The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-05-17
GRAY WAS BEATEN
BY BYRD FARMER
Vote Was II to 10 Against
Lieutenant Governor
BARE QUORUM PRESENT
Daniel Collier Declared Nominee sixth
Circuit Judge, HARDWOOD Contest
Being Observation-Disclosures
Meeting of Committee
BY BURR BLACKBURN

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Montgomery, May 16.-(Special) 1.-The
state democratic executive committee,
with only a bare quorum present, spent
the whole of this afternoon canvassing
the returns of the democratic primary,
hearing two contests and nominating
temporary officers for tomorrow's con-
vention.
BY a singular vote of II to 10 Byrd
Farmer of Houston was chosen for tenn
porary chairman over Henry B. Gray.
Thus the Conner administration breathed
its last breath. The Conner committee
moved out of the way of the O'Neal
forces. who will take charge tomorrow.
Precedent figured throughout the meet
ing. Fearing t9 set a precedent by which
candidates might put up their entrance
fees to prevent others doing so, or to dis
cover their strength and then take 1t
down, the petition of Thomas F. Scale.
who was a candidate for railroad conn.,
missioner, and Joseph L. Cornell of Gen.
tire, candidate for state senate for the re-
turn of their fees was refused.
The petition of Bernard Harwood, pro-
testing against the announcement of the
nomination of Daniel Collier as Judge in
the Sixth judicial circuit was overruled
the nomination of Collier being declared
HARDWOOD still has the right to file a con-
test before the committee.
Members Present
The following members of the commit
tee were on hand:
W. d. Nesbitt, chairman, Birmingham.
Jefferson county, Alabama.
State at large, Bibb Graves, Montgom-
cry; J. f. Foy Eufaufa; A. j. Driver.
Lafayette; S. w. John, Birmingham.
First district, C. L. Hybart, Monroe
vile: Charles H. Miller, Miller; r. It.
Erwin Mobile.
Second district, John Gamble, Troy; A.
l. Tyson, Montgomery.
Third district, w. p Renfro opelika;
H. B. Stegall Ozark.
Fourth district-L. E. Jeffries, Selma.
Fifth district-J. Colvin Wood, Hayne-
vile; G. S. Livingston, Prattville; W. M.
Lackey, Dadeville.
Sixth district-M T. Ormand, Tusca-
loosa; Ed de Graffenreid, Greensboro; ].
C. Miner, Vernon.
r. A. Mitchell, Alabama City.
Eighth district-W. r Walker, Athens
Ninth district-E X. Campbell, Birming-
ham: l.. H. Nunnelee, Centerville.
E. w. Pettus Jr., secretary, Selma.
Hard to Get Quorum
Promptly at II o'clock Chairman w. D.
Nesbitt called the committee to order
and at his suggestion recess was taken
for ten minutes until the secretary ar
rived. call of the roll developed the
fact that only 81 members were on hand,
a. total of "a being necessary for quo
rum. On motion of Ed deGraffenreid the
committee adjourned until 1 o'clock, when
a bare quorum of "a appeared.
The first business was the canvassing
and tabulation of the vote cast in the
primary. L. E. Jeffries moved that a
committee of five be appointed to open
and canvass the returns. w. w. Lackey
of Tallapoosa sought to amend the mo-
ton to authorize Secretary Pettus to an
nounce those results in which there was
no contest as the count had already
been made, but on suggestion of Mr..
Jeffries Mr.. Lackey withdrew his motion
that no one may find out what we
know not wishing. to set a precedent
of opening the returns before the state
L. E. Jeffries, R. T. Erwin, A. L. Ty-
son, L. H. Nunnellee and J. B. Brown
composed the committee.
Chairman Nesbitt announced that Jo-
seph L. Mcconnell of Center, candidate
for state senator. and Thomas F. Seal.
candidate for railroad commissioner, were
applicants for the return of their fees,
having withdrawn their names after en-
tering, and when the time for entering
had closed
]. C. Miner from Lamar moved that
the assessments be returned, with the
qualifications that it be not considered
a. precedent.
H. B. Stegall of Dale protested against
trifiing not Directing in that particular
instance, but thought that the commit
tee should go record that in future
such action would never be taken.
W. r. Walker of Athens was opposed
to the return of the assessment. WAS
there any Illness at home, or was 1t
political illness that had overtaken them?
They quit, and when a man enters the
game he should stand to it,
Bibb Graves suggested that "A man
can hardly get in and stay until be sees
who has quit and then get out"
Mr. Lackey thought that If the money
was on hand the candidates should get
the benefit of It, On motion of Mr.
Graves the motion was laid on the
table. and the assessments were not re-
turned.
Chairman Nesbitt brought up the con-
test from Macon county.
w. r. Walker moved that the contest
go over to be settled by the next COM
nittee, but his motion was lost for want
of a second. Secretary Pettus read
protest against announcing the vote for
Judge in the Sixth judicial circuit.
The motion of Bib Graves, that two
committees be appointed to hear the
contests, was lost by a vote of 10
to s, whereupon the committee as a
whole decided to take up the contest.
While the opposing attorneys were
comforting on the presentation of the