-
| ham, although his home is at Lomax,
| where his family resides.
| Since the question of fusion" with the
| popul.sts has been a live issue in Ala
bama politics he has persistently and
consistently opposed it, believing that the
| republicans could not afford to unite with
| those who favored free silver and the
doctrines of the Ocala platform. He is
| Reed man.
| Mr. Wilson is lawyer by profession
| and a successful business man, who is
| held in high esteem by his personal
| friends and political associates. He is
red-headed and high-tempered a faithful
| friend and a bold political fighter. In
| fact, he is one of the best known and a
leader In his party.
Mr.. w. F. Aldrich could not be seen
I yesterday before he left for Washing
| tons A friend says He told me he was
| satisfied with the result" He certainly
knows what it is to have a contest. 1t
i looks very much like the Calera per-
formance will precipitate scrap at ST.
Louis.
A special from Washington to the
| Nashville American has this note that it
| is we'll to think of here
| A"Alabama democrats say that nothing
will do so much to solidify the party in
that state as the appointment by congress
| of a committee to,inyestigate the acts of
| fhel legislature that elected Sc ma for Nor