The age-herald., 1899-10-11
SOME GOSSIP OF THE
 COMMITTEE MEETING

The meeting of the state democratic com
 mittee here brought an usually large num-
 Der of men of prominence in politics to
 Birmingham. They came, some to serve
 their friends. some to further their own ambitions. some as spectators. and all Of
 course, to look to the welfare of the party. It was particularly noticeable in the throngs of politicians that none save demo- crats were to be seen. A few years ago this would not have been so. The leaders
 of the opposition would have come to seek
 knowledge of some discord in the demo-
 cratic ranks with which to make political thunder. It is happy state of affairs, the
 reunting and banding together of Inc
 white men of Alabama Yesterday but one single populist went to the meeting place of
 the committee, and while he heard some words of discord he left the building when the meeting adjourned convinced that dem ocrats can differ in committee, but that 1t
 is all friendly, and that they are learning
 to refuse the days of grace in which to kick over some little disappointment.
 The meeting of the committee yesterday
 was one of the most important in the his
 tory of the democratic party. Before the
 meeting assembled many expressions of fear
 were heard less the committee should fail
 to agree and cause a division in the party. But those who thus reckoned are disap-
 pointed There was really but one spirited
 debate. that on the question of the ad-
 visibility of having state and legislative
 candidates chosen at the same time
 Strange to say, this question brought out
 all of the strength in the committee of the
 two leading candidates for the United
 States senate. Governor Johnston's friends
 opposed the combination of dates, but no
 good reason was ever advanced for their
 opposition. Senator Morgans friends claim
 a victory for him in the committee, yet no
 man can see where one candidate will have
 advantage over another by the adoption of
 the combination plan. It is absolutely fair.
 There were a few members of the com
 mittee who thought that their constituents
 would not be governed by the action or the
 state committee in ordering state primaries
 and legislative primaries for the same
 date. Committeeman Dunn, of Clarke, said
 that the people of his county did not rellsh
 the idea of the state committees meddling
 in their nome aHdlrS. A lcN OlhCi AiiSiAi
 bers made similar remarks. On the other
 hand some members, in fact majority Of
 them, hold that members of the general as-
 sembly are state officers, and therefore
 come under the jurisdiction of the call even
 were the specifications stricken from the resolutions. Not in recent years has this question been so prominently before the
 committee as this year. The election Of United States senator to succeed Senator Morgan, or the return of Senator Morgan to the federal capital is the one absorbing question with the people. It was perfect ly plain in the committee meeting yester- day that the members were not so much interested in who is to be governor, auditor, treasurer or commissioner of ag- riculture as they were as to who should represent the state in the upper house of congress- The gubernatorial race was sel-
 dom mentioned
 There was fair sprinkling of candidates in attendance upon the committee meeting, and they were all busy Hog rolling" Hon. John W. Tomlinson was the only announced gubernatorial candidate who was present. ,, and he there by mere circums tanee. ! Monday he spoke in the southern portion of the state, and yesterday he was passing through the city en route to north Ala bama. He left the city before the commit tee took any action. possible candidate for governor served as a member of the committed, and took very active part, mak- ing the stnong plea for fairness and hon esty in the primaries, which had some ef- feet in causing the committee to adopt the Pettus resolution providing for the combi- nation between state officers and legislative candidates. This man was Hon. Tenant Lomax. MT. Lomax refused to say that he was a candidate for governor, or that he expected to become candidate. However, he has many strong friends who are urg- ing him to make the race. MT. Lomax is solicitor of the Montgomery city court.
 
 The full list of candidates for state treas
 urer were in the city. The list includes Former Treasurer J. Craig Smith of Dal- las, Sheriff James McMillan of Escambia
 and Senator Charles w. Thompson of Ma con. Sam J. Carpenter of Green and Sem ator Matthews of Marion, candidates for auditor, were here also
 In the list ofpossfble congressman there are score of names Senator A. A. Wiley, Tennent Lomax and Charles R. Bricken were present rom une second ulSlrlcl, W. ! w. Brandon, from the Sixth; J. Thomas Heflin and Colonel Thomas L. Bulger, from
 the Fifth; Captain Thomas w.. Plowman,
 from the Fourth, and perhaps there were others who are backward in making an- nouncements.
 | Other prominent democrats who were on-lookers at the meeting were State Sen-.
 H..
 Sayre and Colonel w. F. Vandivef, of | Montgomery; Chancellor w. l.. Parks, of . Troy; General George P. Harrison, of Ope- ! lilza; Judge G. B. Mobley, B. B. Barnes, | Senator Amos Horton and I. A. Levy, of : Greene; w. D. Seed, of Tuscaloosa; Editor , c. H. Greer, of the Marion Standard; Sem
 ator J. R. Mccain, of Clay; Walter Ne- l Smith, of Lamar; Editor w. D. Sowell of