The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1902-07-11

were prefaced with the astonishing dec
laration that he had not talked with
twenty men in his own county concerning
the matter of primary or a convention.
He did not believe, he said. that any
member of the committee had talked with
as many as 2,000 Democrats, and, conse-
quently, he declared, the committeeman
had no means of knowing the sentiment
of the Democrats of Alabama.
And the press of Alabama! continued
Mr.. Stevens drawing himself up to his
fullest height. THE press Is a powerful
factor! 1t has been calling for a primary!
But you, gentlemen of the committee,
must view the press as you exercise your
judgment in your daily business life!
There sits in the editorial chair a man
who is perhaps a sclolar, a student,
statesman Down in another office of that
newspaper there sits another mana
business mani You have walked with
your eyes shut, gentlemen, If you have
not discovered the fact that when you
deal with the business office of a news
paper your dealing is superbly and mag
nificently reflected in the editorial rooms
and in the editorial columns of that news
paper!
I'VE have no right to receive the state
ments of these newspapers" he scared
on, "as evidence of what the people want;
we have no right to receive as evidence
that which the humblest justice of the
peace in Alabama would discard as legal
evidence. We have no right to take this
sort of evidence as being the sentiment
of the people of Alabama"
Mr.. Stevens said the bedrock principle
of the party was the rule of the ma jority,
and the rule of the majority could not be
expressed except by convention.
In conclusion, Mr.. Stevens said he did
not care who was nominated for Gov
ernor, when that issue went up against
an issue of this kind. If the party was
| true to its principles, and went down in
| defeat, it would arise better party. 1t
could gain nothing, he declared, by har-
| boring men who sacrificed principle.
Some Congratulations.
The remarks of Mr.. Stevens were the
first of any length to be delivered in IA
vor of the convention system, and when
he resumed his seat he received some
congratulations.
Mr.. Hall of Blount made a brief argu-
ment in reply to Mr.. Stevens, in which
he contended that the convention which
created the committe was dead and gone,
and that the welfare of the party had
been left to the committee under the
Tompkins resolution.
THE welfare of the party is in the
hands of this committee declared Mr..
Hall, land If the committee concludes
that conditions demand a primary, I say
call it,
At $50 o'clock, on motion of Mr. O'Neal
| of Lauderdale County, the committee
took a recess until o'clock.
When the committe reconvened Chair
| man Lowe submitted communications
from the two contesting County Demo-
| cratic Committees of Elmore County and
| for twenty minutes this extraneous mat
| ter was considered by the State Com
mittee.
The communications from Elmore Coun-
/ ty were read by Secretary Pugh. They
I were in the nature of a compromise be-
tween the contending committees. Each
of the committees requested that a Coun-
ty Committee which had been agreed up
on by the contending committees be con-
| firmed by the State Executive Committee.
| The Compromise Committee agreed upon
| consists of r. L. Slough, F. A. Boswell,
| s. G. Jackson, John E. Jones. ]. S. Bent
ley, A. G. Estes, S. D. Patterson. j. r.
| Edwards. Dewitt Lyle, Jr., and w II.
| Macon.
| This committee is to elect a chairman
who shall not be of the committee.
Elmore Matter.
On motion of Mr. John v Smith a res
L
mlttee confirming the Compromise Coun-
ty Committee of Eimore County.
This disposed of the Gilmore County
matter and the committee resumed the
discussion of the pending resolution and
substitute. Committeeman E. A. O'Neal
of Florence leading off in an earnest
and lawyer-Iike argument in support of a
Democratic primary.
Mr. O'Neal is an able North Alabama
lawyer. He was prominent delegate to
the last Constitutional Convention and
he argued the proposition from the view
point of the new Constitution. He said
it was useless to deny the fact that the
dissatisfaction in the party was due to
the system that stripped the white coun-
ties of North Alabama from representa-
ton and Disseminated in favor of tho
black belt counties. He favored a pri-
mary because he believed it was the only
way by which the viii of the Democrats
of Alabama could be heard.
Taking up the question of authority of
the committee Mr. O'Neal said the COM
mlttee was not a creature of a conven-
| tion it was the agent of the great body
of Democrats of Alabama. 1t was the
inherent right of the committee to give
the people the power to express their will
1t could not be denied, he declared that
1t was the sentiment of an overwhelming
majority of the Democrats OF Alabama
| that a primary be ordered. He repudi-
| ated the insinuation that in ordering a
primary the committee would be guilty of
usurpation. In his opinion the commit
tee in this action would merely be ex-
pressing the will Of the Democrats of
Alabama, whom the committee was here
to represent.
With great vehemence Mr.. ONeal de-
clared that he was tired of walking in the
shadow OF predestined defeat. The people
of Alabama, he said, were tired Of ma
nipulation, of political chicanery and of
ballot box stufing. The Democrats of AL
ALBANIA. he said, wanted free and I'M
| trammeled ballot and II was the duty of
| the committee to give II 10 them.
Hats Into the Air.
| This sentiment was received with the
greatest manifestation of approval. Men
threw up their hats and applauded,