The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-12-13

ing officer of the various companies and each officer above mentioned be neIeoy requested to report immediately if he Is
 
 after il o'clock by Chairman B. A. Thompson, and upon the roll call by Sec retary John P. Abbott the following com mitteemen responded to their names.
 M. c. Ragsdale w. I. Brown. P. s. Milner, R. S. Green, J. B. Elliott, H. c. Hurst J. R. Lawson, J. D. Payne, W. T. Poe, J. B. Aird, George w. Brown, J. S. Hanna, M. F. Wood, John Horan, John McCartin, W. J. McMurrain, John Far rington, c. L. Dobbs A. w. Mucknfuss and w. T. Terry.
 A committee on proxies consisting of M. F. Wood, W. T. Terry, John MeCartin, P. S. Milner and w. T. Poe was appoint. cd and proxies for the following members were allowed:
 D. w. Houston, J. A. Harrison, w. M. Jackson. T. A Moore, T. s. Smith and J. H. Cox.
 No Personal Motive.
 Chairman Thompson stated that the meeting had been called after a confer ence with a large number Of the commit teemen and representative democratic voters. T had no personal motive in calling thls meeting" he said, but thought it was to the best interests of the party in the county. We began the work of having this meeting called before the meeting of the state committee. There has been some adverse criticism to the calling of this meeting, the claim being s4 ;ef f,, n e. ton of the state executive committee.
 q want to disabuse the minds of all cn that score, for we had no such inten- ton l deemed it the almost unanimous wish on the part of the candidates and of citizens to have the meeting called and it is for that reason that you have been brought together"
 The resignation of s. M. Meigs as com mitteeman from beat No. was read and accepted. The resignation was made on the ground that he had removed from the county. L. M Strickland was elected to fill his place. There were several oth- CT candidates for the place, among them being Clint Mason and Tom Wright petition signed by a number ot voters Ill McConnelsville, Adger and Johns, asking for the election of Clint Mason. was read. J. B. Aird, from beat No. 20, then or fered the resolution given above, which was finally adopted, with slight modifca- tions.
 pr. Green Agai::-.. Resolution.
 pr. R. S. Green of beat No. Il spoke against the resolution and offered the following substitute:
 Second Saturday in September.
 Resolved, That the primary shall be held on the second Saturday in Septem- Der. for these reasons
 First-This plan gives to those holding office and who are seeking re-electloh as all are. with two or three exceptions, very great advantage over those candl- dates who are not holding office
 Second-A primary election or cohven- tion called now and to be held pefore the time recommended or suggested by the state executive committee would be an attempt to forestall the action or said committee. and to act in defiance Of the same. would be a fragrant breach or marty discipline, wholly uncalled for, and droduetiye only of discord and dissention inside the party organization.
 Third-A convention or primary cleo tion held before the completion of the registration would disfranchise thous- ands of voters.
 Fourth-The 14th of March, with a ma iority of the people of the county, espe- cially with the farmers. is the busiest season of the year. and the date proposed as a substitute for this Is the most leisure season and would entail much less incon- venience and loss upon the voters in at- tending a meeting than would the 14th of March.
 Fifth-And most important of all. the time between now and the 14th of March next is too short for a populous county like Jefferson and with so changeable or shifting a population as is here. to bs- come sufficiently acquainted with the records, characters and capabilities of the various candidates to make the wisest se- lections for the offices to be filled.
 Further, as a nomination here is equivo- lent to an election. the very wisest scope and the longest time should be allowed the people to make such nominations ana the longer the time the better.
 Early Primary Idea Popular
 J. B. Aird spoke at some length on the question in answer to the objections maue by Dr. Green. He said that the early pri- mary idea seemed to be most popular ana that he had heard no objection to IL either from candidates or voters.
 'T yield to no man In my ioyaity to the party" he said, land I would be as Will ling as anyone to submit to the mandates of higher authority. such as the state committee exercises and I would be the last democrat to antagonize that commit tee but the resolution before us for adontion has no such intention as is cred ited to it."
 w Muckinfuss was inclined to think that March was too early a date to hold the county primary
 pr. George Brown of Pratt city said March was probably too early and Sep