The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-05-05
SENATOR PERCY
WANTS PRIMARY
Governor Noel May Not Be
Able to Prevent Call
PERCY PREPARING TO ACT
Governor Noel and Several other Prom
inent Democrats Are Doing All
They Can to Oppose Primary,
Calling II Illegal

Jackson, Miss, May 4.-(Special will
| liam Crump of Greenville, advance agent
for Senator Leroy Percy. has arrived in
Jackson preparatory to the meeting of
the state democratic executive committee,
called by Chairman Lomax, to assemble
on May 6, and will be joined tomorrow
or next day by l.. Pink Smith, clerk OF
the house of representatives, and sew
eral other of the more prominent demo-
Gratis of the state who are in favor of
the senatorial primary to settle the con-
troversy between Senator Percy and ex-
Governor Vardaman.
Senator Percy has made every possible
effort TO induce the committee TO order
the primary, and it is by no means GER
tain that it will not be done, though Gov
ernor Noel and other democrats here are
violently opposed to the proposition. Mr..
Percy has communicated with the MEM
bers of the committee, urging them to
stand by him in his demand for the pri-
mary and in the event that the majority
of the committee is of Senator Percy
way of thinking, the primary will be or
dered 1t is believed here that the com
known that some of them are as yet
open to conviction so that there Is to-
day no telling what is going to be done in
the premises.
Senator Percys friends contend that to
sidetrack the primary now would be
gross injustice to him, in view of the
fact that he proposed the primary in per-
feet good faith. However, Governor Noel
and other prominent democrats take the
position that the primary is illegal and
inexcusable, and will do all in their power
to defeat it, regardless of the conse-
quences.
The senate committee charged with the
PIT bllcation of the testimony given dur
Ing the Bilbo-Dulaney bribery investiga-
ton, every line of which was ordered
printed for free distribution over the
state, has called for bids on the printing
to be opened here on the 10th of May.
The committee was not compelled by law
to advertise for bids, the pay for same
to come from the balance left in the ex-
ecutive contingent fund of the senate, but
In order to get the work done at the low
est possible cost has done so.
There is very small sum left in the
contingent fund of either branch OF the
legislature-not enough to publich the tes-
timony, but 1t will be printed somehow
or other, and when it IL printed will be
read with a great deal of interest over the
state.
During the session of the legislature the
senate voted $4,000 to its contingent fund
and spent all of It save about $11,000 The
house voted $500 to its contingent fund
and has a balance of $1,000 to its credit.
| 1t is estimated that the testimony adj
duced before the senate in the Bilbo IN
vestigation will make a book of about 1o'
pages. journal measure, and the lowest
price yet heard OF. which is from the
state printers, is $3.50 per page. and that
will come very near to cleaning up the
fund on 800 copies. That number OF
copies will not begin to supply the de-
mand. as everybody will want to read 1t.
This demand for the full report of the
investigation is born Of the fact that the
senate shut the doors In the face of the
reporters, and that the press was COM
pelled to do the best 1t could. securing the
information under duress and on the sly