The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-05-06
Referees and Their Supporters Are JubHaRt Over Expect
 ed Success
"LILY WHITING" OF PARTY
 IS SEVERELY CONDEMNED
AIdrich WllI Call Meeting to Order Today and Oscar R. Hundley Will Make the Set Speech of the
 Day, Outlining Policy.

Montgomery, May 5.-(Special.)-The | republican referees and their supporters | are jubilant tonight that they have suc- ceeded in getting majority of the state executive committee to meet them in conference here today. This is taken to mean that the committee will tomorrow indorse whatever the referees may ad- wise the conference to recommend. And this further means that the committee will advise that at all future conferences of the republican party in Alabama all qualified voters of whatever color be
 permitted to sit on equal footing.
 It does, not appear tonight that the referees are to be disappointed in the conference. There are already couple
 of hundred prominent leaders here, inc eluding practically all of those who hold
 fat jobs.
 At the committee meeting today there
 were nineteen members present, though
 two of these were by proxy It Is stated
 tonight that telegrams have been received
 from two others, stating that they will
 arrive tomorrow. As fast as the visitors
 arrive they report at referee headquar- ters, and there seems to be absolutely no doubt but that Referees Aldrich. Scott, and Thompson will work things to their suitlng.
 AIdrich to Gall Meeting to Order. Mir Aldrich has been selected to call the conference to order tomorrow, and Oscar R. Hundley will be selected as
 temporary chairman. MT. Hundey will
 make the speech of the occasion, and 1t is understood that he will state by full authority the position of President Roose- welt relative to Alabama affairs The con- ference will then pass resolutions con
 demning the lilly whiting of the party * in Alabama, and ask the state commit tee to indorse it's action. This probably
 means a fight between the two factions of the committee at the meeting soon to s be held in Birmingham. The negro, 1t ap-
 pears, is to cut a considerable figure in
 the conference The colored mans suf-
 frage association was in session here to-
 day and was attended by some of the
 leading negroes in the state. They took
 up a collection to further their fight
 against the new constitution, and as a
 matter of course asked for some assist
 ance from white republicans. They in-
 dorse the action of the referees. express T. Ing commence III L0elT dDlllly to DeSL
 protect the interest of the negro. No de- mands were made to have other than F qualified electors admitted into the coun- N cils of the party.
 N The Committee Meeting.
 The special interest today was cen-
 tered in the meeting of the state execu- l. tive committed. which had been called Elf-- conference by Secretary N. l.. Steele. EI The committee did not meet until the E afternoon, and when 1t did assemble F there were nineteen members present, two of these being represented by E proxy. The session was held in the coun- E ell chamber, and the impression having gotten out that 1t was to be executive, there were few of the visitors present be- sides the committeeman.
 E Secretary Steele called the committee to K order, and on motion of J. J. Curtis of Cullman was unanimously selected for E temporary chairman. Mir. Steele acted as secretary. On roll call the following mem- + bers were found to be present: H. G. Ashley W. W. Simmons, J. A. Hubbard, s. A. Leonard, J. A. Cory (by proxy), H. F. Irwin, w. C. starke B. l., Perdue, w. w. MIliken, c. M. Cox, J. M Began, H. D. Burkstresser Cby proxy) P M. Long. J. J. Curtis, w. S. Standifer, John Ishell. A. G. Regley J. A. Steele, J. W. Hughes-19.
 The committee is composed of thirty four members, and a quorum being pres ent the chair asked the pleasure of the \ committee. William H. Armbretch of Mo- l bile. late candidate for attorney general | on the lilly white" ticket, offered the fol- lowing resolution, which was adopted:
 Be 1t resolved, That the secretary of the committee be and he is hereby in- structed to telegraph the chairman and | all absent members of the committee that a majority of the committee are in session l and request them to come to Montgomery to be present at adjourned meeting of the committee to be held tomorrow, May 6; be 1t further
 'Resolved That this committee adjourn until tomorrow May 6, at p. m. to wait until the conference has met and the committee has heard from them, and to give the absent members opportunity to be present.
 Immediately after Chairman Curtis had declared the meeting adjourned. Secre-
 tary Steele sent telegrams to all absen- tees requesting them to attend the meet ing tomorrow.
 Expect Four or Five Hundred.
 Scott, Thompson and Aldrich. Roose-
 velt's referees, said tonight that they ex-
 pected between four and five hundred
 to attend the conference tomorrow at
 noon They also stated that any regis
 tered republican voter, whether black or
 white, would be allowed to take part in
 the conference. It Is expected that be-
 tween fifty and seventy-hve negroes will
 be in the conference. The meeting of the
 executive committee to be held at 4
 o'clock. 1t is understood, will be held for
 the purpose of taking action to be recom-
 mended by the conference It is not like
 ly that the conference will be in ses-
 sion over three hours. The hotels are
 crowded tonight, with republicans and
 about two hundred are on the grounds.