The age-herald., 1900-03-07
To Arrange Plans for the Demo-
 cratic Primary Election.
CUNNINGHAM ENTERS DENIAL
Replies to Charge Made by Bowman Choctaw Republicans Said to Have Endorsed Johnston
 Calhoun Primary Today

ty democratic executive committee, to which has been referred the matter of mak- ing arrangements for the primary election Ito be held on April II, will meet today A meeting was held last Saturday, but on &C., count of the absence of D. A. Little, of Bessemer, nothing was done The commit tee consists of Walter Moore, J. s. Ken nedy c. P. Beddow, E. A. Little and R. J. Waldrop. The latter is a candidate for clerk of the Criminal court and 1t is proba- ble that he will tender his resignation as l a member of the subcommittee at the l meeting today. He offered ito resign last l Saturday, but in deferrence to the wishes | of bhe members present did not do so A statement was made at the meeting that E. l A Little, the only absentee, did not want l him to resign and had so informed one member of the committee. MT. Little has | since denied that he urged MT. Waldrop to remain on the subcommittee. He states | that he does not think it advisable for Mir. l waldrop to act with the committee when he is candidate for an office to be voted on in the primary election, the management of which has been entrusted to the commit tee.
 The dispensary advocates will, 1t Is stated, go before the committee and urge that the voters be allowed to vote on the question of a dispensary law for the county peti- tion to this effect was presented to the executive committee at its meeting Febru- ary 21, but it met with the opposition of majority of the committee.
 De i Charge
 In his speech at Pratt City last Saturday night F. G. Bowman, in advocating the election of Governor Johnston to the United States senate to succeed Senator Morgan, charged that Dr. R. M. Cunningham, who was president of the state senate at the last session, had sought to have the house kill the convict bill, which he had suc- ceeded in passing through the senate, MT. Bowman is reported as saying:
 "Cunnfnghams convict bill provided that only 60 per cent of the convicts should be worked in the mines. There never has been more than that per cent worked in the mines under any convict law, and the bill was farce. Charles Waller, the speaker 1 of the house, told me that after the senator had succeeded in getting his bill through the | senate, that Senator Cunningham asked thds speaker to refer the Dill to commit lOC theAt NOuiu hhi it Say ms cod pOU D sake kill it. cannot afford for it to pass |" Yesterday Dr. Cunningham gave out the following card in reply to MT. Bowman's charge:
 Tn his speech at Pratt City last Satur- day night, P. G. Bowman, Esq, is reported to have said that when my convict bill passed the senate that I went over to the house and said that it must be defeated in the house. and gave Hon. Charles E. Wal Ter, speaker of the house of representa- tives. as his authority. I saw MT. Bowman yes- ter1ay morning, and he informed me that l he said what was imputed to him. Sunday morning l sent the following telegram to Hon. Charles Waller to Greensboro: Copy of telegram, 1O:3O a. m. Bblminsham Ala, March 4, 1909. 1 Hon. Charles E. Waller, Greensboro, Ala. | It is charged in Jefferson county, upon | your authority. that 1 sad my convict bill | must be killed in house. Wire answer at l once. R. M. CUNNINGHAM. | To this telegram I received the following | reply:
 a Greensboro, Ala, March 4, 1900. 1 R. NJ. Cunningham, Birmingham Ala: Telegram to Waller received by me. Wall Ter at Huntsville today. Never heard of any suoh statement by you.
 A. M. TUNSTALL. IlllS IneJSdS6 l reCelVed sunday night. mmedhately sent uhe same message to l Huntsville to MT. Waller that I sent him l to Greensboro. l again wired hlrn Mon | day morninS. In the afternoon of yester- l day l received from Mrs Waller the fol- 1 lowing telegram:
 l New Hope, Ala, March B. 1900 l Dr. R. M. Cunningham, Birmingham, Ala
 Your message foc'warded. l did not say , thalt you said your convict bih must toe , killed in the house.
 CHARLES E. WALLER | In reply will say that never by word, | letter, speech, hint, sign, squint or in any other manner openly, secretly, confidential l ly or otherwise said any such thing as con- ] tained in the above charge, or anything that could be construed, mistaken or thought to | be such to any member of the senate or house or representatives or anybody else
 male or female, old or young, white or | black, big or little in Montgomery or any I where else. Such action is so foreign to my | very nature that those who know me would
 not for moment believe it. On the con- | trary, l did everything in my power to
 have my convict bill of both sessions of the
 general assembly to become the law of the
 land Of this I have documentary evidence in abundance, nor am I afraid to risk my | honor in the hands of my colleagues in the
 senate and the members of the house of
 representatives To those who cannot at
 tribute my action In this matter to patriotic
 
 ! one better than I know that the enactment i of this bill into law, under circumstances 1 would alone wholly and perfectly vindicate | me before the people. Its success meant my l political preferment its failure my political l retirement Respectfully,
 R. M. CUNNINGHAM, | Senator from Jefferson. | Republicans Endorse Johnston
 The republicans of Choctaw county are said to have passed resolutions endorsing the candidacy of Governor Johnston for the United States senate. In reporting the
 meeting of the executive committee of
 that county the Choctaw Herald says
 'We learn from E. w. Kennedy, secre-
 tary of the republican executive commit
 tee, that the meeting at Crowelrs School
 House last Saturday was well attended by
 the leading members of the party from
 different sections of the county. Much in-
 terest was manifested in county affairs
 but the only step taken was the passing | of resolutions endorsing Johnston's candi-