The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-05-06
Interest In Convention.

it was then, but is rather of the made-to-
 order kind
 Interest In Convention.
 Much interes, in connection with the
 campaign attac,.es to the convention that
 is to be held at Gainesville, in the Ninth
 district, next Saturday for the purpose of
 entering protest against the new rule of
 the state executive committee, which pro-
 vides that nominations shall be made by
 majority of the popular vote, instead or
 by the old majority county plan. Many
 of these counties object to the new plan
 because, with their small vote. 1t takes
 away much of their power. The smallest county in the district in population, Daw- son, cast only 359 votes in the primary of
 August 22, 1906 and yet it had in the state convention one-third the power of Fulton with it's nearly 10000 votes. The entire IS counties of the Ninth district
 cast in that primary about 1S,6Oo votes; Fulton cast 9550 Under the new plan Fulton has half the power of the entire IS counties; under the old plan Fulton
 had six convention votes as against F for the IS counties of the Ninth, or only one-seyenth the voice.
 There are two sides to this proposition. many holding that the new plan is the
 hest because it makes each vote cast count for what it is worth. Others con- tend that the old plan was framed upon the constitutional basis of representation in the legislature, and if it is to be changed then the legislative representa- , tion should also be changed so as to ac- cord with population. Some of the small counties of the state appear to be per fectly content with the new plan, while l others are up in arms The city counties are of course taking no particular in- terest in the matter; the new plan suits them perfectly for it will give them great CT power in the primaries than they have ever before possessed. , Anti-SaIoon League.
 The Anti-saloon league is continuing to figure very prominently in the political situation. Its headquarters committee refraned from indorsing either of the candidates, but its leaders are with, few l exceptions, back of Governor Smith. But aside from this the league is watching l county politics all over the state. Ac- l cordlng to a recent statistical statement given out by the league 55 counties have already held their primaries, and 6S rep 1 resentatives and eight senators have been l nominated. According to J. B. Richards, assistant superintendent of the league, o0 representatives and five senators have given the league signed statements that they will uphold and support prohibition. 1 One senator and eight representatives | have declared they will vote against pro- 1 hibition, and two senators and ten repre- 1 sentatves have not yet been heard from. 1 Mrl Richards says this statement is made l from the personal signatures of the sena- i tors and representatives given to the 1 league, and another statement showing l the status of the next legislature as re- | gards prohibition will be given out follow 1 ing the June primary. If the foregoing record keeps up it would make no differ l ence where the governor stood on the 1 question of prohibition, since the legisla- 1 ture would be practically solid, and with | out legislative action first had the gov 1 ernor can, of course, do nothing.
 l w. J. Speer, who is in the race for l state treasurer against Treasurer R. D. | Park, candidate for reelection, has just | returned to the city from a trip over I the state, and expressed entire satisfac- l ton with his campaign. He said his race l was in good shape and that he expected | to win in the June primary. Captain l Park has not made canvass of the state and says he is too busy to do so