The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1902-07-09
SIX Committeeman HOLD
THE BALANCE OF POWER
INDICATIONS ARE THAT sTRAleH.
OUT PRIMARY WILL BE Or
DERED BY THE COMMITTEE.
MANY OPPOSE CONVENTION.

Current gossip indicates that the state
Democratic executive committee. which
will assemble in Montgomery tomorrow,
will order a general consolidated party
primary election for the purpose of nom
mating candidates FOR the various state
and county officers to be voted for IN
the November election, and also fer Uni
ted States Senator IN succession to Cen
erai Pettus.
Either such a primary, practically on
the South Carolina plan. will be ordered,
or a straight convention on the old plan
will be called At leost, the best informp-
ton obtainable' is to that effect, and a
primary and resultant convention, On the
Georgia plan, seem scarcely possible.
The issue IN the committee will be the
consolidated primary against the .old-or-
der convention, with chances apparently
in favor OF the primary. There arc half
dozen committeeman who havn't en-
gagged IN public discussion or made public
declaration of their views. They held the
balance of power and will shape the COM
mittce's final decision. 1t being fairly well
known how the other twenty-nine MEM
bers stand, it is clear that the decisive
utterance remains to those six who have
heretofore kept their own counsel.
1t is believed that those holding the
balance will take the side of the eonsol-
dated primary. Hence there Is at the
moment no prospect Of a primary with
a convention and apparently little chance
for a convention on the old lines followed
by tho Alabama Democracy since the his
torIc and triumphant nomination of
Houston Just twenty-eight years ago.
Direct Nominations.
The primary as contemplated would
nominate directly all state and county
officers. all state. county and beat COM
mitteemen of the Democratic party, and
the United States senator and nine MEM
bers of the United States House of Rep
resentatlves. Committeeman for the state
at large would be voted for in every
county. just as would be the case with
state officers and senator; the district
state committeeman would be voted for
In their respective districts only, the
same as congressman, and so on down
through the counties to the beats.
The members of the state committee
and the leaders of the Democratic party
generally are very keenly alive to the
gravity of the situation, and they are as
one in wishing a satisfactory solution of
the difficulties with which the commit
tee will undertake to deal toward. AL
k11t,
than mere hints of boiling on the part of
some of those now inside the Democratic
party upon whom the obligations of par
ty rest but lightly; and 1t remains for
the state committee to formulate a plan
that will deny any Democrat the SEM
blance of an excuse for overt disloyalty.
Opposed to Conventions.
1t is known to everybody and by ev-
erybody admitted that great number of
men who have never been unfaithful to
the Democratic party are now In hot re-
bellion against the proposition to hold
a state convention. They are tired of
conventions and demand a complete re-
versal of that system OF nominating Of
ficers.
All the facts are before the state COM
mittce. and 1t is for that committee to
determine tomorrow the course that is
beet suited to party harmony. consolida-
ton and victory. Tho chances seem to
be that the committee will order con-
solidated party primary election to take
place at a date to be fixed. probably
towards the end of August or early in
September.
Personnel of Committee.
The state committee is composed as
follows:
stats-at-Large-Rob j. Lowe OF JEFF
ferson. chairman; Emmett O'Noal, Lau-
derdale, Florence; John v. Smith, Rus
sell, Opelilsa; Tenant Lomax Montgom-
cry, Montgomery; A. NJ Tunstall. Hale,
Greensboro; r. M. Stevens, Mobile Mo-
bile; Steven Smith. Sumter, Livingston;
j. Tom Hefin, Chambers, Lafayette; Tip
Mullins. Chiffon. Clanton.
First District-W. d. Dunn, Clarke,
Grove HILL z. r. Morrisette. Monroe;
Perdue Hill: Howard Douglas, Washing
ton, Mcintosh Bluff,
Second District-B. NJ Miller, Wilcox,
Camden; BiDb Graves, Montgomery,
Montgomery; w. NJ. SANFORD, Pike.
Troy.
Third District--J. T. German, Lee Ope-
lika; i. 8. Frasier, Bullock, Union
Springs: r. H. Arlington, Coffee, Elba.
Fourth District-E. s. D. Mallory, Dali
les, Selma: Fl. D. Merrill. Cleburne, Ed
war dsville: Carson c. Whitson, ITALIA
eega, Tsiladega.
Fifth District-F. L. Mckenzie, Elmore,
Tallassee: W. T. Brightman, Lowndes.
Hayneville; D. NJ. White, Coosa, Good
water.
Sixth District-A. F. Smith, Greene,
Eutaw: w 3. PEBBLES, Pickens. Vienna;
r. l.. Scale. Sumter. Livingston.
Seventh Distfict-R. A. Mitchell. Etc.
wah, Alabama City; w. w. Harraison,
Dellalb. Fort Payne; t. M. Jones, ST.
Clair, Cropwell.
Eighth District-w. A. Given. Madison,
Gurley; w T. Sanders, Limestone
Athens; ]. C. Kunpc. Lawrence, Moul-
ton.
Ninth Distrjct-E. c. Hall, Blount, One
onta; c. B. Smith. Hale, Laneville; Z.
d. Shivers, Perry, Marion.
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