The age-herald., 1898-10-27
SuburbaniteS Want a Voice in Election of
 City Officers
IF THEY ARE TO BE ANNEXED
Letter from Woodlawn and Avondale Committees to Chairman Montgom- ery-Candidates Want Opening
 Postponed Until New Year.


 while there was an effort to have the open ing of the municipal campaign and the reign of the "spellbinder" postponed until the new year.
 In the past week an audible undercurrent has been coming from all elements to have it precipitated more than a month earlier. A member of the committee said yester- day that Chairman Montgomery had been approached more than once on the subject. He believed that a meeting of the body would be held within the next two or three weeks, and thought it probable that the democratic ticket would be nominated In time for the successful candidates to have glorious Christmas celebration. An Unexpected Issue An unexpected issue in the coming cam paign arose yesterday when Chairman Montgomery of the committee received the following communication:
 Birmingham, Ala, October 26, 1898. Joseph H. Montgomery, Chairman, sir mingham, Ala
 Dear Sir In view of the fact that there is now being a great move made by some to bring our town into the city without SiihS uS d ldlI CiidHCe lO De Hedru, We JUNG this method of asking you, as chairman of the city executive committee, to give US a chance to be heard before your commit- tee sets the time for the primary election for the city. We think it nothing but just and right that if we are to be taken in we should have some voice in selecting the better officers we are to have. As you well know, the election does not come off I1nti1 aa1 of voice then; but as a great many of us are democrats, we prefer voting for the nomi- nee of that party. If we are to be taken in, this matter will be settled soon enough for the primary, we think, and in the inter- est of our people and in furtherance of Justice and fair play we ask this hearing
 Yours very truly, J. s. KENNEDY,
 Chairman of the Woodlawn Committee.
 c. P. BEDOW,
 Chairman of the Avondale Committee.
 Chairman Montgomery has not yet pre- pared his reply to the suburban commit tees, but he said at once that if the people living in Woodlawn and Avondale became part of Greater Birmingham" they would certainly be given a hearing in the selection of officials to govern them.
 Should the bill for annexation pass the 6ChCi di dSSSIuDiy anu C0OS6 concerned vote to be taken in the plans of some candidates may be seriously disarranged in the pri- mary. The suburbs proposed to be taken in are composed largely of a democratic population and the vote would not be in- significant if thrown in favor of any one candidate. It is argued by some that the bill cannot be put through the legislature, and the election held in time for the su-
 
 cipal contest. It may take several weeks to debate and dispose of the bill, which, from present indications, will not be ready for introduction immediately upon the converting of the legislature.
 Mayor Evans intends going over the ter ritory proposed to be annexed with City Engineer Kendrick before final action is taken by the city council. They will pre- pare maps which will set the matter before the body in clear light. Mr. Kendrick is now in Washington and will not return in time for this to be done before the next meeting of the board of aldermen.
 The board will discuss the matter at its next meeting even if final action is not taken. Three resolutions will be placed be- fore it. Among these will be the Bowron and Lane resolutions. which were before Lne cltlzcu5 LHcctin6. lHO tHllu VIII oC the plan suggested in The Age-Herald sev- eral days ago of forming "shoe string line
 J. s. Kennedy, of Woodawn, who is do- ing the talking for the anti-annexationists, gave it out yesterday that one of the plans of the opposition was to have a mass meeting in Birmingham. The committees of Woodlawn and Avondale will decide up- nIor 1f o,,d yesterday that it was likely that meet ing of all enemies of extension would be held in this city.
 Fighting It On
 The candidates have been fighting off a meeting of the executive committee at an early date. As yet only one candidate for mayor has publicly announced, while there are two others who are considered certain to be in the race.
 It has been argued that 1t will be impos- sible for the mayoralty candidates to form a platform until Birmingham has it's in- ming before the legislature. There will be plenty of blanks in the new city charter and in the Greater Birmingham question to form all varieties of platforms.
 The following is a list of the members of the committee:
 First ward-M. J. Higgins. D. L. Bren- nen.
 Second ward-W. H. Wilder, L. K Steiner
 Third Ward-W. h. Howard, W. H. Cut cliff
 Fourth Ward--J. J. Moore. J. H. Mont- gomery.
 Fifth Ward--J. D. Elliott, G. l.. Thomas. Sixth ward-C. c. Johnston, A. A. Cole man.
 Seventh ward--G. B. Burkhalter. c. F. Douthitt.
 Eighth Ward-,John L. Parker, ". C.