The age-herald., 1900-08-31
THOMPSON'S CLAIM
Gives Out Statement Regarding the
 Situation

Tuskegee, August 90.-(Special )-Mr. c. w. Thompson, the Congressional nominee of the Goodwater convention, gave the fol- lowing statement to the Age-Herald corre- spondent this evening:
 From the tenor of the Age-Herald's edi- torial of today it Is evidently laboring un- der a misapprehension of the facts regard ing the proceedings of the Congressional convention at Goodwater. The convention had the supreme right to accept or reject temporary officers suggested by the dis trict executive committee, and when Chair man White, by authority of a majority of the committee, to-wit, to 8, recommended of Elmore, Judge A. J. Driver, who is also a member of the committee, offered a mil nority report, naming Hon. Felix L. Smith, of Coosa, as temporary chairman, w. A. Cloud, of Macon, and w. A. Speare, or Clay, as temporary secretaries, and moved as a substitute the adoption of the minori- ty report. Chairman White declined to put Judge Drivers motion, saying he would not recognize any gentleman to make any mo- tion until the temporary organization was perfected, whereupon Judge Driver put his motion, which was adopted by vote of 321a, which was a majority of the regularly accredited delegates of the convention, and he declared Felix l.. Smith to be temporary chairman and Messrs. Cloud and Speare temporary secretaries.
 This was in strict compliance with par ty law as I understand it. When Mir White declined to recognize Judge Driver his only recourse was to put his own motion and let the convention decide for itself who It's temporary officer would be; otherwise the voice of the majority of the delegates of a convention could be throttled by com- mittee which was creature of the conven- tion.
 "In Justification of the course pursued by this convention I call your attention to the national convention of 1896, when David B. Hill was named as temporary chairman and the convention repudiated the recom- mendation of the committee and elected as its temporary chairman Senator John W. Daniel, of Virginia. In the Alabama State convention of this current year, when Chairman Lowe named, by authority of the executive committee Hon. w. P. Pnckard as temporary chairman, Hon. Henry D. Clayton moved that he be elected as such and put the motion himself, and declared Pinckard duly elected. The course pursued by my friends in the Goodwater conven- ton was therefore in line with party pre- cedent adopted by our national and state conventions, and the only course by which the right or will of the convention could have been ascertained. I am not only the nominee of the convention by majority of duly elected and accredited delegates, as was shown by a call of the counties by the secretary of said convention, to-Wit: Au- tauga 3, Coosa 5, Clay B. Chambers g, Ma con 1-6 Randolph 6, total 31 1-16, when only 31 were necessary to a choice; but also by a majority of the Democratic voters as registered at the polls in the following counties to-wit: Macon 322, Coosa N4 Ran dolph 134, Elmore 269 Clay 139; total in the counties voting in the primary, 1,132. I feel confident of being elected in November by the largest majority ever given any candi- date in the district because of the fact that the white people of the district are more nearly united than they have been for years Men who were active supporters of Colonel Brewer in the primary have as- sured me of their support since my nomi- nation, and a number of the best people In the State have rendered me their services throughout my campaign"