The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-10-11
STATE COMMITTEE MEETS HERE TODAY Men Representing Party Have
 a Difficult Problem THE JUDICIAL CIRCUITS How to Determine Who Are Nominees for JudeeshIps Since Lusk Act Was
 Knocked Out Is Absorb
 Ing Question.
THE JUDICIAL CIRCUITS

Ing Question.
 The democratic executive committee or Alabama will convene In sesion or
 extraordinary importance In the city council chamber at 10:30 o'clock this morn- ing.
 This meeting is made necessary by the
 decision of the supreme court declarlns the Lusk act, reorganlzing the judicial circuits of the state to be unconstitution- al. The democratic party is interested because of the fact that the Lusk bill sought to create new Judicial circuits and when these new circuits were knocked out much confusion was left as to the demo- cratic nominees in some of the circuits. The committee has been called by Chair man Mallory to meet this contingency, and judging from the widely different opinions being expressed last night, the committee is to have a rare tussle be- fore it adjourns.
 Very Confusing.
 Representative democrats say the situa- tion is one of the most confusing that the committee has ever had to deal with, and since there is such short time left before the general election. a strong eff fort Is to be made to have the state com- mittee make direct decisions as to who are the nominees for judges and solici- tors in the various circuits.
 The democrats who came to the city last night were largely from the northern counties of the state, and it seems that each of the counties Is relying somewhat upon the 1og-rolling' talents of prominent leaders It was at one time expected that some members of the committee would get together last night and make some kind of attempt to map out plan of ac- tion for the meeting today, but Chairman Mallory failed to appear upon the scene in time, and consequently there was no caucus No member of the committee seemed willing to discuss the probable outcome of the meeting, and without leader no effort for general caucus was attempted.
 Numerous Opinions.
 Opinions as to what the state commit tee should undertake in the premises were almost as numerous as were mem bers of the commmittee Some wanted to petition the governor for an extra session of the leg.Jlature. Some wanted the com- mittee outright to name the nominees ia the confused circuit. Others expressed a desire to have the matter of nominations referred back to the circuit committees for settlement There were still others who wanted the several candidates to agree upon some candidate to make the race in the general election, with the un- derstanding that at a later date a pri- mary be held in which all the candidates run, and the one receiving the plurality vote should win the office, the regularly elected candidate to resign in favor Of the governors appointment of the demo- cratic primary nominee. Of course, this was only to refer to the eighth and ninth circuits.
 In the Eighth circuit D. w. Speake or Morgan county for judge and D. c. AL man of Lawrence county for solicitor, are claiming the nominations, though It is understood that Paul Speake of Madi- son county and Erie Pettus of Lime stone county, will contest these nomin- atlons. The two latter were appointed and again nominated to their official position in the Sixteenth circuit, created under | the Lusk till.
 This fight is especially interesting, | since Judge Paul Speake and Solicitor | Pettus figured so prominently In the re- cent lynching troubles in Madison coun- l ty.
 Ninth Circuit.
 In the Ninth circuit there Is even a | greater confusion than In the Eighth. The 1 Lusk bill practically divided this circuit in two, creating the Seventeenth circuit out of the counties of DeKalk, Cherokee. Marshall and Jackson, and leaving Etowah and Blount from the old circuit still in 1t. Judge J. A. Bilbro and John A. Inger were nominated for judge and solicitor in this circuit, while Wallace w.. Haralson and B. c. Hunt were named for judge and solicitor of the new circuit. now again made part of the Eighth But to add interest Judge J. B. Tolley Of Jack son and Edgar O. McCord of Marshall who were unsuccessful candidates for the nom- nations for judge and solicitor Of the Seventeenth circuit, are pressing their claims for the present nominations in the Ninth circuit How will the committee de- eide this? is a question seriously con- fronting the democrats. There is a re- publican ticket in the field in the Ninth. Walker and Winston counties are also | threatening trouble to the committee. | There are some of the leaders from these counties who are claiming that the spe- | cial act creating the fourteenth circuit will not hold in the test before the su- preme court and consequently they want | to give these counties voice in saying who is the nominee for judge of the tenth | circuit, now embracing only Jefferson county.
 The committee may also be called upon to decide as to the nominee for judge | in the tenth circuit between Judge A. A. Coleman and s. D. Weaver. Members Here Last Night. There was a quorum of the committee in the city last night, and several more members are expected on the morning trains today. Among the members al- ready here are Chairman Mallory, R. A. Mitchell Of Etowah, Joseph Nathan oi Colbert, John c. Eyster of Morgan, John F. Proctor of Jackson, s. c. Meigs of Marshall, Rufus A. ORear of Walker, John A. Parker of Cullman, J. J. Har- Ian of Tallapoosa, c. c. Whitson of Tal- ladega. c. B. Smith of Hale, J. T. Her. ring of St, Clair, R. H. Arlington of Cof- fee, w. A. Carter of Clarke, George F' Sedberry of Fillmore, Triton Mullins Of Chiffon and Hugh D. Merrill of Calhoun.
 There were many prominent democrats in the city, including State Auditor Sow ell, Judge J. B. Talley of Morgan, Judge J. J. Ray of Walker, Chancellor R. B. Kelly of Calhoun, Judge ]. A Bilbro of