The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-10-12
SHELLEY'S CONTENTION
RATIFICATION NOT A PARTY
 MEASURE.
Head of the Antis Answers the Let ter of Congressman Underwood, Chairman of the State Demo-
 cratic Campaign Committee.

Birmingham. Oct 11.-(SpeciaL)-Gen Charles M. Shelley, chairman of the anti | ratification State Campaign Committee, | today addressed a reply to Chairman Underwood of the State Democratic Cam paign Committee. in answer to Mr.~Un- derwoods letter of yesterday. Mir. Un- lderwood's communication was in response to a letter signed by General Shelley and members of his committee and written | at the standardization conference held
 here Monday last, which contained proposition for a white primary to be
 held a few days before the regular elec- ton to determine Tow white men should vote November Il with regard to the rati- fication of the new Constitution.
 In responding to this communication, | Mir. Underwood inquired of General Shell ley who besides. themselves, the anti | ratification committee represented and if they represented the white Republicans of Alabama. MT. Underwood also took Gen. | eral Shelley to task for addressing him
 as chairman of the 'Committee for Rati- | hcation," instead of chairman of the Democratic State Campaign Committee. In his letter today, General Shelley tells
 Mir. Underwood that he regrets that the propositions of the standardization com | mittee should have appeared dn the news papers before they reached MT. Under
 
 tent to be discourteous. With reference to the manner in which General Shelley addressed MT. Underwood, the former says that he is not informed of any rights Mir. Underwood may have to claim to represent the Democratic party in this | contest. General Shelley goes on to re- | mind Mir. Underwood that the question of ratification was never made a party | question. and. finally. he says that he Shelley does not represent any organi- l zation except the Democratic members | who are opposed to the ratification of the | new Constitution. He says in conclusion
 that if Mr. Underwood's committee and
 his own committee should agree on plan to submit the question to the white people of the State. i've could then joint
 iy confer with other organizations of
 white people, and If we failed to get their
 cooperation and consent to the matter,
 of course. the whole plan would fall to I the ground"
 Nothing more will probably occur in | this matter until the meeting of the State Democratic Campaign Committee
 In this city Monday next. General Shelley's letter is as follows: Birmingham. Ala, Oct. Il, 1901. | Hon. O. w. Underwood. Chairman of
 the State Campaign Committee for Ratification. Birmingham, Ala:
 Dear Sir-You seem to have failed to
 
 courtesy, I wish to make 1t clear. This Is not a proposition purporting' to come | from myself and six other gentlemen. but it is a bona fide proposition signed by myself and six other gentlemen in their own hands, the original of which you have received. Failing to find you at your headquarters, 1t was posted to you In the presence of witnesses. I re- gret that the proposition should have ap- peared in the newspapers before reaching your hands, but the reason for that ex- plained to you personally, and you ex- pressed yourself as satisfied that no dis courtesy was intended.
 You call my attention to the fact that my letter addressed to you as Chairman of the Committee for Ratification was improperly addressed. With due respect, I wish to remind you that you cannot be ignorant of the fact that I am Chairman of the State Campaign Committee against Ratification. and all letters to me should be addressed accordingly. and I am not informed of any right you have to claim | to represent the Democratic party in this contest. "I note what you say with regard to the action of the State Executive Com- mittee. Being a Democrat and having organized a Democratic opposition to the ratification. the designation of our respec- | tive committees being nearly the same, |
  authorised by the State Democratic Ex- | ecutive Committee. have organized a | Democratic opposition to ratification, de- | irving our authority from the State Dem- | ocratic Convention which gave it's pledge | that the Constitution should be submit | ted back to the people without regard to i party affiliations. In order that it might | be understood that we are working on | opposite sides of this question. which is | not a party question, for the Democratic | Executive Committee has failed to make | 1t one, and as you have no more right | to claim to represent the Democratic par | ty than we have, I took the liberty of | addressing you as Chairman of the Cam | paign Committee for Ratification.
 Permit me to remind you that the call | ing of the convention, or the ratification | of any Constitution framed by it, has | never been made a party question, but | that all voters were left free to vote | for the calling of the convention or the ! ratification If q Constitution adopted by | it, in case 1t was called, without let or hindrance or influence on account of | party affiliations. I also ask you-do you | represent the White Republicans who are | in favor of ratification. and by what au- | thority do you assume to represent the | Democratic party in this contest?
 Referring to your inquiry. I desire to l state explicitly that I do not represent | any organization except the DenOCratlC l voters, who are opposed to the ratifica- ton of the new Constitution. But I had | in mind a plan by which the matter | could be submitted to all parties or fac | tions of white men--in the event the two | Democratic factions could agree upon the | plan proposed in our letter to you If | your committee and the one l represent | should agree on a plan to submit the | question to the white people of the State. | we could then jointly confer with other | organizations of white people, and if we | failed to get their cooperation and con- | sent to the matter of course. the whole | plan would fall to the ground.
 I hope you will not feel that I have l intended to be discourteous or disre- | gardful of any of the proprieties that | should govern or control a correspond | ence of this kind.
 am glad that your committee has | been called together, and trust that in | the interest of harmony and honest |