The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-10-17
Stiles is Nominee for Sheriff of Jefferson. SPEAKERS WILL
 HELP THE PARTY Chairman Smith to Open Head
 quarters in Montgomery. Fight for Votes Will be Carried Int the Doubtful Counties of Ala. bama-spellbinders Tender Their Services.

The State Campaign Committee, charged with the duty of electins the ticket of Democratic nominees. head ed by Hon. B. B. Conner. devoted most of four hours session yester- day at the Exchange Hotei to tha discussion of the contest between J. P. Stiles and E. L. iIigdon for sher- if of Jefferson cou-ty. The com- mittee finally decided that 1t had ju- risdiction in the question and en- dorsed Judge Stiles as the Democratic nominee. acting in accord with tho action taken by the county committee of Jefferson county.
 The action did not come without a contest. all of which was in execu- tive session. Nor was it taken with out some difference in the committee. for Hon. George H. Malone. member of the committee from Houston coun- ty, announced that the endorsement of the candidates in Jefferson county had been taken over his protest and af- ter the doors had been opened he made public his opposition to the -ommittee's action.
 T do not know either of the two men," said Mir. Malone. T have ab- solutely no interest whatever in the Jefferson county contest. But [ deny the right of this committee to med dle in the Jefferson county matter. The committee went out of its way to endorse one of the two candidates who claim to be Democrats. The State Executive Com nittee nigh: ] do not believe that this committee has any business med Hing with It"
 Jefferson County Case.
 It developed from the meeting of the committee that the Jefferson county fight for Sheriff. an office which has the highest pay of any in the State from United States Sem ator down. was becoming hot and lively. It will be recalled that the old county Democratic commiteee of Jefferson declared Col. E. L. Higdon the nominee for Sheriff over ex-Pro- bate Judge J. P. Stiles by a major tty of three votes. This was done after 1t was discovered that a bal lot box from one Of the election pre- cincts had been sto-en in the union depot at Birmingham from the return Ing officer In view of the disappear ance of the box. the committee decid- ed to accept the sworn statement of managers as to the vote in that par ticular precOct. According to their statement the precinct went for Hig- don and 1t increased his majority in the county out of a total vote of about 11.000 to B. Accordingly he was declared the regular nominee.
 But. within the required five days prescribed by law. Judge Stiles filed notice of contest. At the same meeting al which Colonel Higdon was declared the nominee a new county executive committee, selected at the primary. was inducted into office The contest of Judge Stiles was filed be- fore this committed. Of the sixty members of the old committee thirty tuy od ho tee.
 The contest of Judge Stiles was filed and tried before the new committee Colonel Higdon published a card ask ing his friends throughout the coun- ty to furnish him with all possible evidence of the existence of any sort of fraud in the primary. But, the night previous to the meeting day on which the committee was to meet claiming that the committee was cer- tain to decide in favor of Judge Stiles the friends of Colonel Higdon called a mass meeting. This meeting, held in Gelders Hall and largely attended, de. clared that Colonel Higdon had been regularly declared the nominee of the Democratic Party and that he was cer- tain to be elected on November 6. A number of hot speeches were deliv- cred at this mass meeting. some of wficf figured in the executive pro- ceedings of yesterday.
 The new committee met and on hear ing the contest of Judge Stiles threw out some of the votes which had been cast for Colonel Higdon, finally award ing the nomination to Judge Stiles Therefore the situation was created in which two men were running for the highly paid office of Jefferson County, both claiming to be Demo crats. Colonel Higdon issued appeals to the voters of the county asking for their support on the grounds that he was the Democratic nominee and the peoples candidate for Sheriff. The regular organization lined up behind Judge Stiles and the fight waxed hot and furious. It bids fair to be tn, hottest local fight in Alabama to b, decided by the general election on No vember 6.
 Qmestion of Jurisdiction.
 The bringing of the question befor, the state Campaign Committee yester day Ut it's first meeting since the or ganization put that committee in ; qutndary. The prime question to de eide was whether the Campaign Com rittee had any Jurisdiction over th, que stion of deciding which was tn. true and the regular nominee. Tn. committee hung back for a long tim. from taking hold. but late in the af tcrn0nn. after the question had beer discussed pro and con the committe, endorsed all regular nominees In tn, various counties and the nomination O Judge Stiles for Sherir of Jefferson by implication. It developed in tn, discussion that Judge Stiles's name hat been printed on the official ballot fl the column with the other nominee, headed by the name Democratic Nom inees." while the name of Colonel Hig don had been printed on the same bal lot ir different column under tn, heading Nominee of the Democratic ard Conservative Party"
 The Jefferson County muddle wa. brought before the committee by tn, friends of Judge Stiles. No friend ol representative of Colonel Higdon ap peared at the meeting. The Stiles par ty was under some embarrassment tt secure executive action on the Jeffer. son County situation for inasmuch a. Judge Stiles had been declared tho regular nominee. there could be nc appeal by his side to the State Execu five Committee. On the other hanf Colonel Hgdon. who had been turned