The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-12-16
WARM POLITICS IN
PROHIBITION PARTY
Jno. G. WooIIey Charged With.
disappointing Funds
STEWART FACES ACCUSERS
Chairman of National Committee De-
nounces the Conduct of the Party's
Recent Candidate for the
Presidency.

Chicago. December 15-At a special
meeting of the prohibition partys ma
tional committee today. Chairman Oliver
w Stewart faced his aeeusers and re-
plied to their charges made during the
last presidential campaign. He denied
every charge against him and in return
bitterly attacked John Wooley, who led
the fight on Stewart. Forty of the sew
enty-seven members Of the national COM
mittee were present in person at the
meeting and at least dozen were rep
resented by proxy. The first clash be-
tween the factions came when an effort
was made to seat w. E. Johnson, who
held the proxy of John NJ. Parker of
Maryland Chairman Stewart and
friends made a determined attempt to
prevent the seating of Johnson, but were
defeated by vote of 20 to IS. 1t was
asserted that the proxy had been brought
to Chicago signed in blank and that John
sons name had been inserted written in
lead pencil. The chairman ruled that
proxy might properly be signed in
blank and then Mr.. Stewart attacked
Johnson on other grounds.
Not Fit to Sit In Gathering.
civilian e. johnson has publicly con-
fessed that he made a bitter assault
through the old party papers in the last
campaign on a regularly nominated can
didate of the prohibition party, and 1 in
sist that any man who will do that is not
fit to sit in a gathering of respectable
prohibitionists," shouted Chairman Stew
art. Johnson was seated despite these
protests.
A. A. Stevens of Pennsylvania, who led
the fight on the floor against Stewart, de-
cared that any prohibitionist had the
right to refuse TO support an unfit party
candidate
Il can better afford to be tried by a
packed jury than the great prohibition
party can afford to try men by packed
jury" said Chairman Stewart.
A. A. Stevens read the report of the
auditing committee. The principal recon-
mendations were that
1.-The chairman and the treasurer of the
committee be required to furnish a bond
sufficient to cover the amount of funds
handled; that all funds be deposited in
one bank to the credit of the treasurer
of the committee.
THAT all plans for raising funds for
campaign purposes be approved by the
committee before being adopted.
THAT the name of the person to whom
money is paid for individual candidates.
be given in the voucher
THAT all expenditures OF the chairman
be temized."
Action on the report was deferred until
Chairman Stewart has presented his an
nual report.
Results Were Disappointing.
The results of the last campaign he
| in, n icpn nj 10
as the vote In a number of states fell
below the total of four years ago. Chair
man Stewart accused Judge Woolley and
his associates of causing all the trouble.
when the campaign began it was nee
essary for me to outline a Plan of action
and raise the necessary funds for carry
ing on the work." said Mr.. Stewart. "Our
party organization was lame and ineffec-
| tive and realized that the first need was
to strengthen 1t by interesting a large
| number of individual workers. To accom-
| plish this decided to use our prohibition
| papers sincerely wished | might use the
New Voice fer this purpose, but in view
| of certain information which had come
to me could not do 1t. That was re-
sponsible for the trouble. / found j. G.
| Woolley when he organized the New
Voice capitalized II for $4,000 The actua
amount of the stock paid for was small
Woolley sold a lot of this stock and the
proceeds went into his pocket. The result
was that many thousands OF dollars was
paid in by loyal prohibitiopists all ovei
the country under the impression that the
money was to be used In building up the
party paper, when as matter of fact
1t was not. Later Mr.. Woolley came to me
and requested that I loan him a part Of
the trust fund in my possession. l re
fused the request. Then l learned thai
Mr. woolleys friendship and the infu
ence of his paper could only be measured
by the use he could make of me in my
own position.
Do Not Impugn His Honesty.
At the afternoon session f. G. Wolfen
barger of Kansas, Samuel Diclie, o.
Michigan; Fl. P. Faris of Missouri, anC
others opposed to Chairman Stewart