The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-09-30
ADDRESS ISSUED
 ID ENSLEY VOTERS Ask for PoStponement of the
 City Primary REASONS FULLY OUTLINED Hot Reply to Action of Committee. Judge Mandy Is Registering Voters. Rev. J. j. D. Hall Returns From
 M.4;z..I Dri.on A..o1i,4faa
REASONS FULLY OUTLINED

Ensley. September 29.-(special)- following address has been issued to the citizens of Ensley by number of busi- ness men:
 The city election will not occur until the middle of next February--let us lay aside all politics until after the Christmas holidays. The people are tired, very tired of politics and without now questioning the regularity, legality and authority of the city committed in calling an early primary the committee should recon slider it's rather nasty action and, then If there must be primary, postpone it until sometime next January, For the past three months the business interests of the city have been distracted by poli- ties and now to further paralyze business by plunging the citizens into another heated political campaign, will be most unfortunate and regrettable. We know that a large majority of the business and workingmen of Ensley want a rest from politics and that a great many citizens have expressed their final intention of not participating in a primary If held within the next thirty days; hence if the gentlemen who are pushing the mat ter of a premature and unprecedentedly early primary will not consent to post ponement, then such an unfortunate and ill-advised course will inevitably result in two tickets being placed in the field for the regular February election.
 Fully realizing this, large number of
 
 best interests of the city at heart, met and appointed a committee to call on the chairman of the city committee with the request that he assemble the city committee to hear a petition from sev- eral hundred citizens of Ensley, request ing and advising that the primary which had been hurrledly called for October be postponed until any time after the first of January.
 Some of the members of this special committee were not only treated with scant courtesy by the chairman of the city committee, but the right of hear ing by the city committee as a body and the right to present the petitions bear Ing over 300 names has been denied and refused. When the petitions were circu- lated number of citizens were out of the city besides which 1t was impossible to see many others in the short time al- lowed, and number of others declined to sign because they were opposed to taking any action whatever relating to politics at this time. In our opinion, there are no good and meritorious reasons for not postponing the proposed primary and there are a number of very substantial and sufficient reasons why it should be postponed.
 Reasons Outlined.
 1. The large numbers signing the peti- tions make 1t clear that a considerable majority of the citizens disapprove of commencing the city campaign nearly five months before the election.
 2. In justice to all parties the legal status of Tuxedo ought to be determined before another election. The city had to put off the proposed bond election until next January. on that account.
 8. A considerable number of citizens now disqualified by reason of insufficient residence and poll tax requirements will be qualified by January.
 f. Two years ago the school board com plained that holding a primary before January resulted in the loss of several hundred dollars in poll tax money.
 5. The hurried action of the city com mittee if not reconsidered. will tend to beclOud local Issues Wlln Ine unlOTlundte bitterness of the state and county cam paigns.
 G. In addition to the foregoing there are other good reasons which on account of the brief nature of this address, 1t Is hardly necessary to here set out
 There are great many people who in- sist that there should be no politics, and especially partisan politics, in municipal affairs, and that since the negro has been eliminated that there is absolutely no necessity or excuse for municipal primar- ies at all; that the numerous charges and counter charges of fraud and llegality have greatly impaired the confidence of the people: in primary elections. How ever, without discussing these views. the chairman of the city committee insists on ignoring the orderly and respectful peti- ton of over 300 business and working men of Ensley, then as a committee ap- pointed as the representatives of no party of faction, no clique or class, no candidate or candidates, there is nothing else left for us to do but to lay the facts before the citizens of Ensley with the recom- mendation that they carefully consider the matter of whether it is for the best interest of the city for them to tie them selves up in a premature primary or to reserve the right to vote for the best men on either ticket in the regular Feb ruary election. In. this connection we un- derstand that some people are under the