The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-09-27

I in that line of business, with an enviable
| record of Confederate army service, :
back ground, announced his ambition TO
be governor. With prisoner of war 5
parole in his pocket he entered the
! Southern university at Greensboro and
| graduated there
The competing Candidates for governor
| went out ON the ''house to house, cafi-
| vass. Mr.. Seay seemed to pay particu-
lar attention to the post-bellum class OF
| voters the younger men Interested in the
| new industries. At Birmingham he
though the incidental protection by tariff
o. coal and iron a fair federal policy
| Circuit Judge Henry ID. Clayton of Bar
bour resigned his office to contest for the
party nomination for governor He was
a remarkable man. Starting with a col
lesiate education, he entered the bar
From seat in the legislature he enlisted
as a private in the state troops, going to
the great war. On his merits he rose to
| the rank of major general. He was no.
tably one of the best fighters in the Con-
federate service.
n. II. r. Dawson of the Selma law firm.
Pettus, Dawson & Tillman, declared his
candidacy for the party nomination for
governor. He, too, had a collegiate edl-
cation. He went out early to the war as
captain of a Selma company organized
IN the historic Fourth Alabama infantry
lie was known as a gentleman of culture
ana fine native capacity He was now
speaker of the house
Capt. j. M. N[cI<leroy now revived his
ambition to be governor. In 1882 it will
be remembered he contested ardentlv
against General O'Neal for the nominal
ton, but was defeated. In 1884 he an
nounced as a candidate against O'Neal
for second t0rm but later withdrew his
name. which he had entered in mistake
he said.
June g., 1886, Chairman II. c. Tompkins
of the democratic and conservative state
committee called the biennial party con-
convention to order in the hall of the
house of representatives. Seven hundred
and twenty-five delegates answered to
roll call. Contesting delegations appeared
from Morgan, Lowndes and Greene coun-
ties.
John d. Rather of Montgomery was
chosen president and a young Ohioan, set
tied in Birmingham, Robert Warnock,
was made secretary.
Gen e. w. Pettus put in nomination
for governor N. FL. r. Dawson; Gen.
George p. Harrison followed with the
name of Henry d. Clayton; Maj W. w.
Screws offered j. NJ. McKleroy, and Mr..
s. A. Dobb of DeKalb named Thomas
Seay..
1t was proposed that the two-thirds
rule be dropped. Delegates John w. A.
Sanford of Montgomery and Frank Boy
kin OF Dallas favored the reform, con-
tending that in democracy the majority
should rule. General Holtzclaw of Mont
gomery and e. j. Taliaferro of Madison
would hold to the old rule. We have not
a pure democracy, they said, but a repre-
sentative government that provides pro-
lection for the minority. After a hot de-
bate, in which Mr. Collier of Tuscaloosa
participated for the motion, the motion
was lost
On the tenth ballot McKleroy was with
drawn.
On the twenty-fourth ballot, the second
day, Mr.. Seay seeing his chances i'm
prove, became greatly agitated
Delegate w. j. Sanford. seeing the ex-
oitement on the floor and the resolute con-
tention of the factions, proposed that bal
oting for governor be dropped until the
remainder of the business of the body
should be concluded and quiet resumed.
On the, twenty-ninth' ballot, the third
day, Seay was 100 votes ahead; on the
thirtieth ballot Roquemore withdrew
Clayton and Immediately General Pettus
withdrew Dawson. Seay was then nomia
mated by accamation amidst torrent of
excitement.
The train on which Mr.. Seay returned to
Greensboro was met there by the popu-
lation of the town and hundreds from