The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-09-11


 r1en won. The majority report practi- cally the same as that brought in at first, was signed by twelve members lof the committee. The minority re- port was signed by only six members of ! the committee. While the commfttea was wrangIing and the Cunningham men were out-taIklng the Conner men, the convention took recess. Before the convention was again call- ed to order the news had gotten out that double barrelled report was conf- ing. The majority report was submit ted by Chairman Whitson. It called for committe of forty-hve. but stood first and last and all time for home rule. Each Congressional District was to se- Iect i've members of the new commit tee the selections to be confirmed by !, Che convention.
 This report was signed by Messrs. O. Connor, Huey Jordan, Colquitt Mit- chen, Kyle, Jeffries, Robinson, Tillman, Whorley, Smith and Whitson. Tt is a majority report" said Mir. Whitson. "A report signed by both 1 Conner and Cunningham men. And fel- low Democrats, 1t is a report that is l made in no mans interest. but in the interest of the Democratic Party of Ala bama. It is a report that stands for Democratic usage and Democratic cus- tom. and which does not destroy these tnAL one man may conpAete HIS coHtrot of the party"
 The minority report was submitted by John W. Overton of Chambers. It was the revolutionary Conner program in its entirety. as handed out by the Conner leaders. MT. Overton contented himself with the reading of the report and without making address.
 MIR. BARNES INTERPRETERS.
 MT. Jeffries took the stand to sup port the majority report. The Conner men were unwilling that he should be heard. They yelled and called out Question" question" but some of the partisans who were making the most fuss were outside of the railing and not members of the convention. So insistent was this attempt to howl Mr. Jefries down that Chairman Barnes interfered. He rapped emphatically up- on the table and said to the conven- tion:
 Tt is undemooratic, gentlemen, to throttle the right of free speech"
 Mi. Jeffries refused to be put down. He bided his time and until the op- portunity presented itself for the de- livery of his brief but telling argu- ment.
 The majority report, he said, did not now lay claim to any agreement. It was solely and simply the embodiment of the old Democratic custom and the OAu D6ilOCEdttC usage IL WAS a plan for the selection of the State Commit tee as the State Committee had al- ways been selected. It was a protest against the destruction of Democratic precedents; 1t was a protest against the destruction of the Democratic doc- urine of home rule.
 Again and again Mir. Jeffries was cheered. Ills supporters knew that they were Jn the eve of the sacrifice, but they were as jubilant as though they were about to move to victory.
 As Mir Jeffries descended from the platform Captain Frank S. , White hurried to take the place he left The Conner men greeted their vice-leader with enthusiastic cheers. He was in deadly earnest. He showed his aggra- vation that a minority should put up such an adroit and enthusiastic fight. He stood there looking through his glasses at the cheering crowd. a thatch of gray hair covering a well-shaped head. He launched in a speech, elo- quent, vehement and passionate.
 "HURRAH FOR WHITEt"
 q have fought this fight for four long years" he said. his voice tremb- Hurrah for White" the delegates called out.
 Don't hurrah for White" he called out to them. Don't hurrah for Co., mer Hurrah for the people and the cause of the people"
 When he had concluded pandemo- nium again assumed sway in the con- ventlon. Back and forth the opposing sides banded noise and cheers. Ma jor Edwards M. Robinson ascended the stand to make the closing argument for the adoption of the majority re- port The Conner men did not know whether 1t was on the schedule or not for Major Robinson to be heard. They were ready to howl him down, but Chairman Barnes beat upon the table until he could be heard in telling tho convention that Major Robertson was to take the place of the Chairman Of the Committee in making the closing argument. Still the noise continued
 But the delayed speaker was the coolest man in the crowd maddencd with excitement He took a seat on the stage and let the delegates cheer themselves out. In time they grew
 (conttnued On Page F1ve.l