The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-09-16
REPUBLICANS GONE
EXODUS TO STATE CONVENTION
 AT BIRMINGHAM.
Will Be Largest Republican conven- ton Held in Alabama in Many Years-Twelve Contests
 Before Convention.

There was an exodus of Republicans from Montgomery to Birmingham ye-- terday and the overnment building was practically deserted, The Republican State Convention assemblies in the Magic City today, and it is the Mecca for Re- publicans from all sections of the State.
 Unusual interest attaches to this State assemblage of Republicans. The conven- ton practically decides the future life and course of the party in Alabama It is the first convention since the new Con- stitution which disfranchised so many thousand negro Republican voters in the State, and the party will take its final position as to these disfranchised voters.
 In view of the purihcation of the party by the elimination of the negroes, lead ing Republicans have stated that hum dreds of good citizens of Alabama, busi- ness men of standing, were ready to come into the party. A movement has been started to make the way clear for all recruits and to give them an imme- diste good stand ng in party councils. It has been charged that the old-time leaders, the men who have held office by their control of the negro voters were opposed to the wholesome recruiting which endangered their control and their off, fice-holding. This opposition, it is said. has not been outspoken. but hidden and secret. The word was sent several weeks ago that Presi sident Roosevelt heartily fa- vored the course of making the entrance into the party and into the party coun- ciis easy for all men of standing. It was his expressed wish to put the party upon so high plane that it would Invite the confidence of all good citizens.
 Of the many reasons given for the re- moval of William Vaughan, United States Dist let Attorney for the Northern Dis- trict of Alabama, the most plausible is that with other old leaders of the old regime he secretly favored the retention of the old lines of the party as opposed to the movement for wholesale recruiting. The Republicans look upn the action of the President taken as it was on the eve of the State Convention. as mani- fes ation of his wishes as to the future course of the party in this State. In oth- CT words. 1t showed that it was the wish of the Presid mt to reorganize the Repub- lican party in Alabama.
 For this reason, 1t is expected that the reorganizers will win out in today's con- vention.
 The removal of Vaughan greatly in- creased the attendance of Republicans at the Birmingham Convention. Practically all Alabama Republicans are gathering there for conference. Nearly every Re- publican office-holder in Montgomery Is in attendance upon the convention.
 The convention will before proceeding to business settle the contests that come up from twelve counties. The most im- portsnt of these contests is from Mobile County, where the delegation selected by meeting controlled by P. D. Barker. the old-time leader of the Republicans in Mobile is contested by delegation ss- lected by a convention held by the Re- publican Club of Mobile. The club dele gation is opposed to the negro
 One of the contests is from Montgom- cry. One of the delegations was selected by the old leaders at mass meeting held at the Court House. August 30. which was called to order by Rev. A. J. Stokes The delegation selected at that mass meeting was compote1 of W. s. Reess. Robert Barber, l.. J. Bryan, Henry Irwin, I. Pollak, s. H. Washington and N. H. Alexander. A second mass meeting was held several nights later at the Glen more Hotel at which the names of Wash- ington and Alexander. who are negroes. were stricken from the delsgatlcn and the names of A P. Wilson and J, F. Burton. two white Republicans, were substituted. The Montgomery County contest will be fought out entirely upon tha color line