The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-02-17
.B|G SENSATION IN REPUBLICAN RANKS Twelve Members State Com
 mittee Must Resign ALL TWELVE POSTMASTERS President Directs Postmaster General to Issue order-Thompson People
 and Tebbetts' Friends
 at Loggerheads.
ALL TWELVE POSTMASTERS

the Alabama republican state committee, who are postmasters. will soon retire from active participation in the republican or ganization.
 They will retire because they. have, it is underst pod, been required to do so by J. O. Thompson. chairman of the stete committee.
 Mir. Thompson has taken this step in response to orders sent out by the Post master General. The action of the Post master General was prompted by the President.
 These are the twelve postmaster whose resignatlons as members of the eomflhf- tee are daily expected:
 AM Holland, Scottsboro.
 J. M. Ragan, Anniston.
 N. c. Fuller, Ctnreville.
 Byron Trammell Dothan.
 J. M Bingham, Talladega.
 J. c. Manning, Alexander City.
 J. D. Fowler Bankston.
 H. F. Irwin, assistant postmaster at Montgomery.
 P. D. Barker, Mobile.
 B. s. Perdue, Greenville.
 W. c. Starke, Troy.
 J. E. Tlllman, Geneva.
 Five Already Resigned.
 Five of these twelve state committee men have already resigned designations from the other seven are, it is said, to be sent in soon. It is understood that their successors will be business men and not politicians
 This development in the republican sit nation in this state stirred up republican circles yesterday. It was freely admitted that the move indicated once more that the Preidents new southern policy, as outlined in yesterdays Age-Terald would be put into operation in this state, and that with few exceptions, all Federal office holders would be required either to give up their positions or keep aloof from active participation in politics.
 The incident was by some interpreted to be a slap at J. o. Thompson, the state chairman. Certain opponents of MT. Thompson including especially the sup porters of Major J. ". Tebbetts the col- lector at Mobile, said that the President was going ito smash" what they aclled the "offce-holders' trust in Alabama. They said also that MT. Thompson's would be the next official head as state chairman to fall into the basket.
 MT. Thompson's friends seemed highly amused when they were told of what the Tebbetts people were predicting. They said they had reason to believe that MT. Thompson's work and policy, in spite of some of its features, had won the hearty endorsement of the President, and they intimated that 1t would be just as well in Major Tebbetts friends fort to sustain the Mobile collector in- stead of wasting 1t in a futile attempt to undermine MT. Thompson's influence.
 Mir Thompson refrained from com menting on the subject.
 Major Tebbetts, who was in town yes- terday for a few hours on his way from Mobile to Washington, raised his eye brows and said, "Sh-h-h'' when the mat ter was brought to his attention. Major Tebbetts his friends say, has been called to Washington on political errand of importance. They claim that the Major will be reappointed and that his reap- pointment will be knockout blow to the Thompson people.
 A Thompson man and a Tebbetts man were discussing the question of the Mo bile collectorship yesterday afternoon in Birmingham hotel lobby.
 q know that Tebbetts will be reap pointed' said the Majors friend. q know that Tebbetts will not be reappointed said the Thompson man. And I know" broke in a bystander who had heard the colloquy. that some one is lying, and I'm not playing Favor ties, either"