The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-05-24
Mt McEIderry of TaIIadega Makes Hot Reply to the
 Washington Star
SCORES OF THEM WOULD
 NOT HAVE AN OFFICE
He Says the Article Is Manifestiy un. true and Has Done Great injustice to Men Who Are Trying to
 uplift the Party.

Washington, May 23.-(Special)-Tn re- ply to an editorial criticlzing the Alabama Lily Whites by the Washington Star, H. L. McElderry of Talladega sends the following communication to that paper; To the Editor of the Evening Star:
 An editorial from recent issue of the Star is being copied in southern demo- cratic papers. to the very great hurt of the movement looking to building up republican party down here. The article is manifestly untrue and is founded upon false assumptions from start to finish In the first place the name Lilly White" is misnomer given us by democrats and intended to put us in a false position.
 Their Contentious.
 Our contentious are as follows:
 1. That section 1ss of article of the Alabama constitution should be given full force and effect, and to carry out this the republican committee, on May F, 1903, unanimously passed the follow ing resolution: That only those dele gates be recognized and be permitted to participate in the state, county, district and precinct meetings who are duly qual- flied voters under the constitution and 
 laws of Alabama
 ?. That representation in conventions should not be based upon a population basis but upon an actual republican vote cast and to carry out this the re- publican executive committee, an May 12, 1903, unanimously resolved That st the next state convention each county in this state shall be entitled to one dele odd dalA 200 votes or majority thereof returned for Mckinley and Roosevelt in 1900."
 B. As against these two propositions Of the so-called Lilly Whites the negroes insisted that section 1S3 of article of the Alabama constitution was null and void, and their leader, Alb Wimbs, said in sub stance that if all negroes twenty-one years of age were not allowed In our state county, district and precinct meet ings there would be bloodshed.
 4 The so-caHed Lilly Whites" have in sisted and will continue to insist that each convention is the sole and only judge of it's membership and that fraud yitiat- ed any mans right to sit as delegate in our conventions; therefore, that II 1t be proven that delegate-black or white was a known paid tool of the democrats we had right, and it was our duty, to unseat such delegate. You say: "Scratch one of these Lily White republicans and you will find a man who as democrat helped to overthrow the republican party In the south and then changed his coal on a hunt for office, or man who, as republican, profited for years by alliance with the negroes, and exerted himself to the uttermost to keep the ballot in their hands, and only whipped around against the negroes when they could no longer be used as rungs for his ladder"
 A Bold Misstatement.
 This statement is unequivocally untrue in fact unjust and acts as a direct and positive deterrent influence to keep good men in the south from joining our party. While you cannot prove a general propo- sition from particular instances, yet your statement Is so broad that if 1 cite partic- ular instances contrary to your statements prove same untrue.
 w. w. Wadsworth of wadsworth Ala, was formerly democrat, and is now a republican. He Is rich is now past 65 years of age; was a confederate soldier, has never been an offce-holder, says he wants no office and says he thinks the future growth and prosperity of the coun- try depends upon continuing in power the republican party.
 James Bowron of Birmingham, Ala, is an Englishman, is well-to-do, and as manager of the T. c. l. & R. R. Co.,, is said to have paid out and invested of for eign money in Alabama and Tennessee $100, ,000000. Mir. Bowron has but recently openly affiliated with the republican party and gives as his reason for so doing that the future growth and prosperity of this country can only be brought about by continuing in power the republican party. And thus I can go naming man after man in Alabama who to accept an office would be. a fool, because they are now making more money in day than any -r Alabama office would pay ina month. As to lifetime republicans, take our chair man, w. I. Wellman. He is banker and to all appearances very prosperous.
 He came here from Dakota, and. so far as I know, has no desire for office and never used negro except he paid him for his work. Along with Wellman you can place men like Mir. A. l.. Tyler of Anniston and Frank Lathrop of Birming- ham and hundreds of others, who are rich, cultured and high-toned gentlemen, and toward whom you doing so mani fest an injustice as to make your ignor- ance of the real facts painful.
 I am not aware of the character of southern republicans whom you seem to be so we'll acquainted with, so know not the ground for your opinions, but surely if you cannot do us any good you do not wish to do us wrong.
 H. L. MELDERRY, Talladega, Ala.
 
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