Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-09-02
TF SAIGHTH.

| The EigF ) district consists of the
counties Of oekson, Madison, Limestone,
n9ts'n' sept' 7 lsrd"l' Lawrence and Col
Decat q Sept 1.-(Staff Correspond
| ence.)7 a few minutes before IL o'clock
| last 1T the congressional executive
comE see, sitting for the purpose of
passia4S on the credentials of delegates
and making temporary roll for the con-
Vention, adjourned to meet at 10 o'clock
| this morning
When the committee adjourned the
| contests from Lawrence and Limestone
counties had been passed upon, and tho
regular Wheeler delegates from Law
| renee and the regular Richardson dele
| gates from Limestone were stated The
| contests from Morgan and Colbert coun-
ties were passed over for further consid-
era ton today.
The committee met in the court house
TINS morning, and was called to order by
Chairman Francis. Because of the alb
sence of Judge Richardson and some of
mis- trusted leaders about one hours time
was lost. During this delay the chair
man read letter from Mr.. j. A. Roun-
tree rendering his resignation as a men,
Der of the committee assigning as his
reason for resigning removal from the
district The resignation was, on motion,
accepted.
A few minutes after II O'Clock Judge
was greeted by considerable applause.
on motion the committee decided to hear
the testimony In the Colber; and Morgan
contest cases in full and then make up it's
decision In both cases. Capt: Milton
HumeS, the attorney representing Gem
eral Wheeler, announced that he was
ready to proceed. Col. Walter White.
leading attorney for Judge Richardson,
asked the committee for further time in
which to prepare the case of his client
This DrOnOSitiOn discussed nd
con by Captain Humes and Colonel
White.
The committee declined to grant
further time, and resolved to proceed
with the investigation.
Here IL o'clock, the hour set for the
meeting of the convention by the COM
mittee had arrived, and the chairman Of
the committee stated that the hour for
calling the convention to order was at
hand and that the committee had failed
to make up the temporary roll. On mo-
| tion the hour Of p. m. was set for the
calling or the convention to order.
The committee then adjourned for dim
| ner to meet again at / O'clock
1t was o'clock when the committee
got to work again. Judge Richardson
mere began the presentation of his side
or the Colbert contest in person. He pre-
| sented quite number of affidaVits tend
ing to show that he had carried the coun-
| ty. AT o'clock, when he had completed
| the presentation Of his side of the case.
Judge Richardson arose and announced
| that he had few remarks to make and
| proceeded to address the committee in a.
patriotic manner, stating that he held
| far above the success of himself or any
other candidate the success of the de-
mocracy of the Eighth Congressional dis
trict He said that In the convention he
had twenty-eight regularly and legally
elected delegates and that General
Wheeler had twenty-four. In the inter-
est of harmony and the success of the de-
mocracy of the Eighth district he pro-
posed to General Wheeler that they sub
NIT their respective claims back to Col
bert county and each of them select three
men, and let those six men select the
seventh man, and let those seven men
take charge of and hold a primary elec-
ton in Colbert county. The one who sue
ceeded in getting the majority in that
election should be the nominee Of the
democratic party of the district. Judge
Richardson's speech was cheered vocifer-
ously. Judge Richardson's plan was in
writing and was read by him. A State
Herald reporter asked him tonight for a
copy or his proposition and was informed
that he had mislaid 1t about the room
and could not supply 1t to the press.
AT the close of Judge Richardson's
| speech proposing a compromise General
Wheeler mounted a chair, and after an
nouncing that he had carried the dis
trict, not only getting majority ofsthe
delegates, but large majority of the
| popular vote, stated that he was not
| afraid OF the people. He said this was a
| year of the people, and that he was al
ways willing to give the people chance,
and that he was willing to submit his
claims along with Judge Richardson
back to the people of Colbert county,
restricted to the white democrats in that
county, In a primary election to be con-
Quoted under the auspices of the Colbert
county committee, and the one receiving
majority of the popular vote of that
county as certified by the committee, to
be the nominee for congress. General
Wheeler's speech was followed by pro-
longed applause-in fact, the crowd at
this point simply went wild. Delegates
and spectators cheered themselves
hoarse.
The COMMITTEES adjourned for thirty
minutes In order that General Wheeler
and Judge Richardson might retire and
reduce to writing the agreement What
In the morning threatened to be tor
nado had developed into gentle spring
shower of brotherly love, and Richard
son delegates and Wheeler delegates
struck hands with each other and with
the candidates. The candidates and their
attorneys withdrew to reduce the agree
ment to writing, and the crowd waited
An hour passed, thirty minutes more
precious time sped by and the news came
that the candidates had failed to agree
on details and the war was to be taken
The question of what kind of an elec-
tion and who should conduct 1t could not
be agreed upon.
When the committee reassembled Mr..
Almon of Colbert. on the part of General
Wheeler, proposed that the two candi-
dates select three men each in Colbert
county and the six men thus selected Sc
lect one man and the seven conduct a
primary and certify the result, the can
didate receiving a majority of the popu-
lar vote to be the nominee. In submit
ting this proposition the Wheeler men
gave up their contention for the Colbert
county committee to hold the election,
and agreed to the selection of seven men
as outlined above.
Col. Walter White for Judge Richard
son at this juncture proposed to accept
the offer made by Mr. AImon, amended
so that the seven men be empowered to
determine upon the kind of election to
be held In Colbert, whether a majority
of the popular. vote or majority of the
delegates to the county convention
should determine After a good deal Of
talking on both sides the committee ads