The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1902-07-07
WILSON TALKS OF
THE PRIMARY IN
ALABAMA.
Says Opposition of Majority of Com
mittee Has Been Evident Since
Intellectual Effort Was Made
To Get Public Declara-
tions from Them.

Montgomery, Ala. July 5.-(Special.)--
the person Of Governor Jelks came over
to primary about three weeks ago.
. there was general feeling of relief and
consensus of opinion that reasonable
harmony In the party had been thereby
Insured. Latterly there has grown up
an opinion that primary is not so
certain as was supposed. and for the
moment political gossip and interest
rather center around the question as to
what will be the result If a convention
or half hammered primary should be the
outcome of the committee meeting next
week.
Hugh Wilson. of The Opelika Indus
trial News, who edited The Age Herald
when II was the spokesman for former
Governor Johnston. who is now an APP
pointee of the ex-governor. and who has
kept In the lead of that faction of the
party all the while. was asked for his
opinion as to the prospect for a pri-
mary.
81 don't think" he said. ''the commit
tee Will order state primary. l have
never thought SO. About the time Treas
urer Smith declared so boldly for a DEM
most universal that one would be or
dered. Many now think otherwise. That
a majority of the members of the com
mttee are opposed 10 a primary has
been evident to my mind since the in
effectual effort was made to get public
declarations from them The strongest
and most determined men on the com
mittee have shown in the past that they
have no fears when ii comes to going
up against the people and they will in
my judgment. stand boldly out for an
old-fashioned convention and have their
way about it,"
The Effect of Refusal.
Asked as to what would be the effect
on the state administration if the COM
mittee refuses to accede to their wishes
for a primary Mr.. Wilson said:
1T will be pretty tough on the mem
bers of the administration II they are
turned down. You know 1t is claimed on
one side ana conceded on the other
that the committee is friendly to the
administration. which means In Alabama
that the committee acts in the interest
of the administration Hence if the COM
mittee orders a convention the admin
istration could not in a decade convince
the people that II was not blowing hot
for a primary, and quietly having the
committee TO Oruer n convention. All sol
us who keep up with politics know that
if the administration really makes a de-
mand on the committee for primary
one will be ordered
Asked what ne thought would follow
the ordering of a convention he said:
II think the people win promptly APP
peal from the machine to the democratic
party. which iB the great body of demo-
cratic voters who live In Ala bama.
think a state primary will be had just
the same and that 30 per cent OF the
democratic voters of the state will take
part in It. and that a fun ticket will
be nominated in that primary for every
office from governor down. United
States senator will also be selected in
that primary. The ticket thus nomi-
mated win be overwhelmingly elected. l
see no reason to suppose the people in
my section should be different from those
elsewhere. and seven-eighths of them
have deliberately made up their minds
that this is a good time and good
year 10 test the question as to whether
they or the machine control the situa-
ton The machine seems to have lost
sight of the fact that when the new
constitution was proclaimed the cracker
of the party whip was cut off.
Mr. Wilson'S view that a convention
will be ordered is not shared by many
politicians in this section. His opinion
as TO the disruption that would follow
such action and that a primary will he
called and held in any event is shared
~. n rppct every