The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-02-15
Former Marshal Cooper Will Make Charges of Stufing
 Federal Grand JurieS
SAYS IT WAS DONE TO
 INSURE TAFT DELEGATES
Republican Editors From Various Sec tions Unanimous In Saying Taft Will Not Be the Nominee
 of Republicans.

Bristllng all over with anti-Taft en- thusasm the anti-admnistration faction of the republican party of Alabama has gathered in Birmingham.
 Today at Il o'clock the executive com mittee of this faction, headed by Julius w. Davidson of Birmingham, will con- vene in the city hall. The purpose of the meeting is to call a convention to elect delegates to the national republican con- vention to be held this summer in Chi cago.
 The rumors that there would be peace between the two factions were rendered null last evening when Chairman David son made the following statement:
 q cannot say, of course, what the office holding faction of the party will do How ever, the anti-administration faction of the party will proceed to call its own convention"
 This, interpreted, means that there will i be two republican convention in this state, that one set Of delegates will be in | structed against Secretary Taft and the other for him; and that these two dele gations will attempt to have themselves seated in the national convention. Both will claim to represent the official organ ization of Alabama, and the convention, it is thought, will referee the points be- 1 tween them
 Many Visitors In the City. | In addition to prominent republicans of this state there are numerous we'll known republicans here from other states. ] It was reported last night that there
 were representatives in Birmingham of 1 several of the Washington and New
 York newspapers. Colonel Youngblood
 and w. w. Guggenheimer, both of Wash ington, are in the city, and the latter l gentleman is authority for the statement
 that the national eye of the republican party will be eentered on Birmingham during the next 10 days. As is known, the executive committee of the adminis-
 tration faction of the party, headed by i Joseph o. Thompson, the Presidents
 referee in Alabama, will hold it's meet
 ing next week, as will also the executive
 committee of the administration wing of 1 the party in Jefferson county. Because
 of the fact that there will be contesting
 delegations from Alabama MT. Guggen- hemer states that the action of the re-
 publicans in Alabama is being closely fol-
 lowed by the republicans of the entire
 country, partisans of the numerous can
 didates for the presidency.
 Cooper Uncovers Live Wire.
 Perhaps the livest wire that will be
 laid bare at the executive committee
 meeting of the party this morning will
 be resolution, introduced by Judge D.
 N. Cooper, former United States mar
 shal and the recent nominee of the re-
 publicans in Alabama for the lieutenant
 governorship. asking the Senate of the
 United States to order an investigation
 of alleged patronage of republican office
 holders in Marion county to secure sup l porters of candidates as Taft delegates
 in the Marion county convention held last Saturday. Judge Cooper is a man of 1 few words, and reluctantly made the fol- 1 lowing statement last night; q have received information from 8
 prominent politician of Marion county 1 that R. A. Smith, deputy marshal, stated l that he had control of the patronage
 of Marion county; and that he had con l
 he could get men on the federal grand
 jury.
 '"The understanding was that these men to share in these benefits were to attend 1 the Marion county convention and there l support Taft delegates to the national 1 convention.
 Editors Against Taft. | While this is common rumor in Marion county, I shall introduce a. resolution to- morrow at the meeting of the executive committee of the party, requesting the | Senate of the United States to make an investigation of this matter-the alleged effort of officeholders to influence voters in support of Taft delegates" With the others, editors of republican newspapers have come to Birmingham. This fact and the subsequent discussion among the gentlemen, developed the fact that the republican press of the state is unanimously opposed to Secretary Taft
 Wallace c. Edler, editor of the Union of Clanton, one of the leading republican journals of the state, stated emphatically last night that he was opposed to Sec retary Taft, predicted that Secretary Taft would not be the nominee, and declared his belief that Governor Hughes would be the republican candidate. J. c. Manning, editor of the South ern American" published in Alexander City, stated his emphatic opposition to Secretary Taft, and while he did not pre- dict who would be the nominee, declared that, in his opinion, it would not be Secretary Taft. Mr. Manning, incidentally, has received the indorsement of the re- publcans of Clay and Tallapoosa coun- ties for delegate to the national con- vention, and his friends, in spite of the fact that Mir Manning's district Is J. O. Thompsons also. predict a splendid victory for him.
 As is well known the Birmingham papers of the state, Is emphatically against Secretary Taft John W. Tow CTS, one of the editors of the paper, de- clared last night that Secretary Taft could not win the nomination.
 MT. Edler, in speaking of the other prominent republican paper of the state the Foley Onlooker. edited by Frank Fesler said: "Fesler is emphatieally against dictation and instruction, and is opposed to Secretary Taft
 Middleton Pleads For Harmony.
 Probably the best known republican of the state, J. O. Middleton of Clanton,