The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-09-25
COMMITTEE MEETS
 TOMORROW NIGHT Chairman of City Democratic
 Committee Orders Call TEN SIGNATURES OBTAINED Committee VIII Decide on Primary Plans-Prominent Citizens Oppose Placing Candidates for subordl-
 nate City Officials on Ballot.
TEN SIGNATURES OBTAINED

The city democratic executive commit tee has been called to meet Monday night at 8 o'clock in the council chamber at the city hall The purpose of the meeting is to arrange for the coming municipal primary.
 About ten days ago the committee at the request of five members was called to meet by the chairman. Judge H. B. Abernathy. Just after the roll call at the meeting a motion to adjourn subject to the call of ten members was made and adopted unanimously
 For several days past Q petition has been in circulation among the members of the committee asking for the second meeting. Yesterday the tenth signature was fixed to the petition, and then it was presented to Chairman Abernathy.
 At o'clock last night Secretary A. P. Rich sent out the following call for the meeting:
 Birmingham, Ala. September "A, 1904.
 Dear Sir: You are requested by order of the chairman of the city democratic executive committee to be present at meeting of the committee to be held at the city hall Monday, September 26. 1904, at D. m. Please attend. Yours truly.
 "A. P. RICH, Chairman"
 It is understood that the following mem- bers of the committee signed the call for the meeting: W. H. Cutcliff, D. A. Helmich. Charles J. Herbert Ed Martin, A. G. Chambers, G. B. Burkhalter. B. B. Martin, John F. Antwine, Walter Ben- nett and Max Karples.
 Heads of Departments.
 The question of .lacing city officers elective by the city council on the pri- mary is meeting wit. decided opposition on the part of prominent citizens. Fol lowing are a few representative inter- vie..s:
 Capt. B. r. Roden: 'I am opposed to the plan to have the names of candi- dates for city offices such as city clerk, treasurer, tax collector engineer, etc., placed upon the ticket. The voters should elect the members of the city council and this body should in turn elect city officials. They will then be responsible to the city council in every particular and the board if for any reason deems 1t necessary can remove city official" E. K. Campbell: q do not think that the plan to have the names of candidates for city offices placed on the ticket is a good one The law provides that the people shall elect the mayor and the members of the board of aldermen and this body must in turn elect city officials annually. l see no good reason for chang ing this"
 A. L. Fulenwider: .T hope the city will drop the idea of putting candidates for heads of city departments on the primary ticket. The charter provides that these offices shall be filled by the city council and there should be no effort on the part of the city committee to trench on the province of the council Birmingham has an excellent set of of ficers p far as I know, but If the voters desire to have any of them or all of them changed they can do so by electing al- dermen who will cary out their wishes in the matter. The city officials under the jurisdiction of the council receive only moderate salaries and l do not see why they should be put to the expense of going into a l----.ary, when after all the mayor and a.-ermen are are only electors"
 Robert Jemison: "As the council elects the heads of the city departments can didates to fill these positions should not be forced into the primary. The mum !cipal government is supposed to be run on business principles. The voters elect the mayor and aldermen and mayor and aldermen are responsible to the people for the condu,t of the city departments. It is the way with stock companies. The stockholders elect the president and directors and the directors elect all of the subordinate officers. It is hoped that the city democratic committee will not insist on changing our present municipal system"
 Attorney J. M. Gillespy: '1t seems to me that the proposed plan of placing the names of the subordinate officers on the municipal primary ticket would be a perversion of the law, and do not think 1t should be done. The people elect the mayor and aldermen and hold them re- sponsible Ger the acts of the appointive ollcerS, tuerelOre the people SnOuld not force subordinates upon the aldermen whom they do not want I hardly think any board that may be elected would tolerate such procedure as the one pro- posed. Let us elect representative men as mayor ard aldermen and hold them strictly responsible for the conduct of such employees as they may choose"
 Plurality or Majority.
 A question which the city democratic committee will have to settle is whether the plurality rule or the majority rule shall be applied to the candidates in determining the nominations Those who advocate the majority rule say that such rule gets the fairest expression of the voters. while the advocates of the plur- ality plan point out the fact that where so many candidates are in the field for the same office. no one will get ma Jority of all the votes cast. In that case second primary would have to be held.
 Those who are opposed to the majority plan point out the expense and the worry of second primary. They say the pub lie is tired out with one primary and do not favor the idea of two primaries. The state and county of Jefferson have set tied upon the plurality plan.
 Attorney General Massey Wilson who was nominated in a r,rirnarx bafo.1 A. =