The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-05-23
Jones Heads Committee
 In Spite Of Administration

teen votes and w A. Haynes. a well known farmer and an appointee or Governor Conner on the Board or Registrars received eight
 The fight on Chairman Jones which eliminated yesterday at the meeting or the committee at noon was one of the most interesting features of the prim- ary and 1t overshedowed everything else, when the old committee met 10 canvass the returns and the new com mittee met to organize. Friends or Governor Conner had in most of the beats of the country filed names or candidates who were supposed to De friends of the Governor and who were expected to vote against MT. Jones for reelection. In only one city beat was the fight made and the anti-Comer candidate was elected by a handsome majority.
 The fight echoes back to the meet ing of the State convention In lsOb, when Governor Conner had put through the convention a resolution declaring that the members of the State Com mittee should be elected by the con vention at large and not by delegates from the Congression Districts as hao been the time-honored custom of the party. It was an open secret that Mir Jones would have been reelected by the delegates from the Second Dis trict and it was an open secret that he and Carson c. Whitson of Talladega were aimed at when the resolution was passed.
 Montgomery County friends of Mir Jones thought that he was treated un- fairly in his deposition from the conn mittee by that means and when q vacancy occurred three months ago in the chairma nship of the, County Exc cutive Committee without his know ledge or solicitation he was elected chairman of the Montgomery County Executive Committee. The next day the fight against him for reelection conceal the fact that the Governor was in the fight. The Governors friends. particularly those who had been ap- pointed to office from Montgomery County were energetic in the fight. The fight was not of the seeking of Mir. Jones and his friends and tt was not of their choice that the issue was made administration and anti-ad- ministratiop. The administration forces shrewdly concentrated their energies in the country beats. In the city there are seven beats having a voting strength of over 5000. Tn the country there are fourteen beats having a total voting strength of 1000 The coun- try beats have fourteen representatives on the County Executive Committee and the city beats have only seven. The administration forces put out can didates for committeeman from the countrys beats. except in those beats in which 1t was believed the old com mitteemen would vote against Mir Jones Conner men were quite active in the fight, but before the committed met 1t was generally known that they had been defeated, and that Mir Jones would continue to head the committed in spite of the Governor.
 As matter of fact the representa- tives from six of tAe country beats sup ported Mir. Jones. one not voting. He was placed in nomination by Hal Lamar who represents q country beat The seven city beats representatives voted for him solidly. It was figured aftel the vote that the beats which support. ed Mir. Jones had cast 3,247 votes 1T Mondays primary while the beat | which supported Mr. Haynes had cas-
 a total of 457 votes Mir. Haynes il from Beat 16. pr. Q, J. Naftel repre-
 sentative from this beat voted for Nil
 Jones, but he was instructed to d. l SO by a beat meeting in IS.
 I It Is known that several men wh,
 supported Governor Conner were ap
 proached and asked to make the ract
 as candidate for Chairman agains
 MT. Jones. MT. haynes who was nameC by the Governor as a member of thu Board of Registrars finally agreed He is personally popular and lives il the country. where 1t is supposed tha | the administration Is strongest. 1 The principal business of the com mittee yesterday was the canvass of tn, | Montgomery County vote in Monday. primary. The members of the oIC committeeman who were present were | A. H. Arlington. w T. Seibels, Johr c. Crommellin. c. D. Faber, holding proxy for John J. Farley. F. M. Jones S. J Pettus. J. A. Walters. Carl Roemer E. M Benbow, J. M. Townsend, s. J Hatfield. H. A. Belser. w C. Tender son. T. W. Oliver and H. C. Lamar.
 The new committee elected, it wal announced. was as follows:
 Beat 1-C. c. Devinney.
 Beat "A. H. Arlington.
 Beat 3-W. T.. Seibe1s.