The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1903-02-11

| Roosevelt's referees, J. o. Thompson
! W f. Aldrieh and Charles Scott, In re-
gard to the republican organization. and
urging the republicans of the state to line
| up with the policies of the administration,
| lilly white" element About forty of the
leaders of the silly white" faction held
an informal conference at the Hillman
hotel yesterday afternoon, and at its con-
| clusion Chairman w. l. Wellman of the
state republican executive committee,
| gave out a statement in relation to the
| republican situation in Alabama, taking
of the referees.
| The ely whites" declare that they are
| the republican organization and that they
will stand up to the actions of the last
convention in eliminating the negroes
| from the councils of the party in Ala
bama. A number who were present re-
fused to discuss the matter. saying that
/ Che statement issued by Mr. Wellman
covered the ground fully.
The statement of the chairman Is lit
tie slap at the referees The presidents
| advisers in Alabama are anxious for the
different committees to get together and
adopt resolutions that will put the Ala
bama organization into line with the ad-
ministration. The leaders of the oily
whites come back at them and say they
have no right to make such request
and that it will not be granted.
Mr.. Wellman says:
Wellman's Statement.
! W. l. Wellman, chairman of the repub-
lican state executive committee. of Ala
bama, said:
while in the city today met our ma
tional committeeman ]. W. Dimmick,
and quite a number of other republicans.
In discussing the situation l find 1t Is
the consensus of opinion that tire repub-
lican party In Alabama is harmonious
and united, as it was in September, when
our state convention assembled and nom
mated state ticket. The whole truth
concerning the action of our late con-
vention is not generally understood out
side the state
THE adoption of the present state con-
sttution disfranchised fully three-fourths
of the republicans of Alabama, and the
party was thereby thrown into an almost
chaotic condition. In most OF the black
belt counties the party was left without
organization by the disfranchsement of
majority of the members of the state
committee who were qualified voters, A
meeting of the state committee wascalled
, and leading republicans from all parts
of the state were invited to attend and
confer with the committee as to what
course should be taken in view of the
new organic law and its effect on our
party organization.
Delegates Responded.
"At this meeting all legal and qualified
voters under the constitution of Alabama
were invited to participate in the beat
and county meetings in the selection OF
delegates to the state convention, ana
nearly three hundred and fifty delegates
and the same number of alternates re-
sronded to the call The state committee
met on September 10 for the purpose of
electns temporary officers and making
up the temporary roll of delegates. 1t
appointed a subcommittee of seven TO
hear all testimony in contested cases, ex-
amined credentials, with instructions to
report back to the full committee the re-
suit of their findings The subcommittee
sat for two days and heard patiently all
of the evidence from the counties under
contest and submitted their report to the
full committee on the 18th instant.
Every Question Argued.
every question involved was fully ar
gued In the full committee and the sub
committees report was adopted as a
whole with a single exception, that both
delegations from Mobile county were
stricken from the temporary roll.
1.-The convention assembled on the 10th
and YVES temporarily organized on the
bs sis of the state committees decision
No objection was filed with the conven-
ton and no minority report was pre-
sented The usual credentials committee
of nine. enc member from each Of the
congressional districts. selected by the
counties composing the several districts
were elected and all of the data submit
ted to The state committee was filed with
the committee on credentials and both
contestants and eOntestees submitted and
argued their respective cases, ana 1t re-
suited in the acceptance or the entire
work Of the state committee. The tenn
porary roll was made the permanent roll
Of the convention without protest by any
member, end the delegates proceeded with
the work for which they were assembled
1T is the privilege and right of every
political convention to Judge and pass
upon the election and qualification of its
members.
lone of the qualifications for delega Re
Is that he be sent by the voters Of his
party in the county from which he halls,
and that is the qualification passed upon
by the committee on credentials and
found to be wanting In certain claimants,
some whites and some negroes.
Absurd Impression.
There was no resolution or other ac-
ton taken by the convention which Is not
in perfect accord with the principles of
the republican party of the nation. How
ever the impression has been made In
some portions of the country that the re-
publicans of Alabama had in their con-
vention adopted resolutions denying the
right of negroes to vote In the general
election. This is absurd No such reso-
luton was adopted or even proposed In
| fact no resolution or other proceeding of
the convention alluded In the slightest
| degree even to the existence of two races
| in Alabama.
'The truth is the sentiment actuating
| the convention as a whole was to build a
| strong, brainy party, party to be reck-
oned with by democrats and looking to