The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-02-02
ROOSEVELT MEN
ARE IN CONTROL
Black and Tans Have Majority
of Committee
MEET HERE FEBRUARY 10
Nineteen Members of Executive Com
mttee Request Chairman Welman
to Call the Meeting, and He
issues the Call.

Following close upon the call of Chair
man Wellman for a republican convention
to be held in Birmingham May 10, which
stirred up a hornets nest among Ala
bama members of the G. o. P, the Roose-
welt supporters have rounded up" a ma
jority of the state executive committee
and have requested that Mr.. Welman
call a meeting of the committee in Bir-
mngham February TO- Nineteen names
are signed to the request and last night
the following telegram was received from
Huntsville:
IN. l.. Steele, Birmingham, Ala
'Wellman authorizes me to say COM
mittee will be called on date named at
city hall. Make arrangements
wv. T. HUTCHENS. ="
This means that the black and tans
have drawn first blood and that they
will In all probability control the COM
mttee and as many of their leaders
say, the convention. Several matters of
Importance will be taken up by this com
mittee and 1t is said that the entire
question of Mr.. wellman issuing the call
meeting of the state committee and not
having the call signed by Secretary
Steele will be taken up and possibly re-
sclnded.
Petition for Call.
Following is a copy of the letter sent
to Mr.. Wellman:
Hon. W. I. Wellman, Chairman, Hunts
vile, Ala:
Strive respectfully ask that you call
meeting Of the state committee to be
held at Birmingham, Ala, at such hall
or place as you may designate, on the
10th day of February, 1904, to consider the
following:
Il. To provide for the recognition of
delegates to the state convention, elected
under the direction of the regular county
organizations at aatime different from the
date designated in your call for the state
convention for them to act.
''2. To conform to the universal custom
and practice of the national committee
by instructing the chairman and secretary
of the various county committees to send
the credentials of the delegates to the
state convention to the secretary of the
state committee.
'3. To fix date for the meeting of the
state committee at least two days prior
W the iIleelinB OIL lle state convention ana
to hear contests, if any there be.
"a. To transact such other business as
may properly come before said committee
at said meeting. Very respectfully,
IN. L. Steele, Secretary of Republican
State Executive Committee.
~. A. Carey, Demopolis.
John B. Isbell Fort Payne.
III. G. Ashley, Birmingham.
~. w. Hughes, Birmingham.
"A. G. Negley, Florence
"W. S. Standifer, Gadsden.
&c p Lunsford, Hamilton.
III. e. Burkstresser Dadevile
Henry F. Irwin, Montgomery.
James M. Ragan, Admission.
Up. M. Long, Cordova.
''W. c. Starke. Troy
John A. Steele, Huntsville.
''W. w. Simmons, Athens.
'B. s. Perdue, Greenville
"w. w. Mlliken, Dothan.
&c. M. Cox, Ozark.
John O. Hubbard, Mobile.
~. ]. Curtis, Cullman."
Lily Whites.
While the black and tans seem to have
gotten the better of the situation just
now, the Lily Whites still maintain that
they will carry the convention against
Roosevelt. With a majority of the COM
mittee against them, however. 1t is be-
lieved they will have assumed a difficult
task.
j. o. Thompson one of the President S
referees, DIR. ]. w. Hughes and Secretary
N. l.. Steele have been very active In Sc
curing a call of the executive committee
and last night they were jubilant. They
u
that Roosevelt will most certainly be en-
dorsed by the state convention. In other
words they say the Roosevelt men are
in control and to substantiate this state
ment they simply offer the names of the
men who compose a majority of the state
committee The committee is composed of
thirty-four men and as nineteen have
signed the request to Chairman Wellman
for q meeting of the committee their ar
gument appears to be good.
While neither side has discussed the
subject at length, with outsiders, it APP
pears that the lily whites under the lead
ership of Mr.. Welman called state
convention without providing for a prior
meeting of the state committee, and that
all credentials were to be turned over
to the chairman instead of the secretary.
The black and tans believe Chairman
Wellman adopted this procedure to get
control of the temporary organization
of the convention and then forced an en-
dorsement of the lily white policy and OF
Senator Hanna for President through the
permanent organization.
The interview of DR.. ]. w. Hughes, pub
lished a week ago in the Age-Herald,
opened the field of discussion and the
Roosevelt supporters Immediately went
to work to make the chairman take back
water. They have secured majority of
the committee and 1t is said they propose
to run things to suit themselves. With
this situation confronting the two sides
some lively times are expected on the
floor of the convention which will be held
in Birmingham in May
The call of chairman Wellman for a
state convention which served as a match
IN a homhshell ie as follows.