The age-herald., 1901-10-12
ouern or oontrol a correspondence of thIs

govern or control a correspondence of this kind.
 am glad that your committee has been called together, and trust that in the in- terest of harmony and honest elections. they will accept our proposition Very respectfully, CHAS M. SHELLEY, Chairman of State Committee Against Ratification.
 No Right to Represent Party as Whole While disucssing his letter to MT. Un-
 derwood. General Shelley was very earnest in his denial of the right of MT. Underwood and his committee to repre- sent the Democratic party as a whole. '"rhe State Democratic executive com
 mittee had no right to make the adoption of the new constitution party measure, said General Shelley, "and l deny their authority to name 8 campaign chairman and committee for the purpose of forcing such a measure upon the people under the sanction of the Democratic party of Alabama"
 Continuing, General Shelley said the Democratic party had in convention said l that the adoption of the constitution
 should not be made a party measure and
 that Democrats were free to vote as they pleased on the question.
 "The executive committee and MT. Un- | derwood and his committee are usurping the rights of Democrats' said the gen. eral land when they attempt to drive Democrats into line with the party lash 1t Is a betrayel of the trust imposed in them by the Dem ocratic masses of this
 State. This is not a party measure, but a question which all Democrats are at liberty to study as they please without regard to party ties"
 General Shelley said the executive com mittee had further abused the confidence imposed in it as the Democratic State convention had failed to designate any person or organization with authority to make the ratification a party measure or to inaugurate campaign in its favor.
 Chairman Underwood refused to discuss any of the propositions laid down in Gen eral Shelleys letter and his friends say he will not make a written or verbal reply until after his committee has met and considered the matter.
 Made a Party Question.
 Judge Charles Senn in speaking of General shelley's letter said:
 'If General Shelley will refresh his recollection by referring to the platform of the Democratic party adopted by the State convention of the party which m ct in Montgomery on March 19. of this year.
 he will see that the calling of the consti-
 tutionai convention was made party question. That platform among other things declares
 'First-The Democratic party of the I State of Alabama in convention as- sem bled endorses the act to provide fol
 the holding of a constitutional convention
 to revise and amend the constitution oi
 the State approved December Il, 19O0 aht favor the carrying out of all the pro. | visions of said act
 That convention nominated candidates | for delegates to the constitutional con- | vention who were voted for at the same | time the call was voted on. and 1t was we'll recognized that the question of call | ing. the constitutional convention was as | much party question as was the voting | for Democratic candidates The party
 stood pledged to the holding of a con | stitutional convention, and it Is the action | of this constitutional convention called | under Democratic auspices that we are now seeking to have ratified"