The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-06-19
JULY q IS DATE FIXED FOR C|TY'S PRIMARY ELECTION No Heads of Departments Go on Ticket Except Chief
 of Police
PLURALITY PLAN Is
 TO RULE IN PRIMARY
Abernathy Makes Hot Speech Charg ing Members With Failure In Their Duty to the Party Which
 Elected Them.

iell all department neadS or the ticket, with the exception of the chief of police,
 both candidates for this office urging that
 they go before the people. They also
 adopted the plurality plan.
 In three hours session, one of the stormiest in the history of the committee, in the presence large crowd, the plan
 for the lection was adopted and the polit- ical game given big shove It was not like the Chicago convention by any means, for strategy and combat ruled the floor and the vote was close on several oues- tions
 Chairman Atticus Mullin presided over the meeting.
 The organization of the committee took up considerable time. Max Karpeles' reg ignation on account of his removal from the Ninth ward, was first read. T. Will Hams was elected to fill his place, and the vacancy caused by the removal of J. E. Shelby from the Fourth ward was filled by Fred Staley. The vacancy caused by the resignation of A. w. Nelson, candi- date for alderman in the Eighth ward,
 vas filled by John H. McCarty, and that of Graham Perdue, candidate for alder man in the Fifth ward, by George H. Brown. G. c. Ellis and Gus Ellard were elected to represent the Tenth ward, re- gently formed by Avondale First Resolution Introduced. The committee then settled down to busi- | ness Committeeman Rich introduced thls resolution:
 Whereas, at the last primary the ma jority of the voters in the city primary directed the committee to place the heads of all departments on the ticket to be voted for in like manner as mayor and city council have been and, Whereas, conditions have changed, in this: new charter having been granted the city, enlarging its powers, it's territory has been enlarged, new offices have been | created, thereby creating a new city in every respect. in the manner of govern ment of same; and,
 Whereas, new territory has been taken
 in as part of Greater Birmingham, said territory not having voted on this ques- tion as to whether said department heads should go on the ticket or not: now, therefore, be it
 Resolved, That it be submitted to the entire vote of Greater Birmingham, at the very next primary, whether the action of the committee in placing heads of de- partments on the ticket or not, and said action of the committee to be ratified or rejected at said coming primary Abernathy Starts Things. Malcolm Stewart dld not like this idea. and moved as substitute that the resolu- ton read simply to keep the heads off the ticket. Then came Committeeman Aber- nathy with a red-hot speech, in which he pointed to other members and declared they were violating their oaths of office He produced book where each one had signed, and then, stating that the people had unanimously voted to put the heads on the ticket, said he could only do what he had sworn to his party. The speech bristled with sensation, and after he had finished he moved that a committee of three be appointed to whom resolutions
 should be referred. Chairman Atticus Mul- lin appointed H. B. Abernathy, J. H. Mill Ter and B. H. Mooney
 After conferring, the majority Aber- rathy and Mooney, reported in favor of placing all heads on the ticket. Miller wanted them kept off, and gave a mi nority report to that effect. Rich moved to table the majority report. Stewart seconded It was tabled by a vote of 9 to 8.
 Two Candidates Favor Idea. Rich moved to adopt the minority re- port with the amendment that the chief of police be put on the ticket Abernathy called on Bodeker, who said: T am will ing for the people to vote on the matter. I want them to do so' Chief Wier said: While I am not now in office I was elect
 ed to the position by the people, wrong
 fully deprived of 1t, and I want the people
 to have a chance to express their opin-
 ion of that action." The vote in favor of the minority report with the amendment
 was adopted 16 to 1.
 Resolution Fixing Date.
 Rich then introduced the following reso- lution, which was adopted with a change in the date to July P:
 Birmingham, June 1S 1908. Resolved by the democratic executive
 committee of the city of Brmin gham that
 the primary election to select candidates for the following offices, to-wit: Mayor, city council, chief of police and two po- lice commissioners be and the same is hereby called to take place on the 20th day of July, 1908.
 Resolved, further, That the candidate for each of the above named offices who shall receive the largest number of votes cast at Ssilu eieclioH po ocSidicu llc Hoii- inee of the democratic party of the city of Birmingham as candidates of said party for said offices at the election to
 be held on the 21st day of September, 190S
 Resolved, further. that the candidates
 for police commissioner and alderman in
 Tenth ward who receives the largest num-
 Der of votes cast in said primary shall be
 declared the nominee for the long term,
 and the candidate receiving the next larg-
 est number of votes cast in said primary
 shall be declared the nominee for the
 short term
 When referred to the committee the ma
 jority reported in favor of July 27, while
 Miller wanted August IT, The majority
 report was adopted Il to 8.
 Abernathy then moved that committee
 of live be appointed by the chairman to
 arrange for the election. This motion
 was carried and the committee will be