The age-herald., 1900-08-29
First Blood in the Fifth Dis- tiSt Congressional Batte' PRIME FAC|E RIGHT UPHELD A Bare Quorum Voting, the State Committee Stood Fourteen to
 Five Against Action Fifth
 District Tribunal.

 Resolved, That the committee has < Jurisdiction of the appeal, and the plea 4 to the jurisdiction is overruled and hereby dismissed. Resolved, That the action of the dis trict executive committee of the Fifth Congressional district in the matter of of the contests from Coosa and Clay Counties be and the same is hereby re- < versed and annulled.
 Resolved, further, That on the face of the returns from said counties the delegates known as the Thompson deie- gates are prima facie entitled to seats upon the floor of the district convention to be held on the 29th day of August, 1900, at Goodwater, Alabama.
 
 The action of the Democratic Executive Committee of the Fifth Congressional dis trict, in splitting the delegations from Coosa and Clay Counties, has been re- versed and annulled by the State Execu- tive Committee, and on the temporary or ganizaton of the convention at Goodwater today the full strength of both these coun- ties will be voted for Colonel Thompson. The State committee holds that the Thompson delegates from those counties are prima facie entitled to seats in the convention, but whether the convention will allow them to retain their seats in the permanent organization remains to be seen.
 The appeal from the action of the Fifth district committee came up for a hearing before the State committee yesterday, and after a session lasting the greater part of the day and we'll into the night the committee decided that the Fifth dig trict committee erred in giving Colonel Brewe, half of the delegation form each of the-counties of Coosa and Clay.
 Considerable feeling was manifested by the contesting factions before the commit tee, but the trial before the tribunal of last resort passed off without any unpleasant incidents.
 The principal contention was over the delegations from Coosa and Clay Coun- ties, Colonel Thompson withdrawing his contest in Elmore.
 The records of the district committee investigation were submitted without the introduction of any testimony and argu- ments were limited to one hour and half to the side.
 A Rumor That Alarmed
 When the committee met yesterday morning shortly before 10 O clock twenty five members were present. six more than a quorum. The first question taken up by the committee was that of Jurisdiction Colonel Brewer contended that the State Committee did not have any juisdiction over the action of the district committee In the matter under consideration, and on that ground moved the dismissal of the appeal of Colonel Thompson from the de- cison of the district committed The morning session of the committee was consumed in the consideration of this question, Judge Chiffon for Colonel Brew CT and Captain White and MT. Sanford for Colonel Thompson submitted arguments, at the conclusion of which the committee went into executive session.
 the committee was in executive session for nearly an hour and half and before adjourning adopted the following resolu- ton:
 Resolved, That the committee has juris- diction of the appeal and the plea to the jurisdiction is overruled and hereby dis misSed.''
 The vote on the adoption of this resolu- ton stood II for to against, two members not voting.
 With the adoption of this resolution the committee at 1 o'clock adjourned till 2:3O D. m.
 During the recess a rumor gained cur rency that an attempt would be made to break tthe quorum, and there was some fear during the afternoon session that when the time came to vote less than the reouis- ite nineteen members would be present Several members of the committee left the city during the afternoon and one member who remained was paired, thus reducing the number to narrow margin above quor- um. It was the fear of failing to get a quorum together again that impeled the committee to remain in session without in- remission from o'clock in the afternoon until quarter to 10 last night at which time a vote was reached. But nineteen members were then present, bare quorum.
 The contest that came up to the State committee yesterday grew out of one of the bitterest campaigns within the Dem- ocratic party in Alabama in many years Corruption has been charged against at least two of the candidates, and money is