The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-15
Will Probably Be
,sed for Office of
chief Justice
FERSON COUNTY
NOT REPRESENTED
Four Members Standing for Re- Elec-
ton Are From Contiguous COun-
ties of Western Portion
of the State

| The elevation yesterday of Justice
John Anderson to the position of chief
justice of the supreme court and the
appointment of Col. W. L. Pitts of
Uniontown to fill the vacancy caused
| by that elevation, caused little surprise
in Birmingham.
| In the speculation of interested par
| ties 6t was considered certain that the
appointment to the vacancy would be
given to Mr.. Pitts, because it was gem
orally agreed that Justice John Pei
ham of the court of appeals would pre-
fer to serve out his term as "A mem
Der of that court rather than receive
an appointment for which he would
have to make a fight before the peo-
pie within a period of only few
months.
As a result of the resignation of
Chief Justice Dowdell the elevation of
Justice Anderson and the appointment
of Colonel Pitts. there will be four po-
sitions on the bench of the supreme
court to be filled by the people in
stead Of two. The terms of Justices
Mayfield and deGraffenreid will have
expired by the conclusion of the year
and they are candidates to succeed
1nItl uSllct -AitutTSon VIII
have to stand for e-election and the
people, will pass on the credentials of
Colonel Pitts -
Jefferson Not Represented
Political gossip has it that there will
be no opposition to Chief Justice An
derson. For the other positions, how
ever there will be interesting contests.
1t is taken for granted that Justice
Pitts will go before the people. Jus
tees Mayfield and deGraffenreid are
candidates Other candidates are Ro-
maine Boyd of Birmingham, II. r.
Simpson of Florence and w. II. Thomas
of Montgomery
In this connection it is interesting
to note that all of the candidates who
viii stand for reelection are residents
of contiguous counties to the west of
the state. Justice Anderson is from
Marengo, Justice deGraffenreid from
Hale, Justice Mayfield from Tuscaloosa
and Justice Pitts from Perry.
jefferson county, whence origin
ates the preponderance of problems
which reach the supreme court, has no
representative ON the bench of that
court. and has no representative on the
bench of the court of appeals This
will ne one of the arguments used and
with good effect it is probable, by Ro-
maine Boyd, Jefferson's candidate.
Pitts in Limelight
Mr.. Pitts is one of the widely known
men of Alabama. He is chairman of the
democratic executive committee of his
county. He is a member of the state
democratic executive committee. He is
a member of the staff of the governor.
He is an attorney of fine reputa ton.
During the recent meeting of the
state democratic executive committee
Mr.. Pitts was the governors floor lead
er in the struggle for the adoption of
a majority plan for the primary He
presented the substitute to the Kelly
Dixon resolution which as originally
drafted carried a provision for the plur-
ality plan. He made a strong fight for
the majority plan, which may mean
two primaries before the nomination of
a chief executive, and was eventually
victorious.
Two of the justices to go before the
people are appointees of the governor.
They are Justices deGraffenreid and
Pitts. II remains to be seen whether
or not the present governor will be
more fortunate than Ex-Governor Co
mer in gaining the confirmation al the
hands of the people of his supreme
court appointees.
The Conner AppOintees
1t is interesting in this connection to
recall that the case of Judge A. A.
Evans OF Barbour. appointed to the su-
preme bench by Mr. Conner, is almost
analogous with that of Justice Pitts
Judge Evans had only short while in
which to make a reputation and to be-
come well known to the people before
the date of the primary. As a result
he lost in a contest to Justice Ormond
Somerville of Tuscaloosa.
Another appontee of Mr.. Conner who
Jared badly was Judge Samuel d.
WealSley of Birmingham Mr.. Conner
made him chief justice instead of pro-
noting Justice Sayre and the latter
took the matter to the people. As a re-
suit he was Overwhelmingly elected,
only to resign a short time thereafter.
AS the appointment of Chief Justice
Anderson was in the sense of a pro-
motion through seniority and as the
people are generally agreed that the