The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-01-25
AGAINST NEW COUNTY
AN APPEAL TO THE ALABAMA LE0IsLATURE.
Review of Methods Used to Defeat Democratic Standard Bearer in Dale-Prominent Men Sign
 Statement of Facts.

gence. but we fear that great injus- tice may be done us; so we peg you. careful consideration to the matters and things in this paper set forth.
 Up to only two or three years ago was there any discussion of new county m this southeastern part of the State, ana 90 far as we know there was not up to that time any complaint by. any person living In the east end of this county of the distance he lives from the county seat. As matter of fact there IS no just cause for such complaint; for in the following counties: Autauga, Bald win. Blount. Butler. Calhoun. Chiffon, Clarke. Colbert, Conecuh. Covington, Ghoctaw. DeKalb. Escambia. Jackson, Jefferson. Lauderdale, Marengo. Mobile, Tuscaloosa St. Clair and Washington, there are people living as far or farther rom the county seats than any live Tn this county from the town of Geneva. The surface of tEis county is level or rolling: the soil is sandy, the roads are good and much easier travelled than in most Of the counties of the State and there are two railroads traversing the county length wise and two other short lines being built which will make nearly every point in the county have direct railroad communi- cation with the county seat.
 The talk of new co unty began in and around the town of Dothan which is in Henry County, near the northeast corner Of this county, and was confined to that town till the time of the late Constitu- tioral Convention. At that time the question came up in the county conven- ton of Henry County. which was called 10 nominate delegates to the Constitu- tional Convention, and the said county convention instructed Henry's delegates against any division of Henry County. In our county, the new county question was not discussed. and we accepted Hen ry Countys choice as our senatorial dele gate.
 The Constitutional Convention, as will he from ArtiolQ IT GppfinO 20 fixed the area of all new counties to be form ed as not less than 600 square miles, but the delegates from Henry County-though instructed against .'division"-had incor- porated in the section referred to a pro- ylso that out of the counties of Dale,
 Henry and Geneva new county could be formed so as to leave said counties of Dale Henry and Geneva with not less than 300 square miles each. This caused great deal of discussion and not little very harsh criticism, as Henry County had declared herself as opposed to divis- ion and both Geneva and Dale were, any part of their territory.
 At the last primary election in Henry and Geneva Counties the words For New County" and Against New County" were printed on the ballots and the mat ter voted on directly. In Henry County. out of 1924 votes polled there was a ma jority declared of only 205 for the new county. In Geneva County out of 7e3
 
 out of the piimary) there was majority of 2l against the new county. At this primary MT. F. F. Ells5erry was nomin- ated for the Legislature.
 Until about two weeks before the elec- tion we thought our candidate would be elected by good majority, as 1t was generally conceded that he would run ahead of the ticket but 1t then came to be known that the politicians of Dothan were endeavoring to defeat our nominee. We could not believe it, but after the election the work of that town was evil dent. As bearing on that matter, we give copy of an interview of the Hon. Walter U. Acree a member of the upper house of your body. This interview was published in The Montgomery Journal of November 18th, 19I.
 today with broad smile upon his face, and when approached by a reporter, he | said the cause of that smile was the re- suit of the election .n Dale. When asked about the formation of a new county, he | said the Democrats of Dale and Geneva | had always been able to take care of | themselves. But he was very indignant over an. effort of the Democrats to defeat the Democrats in Dale and also the party | In Geneva County so as to carry the new county movement.
 "When the Dothan people, however, | saw that the Democrats were going to l win In Dale. leaving out beats five and six, they encouraged those two beats to | vote the Democratic ticket, after having | nrst advised them to vote the Populite 1 ticket. said MT. Acree.
 They were more successful in Geneva In carrying their point. MT. Ellsberry the Democratic nominee for the Legis- lature, true blue Democrat, and who has never wavered in his support of the Dothan, knowing they could not control Mir Ellsberry, quietly advised the peo- pie of the east end to vote the Populite ticket and thereby elect a man who they into Aha nAnnnnro GUS and can not have any weight in the Legislature. Thus a good man has been defeated. and it has been done by the alleged Democrats of Dothan, who were Der of the Legislature in order to make certain of carrying their point. The Democrats of East Alabama are justly indignant over the defeat of MT. Els but for the interference of Dothan, who had selfish ends to subserve. They claim that they elected Mir. Barnes of Dale;
 why could they not, If this be true, have In commenting on thls interview The Hartford Times, published at Hartford, Geneva County, Alabama, said: We en- dorse every word of it. There can be no states: for from Dothan were sent out l posters which were placed on the trees, | fences and houses, reading as follows: | "A vote for the new county means lower taxes. more convenient county site, less expenses, least waste land, more rail- | roads, smaller taxation. These posters were written in large letters and stuck up all over Beats l, 2, 3 and 4 just a few days before the election. We do not think the Legislature of Alabama can do such in justice Gas to cut off Ge- neva Count merely to please the people of Dothan. especially when she has the charge against her of contributing to the defeat of the standard bearer of the party in this county"
 In commenting on MT. Acrees inter- view, The Geneva Reaper, published at the county site, among other things said: ''rhe Reaper can fully corroborate the above. It Is common talk that MT Els berry was defeated by the Democrats of Dothan. In plain words it was a vic- tory for DoIAan politicians over the Dem- ocratlc Party of Geneva County. They de- feated the party in order to accomplish their own private ends, and in view of this fact, 1t seems that Dothan could not or should not expect much at the hands of Democratic Legislature, hay ing placed herself in no position to ask favors of it."
 The charge that MT. Acree makes that Dothan used her influence to defeat our candidate and openly rejoiced when the has been made time and again and has never, so far as we have heard, been denied.
 Considering that there were grave charges of fraud in the Dothan Eox by which Henry County was carried for division by the exceeding small ma Jority of one vote to nineteen cast or 2O5 in the whole number of 3924, ana that our county by both parties-the PCLu- lists in their address to the voters of Geneva County. saying We realze that a majority of all parties are opposed to