The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1902-08-15

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The democratic state executive COM
mittee, at its meeting yesterday, unan-
imously adopted resolutions looking to
The enforcement of its plan for demo-
cratic primary for state officers, partlci-
pated in only by democrats.
The committee met in the council
chamber at the city hall. with twenty
members present. these being:
Robert J. Lowe, chairman. Jefferson.
State at Large-John V. Smith, Rus
sell; T. NJ. Stevens, Mobile; Steven
Smith, Sumter.
Second District-B. NJ. Miller, Wilcox;
Bibb Graves. Montgomery; William H.
Sanford. Pike
Third District-J. T. German. Lee
Fourth District-H. S. D. Mallory, Dali
las; H. D. Merrill, Cleburne; Carson C..
Whitson, Talladega
Fifth District-F. L. Mckenzie, FL
more; w. T. Brightman, Lowndes; d. M.
White, Coosa.
Sixth District--A. P. Smith. Greene
Seventh District-R. A. Mitchell, Etc.
wah; w. w. HARRISON, DeKalb; T. M.
Jones, st. Clair.
Eighth District-J. c. Kumpe, Law
renee.
Ninth District-C. B. Smith, Hale.
John C. Pugh, secretary, Birmingham.
In calling the meeting to order, Chair
man Lowe said: ut is a source Of graft
fication to the chairman, and should be
to the organized democracy throughout
the state, that in responce to the call
issued suddenly and at an unusual sea-
son, so many members of the democratic
executive committee have, at personal
sacrifice to themselves, responded to the
call.
ION the eleventh day of July you met
in Montgomery, and there, In response
to what appeared to be, and which I am
now convinced in fact, the demand of the
democrats of Alabama, breaking all pre-
cedents, you ordered a state democratic
primary for the nomination of candidates
for state offices in Alabama. The plan
that you there adopted was so fair, sc
plain and SO simple that no man yet has
arisen to criticize the fairness or the
justice Of 1t.
i'But I should say In explanation to
this call, that in certain and different
localities in Alabama, the county COM
mittees have prescribed qualifications for
voters in the state primary different from
those prescribed by the state executive
committee.
The Committees Power.
"Now, the power to prescribe uniform
qualifications for voters was expressly
conferred upon this committee many
years ago. and has been uniformly exer-
cised by this committee ever since and
has never been seriously questioned until
recently. The necessity of uniformity of
qualifications of voters will appear to any
man of intelligence when he stops for a
moment to inquire. This primary cleo
ton was called for the nomination of
state officers, for whose election all the
democrats in Alabama were expected
to vote. A mere statement of the propo-
sition carries with it conviction and is
palmer than argument can make it. This
committee called a democratic primary
to be participated in by democrats only,
to vote for democrats to be elected in
November. You directed the chairman OF
your committee to see that the provisions
and the resolutions were carried into
effect. When it became apparent to your
chairman that certain county committees
In Alabama were attempting to prescribe
rules and regulations contrary to those
you had laid down, the chairman real
lied that he was entrusted with a duty
without authority to carry it into effect
and he, therefore, resolved to get con-
certed action and call you together and
explain the situation to you.
''Now, gentlemen of the committee. In
a state election it would De at once APP
parent that it would be an absurdity for
the people of Alabama to allow the quail
.fications of voters in one precinct to diff
fer from the qualifications of voters in
another precinct. The state committee
delegated nothing of its authority to the
county committee, but did entrust the
various county committees. for conven-
fence, with the duty OF appointing man.
ayers within the county confines The
COMMITTEES laid down no rules to govern
the election of officers to the legisla-
ture aud county offices. but only state
offices.
your presence here today is in some
measure a vindcation of my action in
calling you together to consider these
matters"
A resolution of sympathy for Tennent
Lomax in serious illness was offered by