The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-09-08
 County Contests Take
 Up Time. MUST MEET AGAIN TODAY Body Decides to Prc-rate Vote of
 Candidates. Dispuse over shrievaIty Election In walker and Difference in crcn- shaw Hold Business of sessions in Cheek.

Democratic Party, in formal session yesterday, canvassed the returns frofn the primary of August 27. and found that Hon. B. B. Corners majority In the primary was 21, ,405 In addition to the canvassing of the returns, the confnit- tee was called upon to pass on two tcntesss, one from Walker County ana one from Crenshaw, and the meeting which promised to be so quiet, devei- oped into one of the liveliest in the hiss tory of the committee.
 Hon. Reed B. Barnes of Lee County, was selected as temporary Chairman of the State Convention Monday. He was nominated by Hon. I. M. stevens Of Mobile, and unanimously elected py the Committee. General w. ". Bran don of Tuscaloosa and Hen. R. E. l. Mel of Dallas were elected temporary secretaries of the Convention. They were nominated by Hon. George w. Jones of Montgomery.
 So Etrongly-fnughs were these two county contests that the committed, al- ter working fac into the night, was unable to finish it's business. and a sec ond session today will be necessary A majority of the members of the com nlfttee were forced to remain ids through large part of the day yester- day. for eub-conmittees were at work. doing the things for which the commit- tee had been called together. The Ex- ecutfve Committee was forced to nos sess itself in patience while the sub committees industriously threshed out the matters committed to their charge.
 So a second days session of the com mittee was necessary and all the mehi- bers of the committee will remain over, and the town will be full of political leaders until after the convention on Monday. One of the largest crowds on record attended the meeting of the committee, and perhaps more interest was manifested in its proceedings than at any previous meeting. In addition to the crowd that would naturally as- senble on the eve of the meeting of the state Committee, the advance crowd of a lconvention people are on the field aBd . number Of local Conner leaderr were In the field to consider a program, for the convention.
 The attendance of members on the committee was unusually large. Ths following members of the committee were present:
 Secretary--John c. Pugh.
 First District-w. A. Carter. T. M.
 second District-George w. Jones, | R. Porterfeld. W. H. Sanford.
 Third District-R. H. Arlington. E. Herndon Glenn. A. H. Merrill.
 Fourth OISITlCl-Il. 1S. nACAAttAs S0A son c. Whitson.
 Fifth District-Miio B. Abercrolnbie, A. l.. Driver D. M White.
 Sixth District-Rufus A. ORear, G. B. Wimberly.
 Seventh District-James l. Herring. Leon c. McCord, R. A. Mitchell, George H. Parker.
 Eighth Distriot--E. B. Almon. John c. Eyster.
 Ninta District-Benjamin F. Roden, Robert H. Thach.
 The only ripple in the placidity of the morning session of the Committee was the question as to whether the Committee itself should pro-rate the vote of the primary, or whether 1t should leave it for the Convention to do. The upshot of the discussion was that the, Committee should not only canvass the returns from the primary but 1t should pro-rate the vote of each candidate, giving even to fractions the number of delegates he is entitled to, under the terms of the rules govern ing tho primary and which were adopt ed by the Committee.
 In announcing the action of the Committed in directing a pro-rate of the vote. Chairman Mallory expressly stated that 1t was flor the informa- ti1n of the Convention. The Conven- ton, if it sees At, can override this pro rate. but 1t is not thought likely any such action will be taken.
 As soon as the Committee was con vened at noon, Mr. Eyster, of Morgan moved that four special sub-commit- tees be appointed to canvass audit and return the vote in the primary to the State Committee. One committee was to canvass and audit the vote for the State offices, one for Chief Justice, one for Associate Jutice, and one for the ChanpnFV Hfxyfafnn latter committee was made necessary by the announcement from Chairman Mallory that there was no committee to conduct the primary in that Chan cery Division, and that at the request of the candidates. the State Commit tee had agreed to receive the vote and declare the result.
 MT. Sanford of Pike rose for infor- nation. He wanted to know how the vote was going to be pro-rated. He wanted to know if the State Commit tee could make the pro-rste and an nounce to ths Convention that 1t would have to accept the pro-rate adopted by the Committee.
 Tt would seem to me, MT. Chairman ' said MT. Sanford. that we are about to appear in the attitude of dictating to the State Convention what they are to do. and how they are to do 1t. It oc- CUTS to me that we are perhaps ex- eeeding our authority. when we do more than certify to the Convention what the vote of the various candidates is It was not intended that we should do the operating for the Convention That Is the business of the Convention.
 At the request of Judge 2. B. Almon, the secretary read the regulations of the Committee governing the primary. and with special reference to the ju- diical contest. The amendment gov erning this had been submitted at the last meeting of the Committee by Judge AImon. When the Secretary had concluded, Judge Almon said:
 Tt is plainly evident from that. . that the Committee should pro rate the vote, and that in doing so it Is usurp- ing no authority. The\ Committee is giving the Convention no instructions whatever. The people are instructing the Convention. The Committee mere ly furnished the people with the ma chinery to give instruction to the Con venton. and they have done it. It is plainly the business or the Committee tO give to each candidate in report