The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-09-02
EIGHT GOVERNORS OF ALABAMA
 1S74-19O1
No. 138-An Extraordinary Agitation Joseph F. Johnston, Governor

meeting of the democratic state comm It. tee assembled at Montgomery. The ib- leet was to select the date for the meet
 ing of state party convention which.
 under the enabling act. must nominate the class of 33 delegates to the sovereign con vention
 Robert J. Lowe of Jefferson. chairman.
 called the state committee to order on the date named. In so doing he an- nounced the extraordinary situation" committeeman Frank l.. Pettus from
 Dallas promptly came forward with a l resolution indorsing the enabling act, lahu this was the motion intended to commit the democratic party organiza- ton to the Convention" side of the question. Committeeman w NJ Bran don thereupon moved that the commit
 tee go into executive session. Behind
 closed doors the Pettus resolution was discussed several hours
 The committee rose and renorted two
 resolutions. One indorsed the enabling act and constitutional convention. The other insisted that agitation of the question be closed. Notice appeared. however. that all individuals so in- clined might come before the commit
 tee to argue their views on the extra ordinary situation.H
 The committee ordered that the class of 100 county delegates to the consti- tuttona1 convention should be nomi-
 hated either by county party primaries on March IS. or by county party con vcniions on March 22. In the manner
 and at the time that the county dele gates should be nominated. the dele
 gates 10 a party state convention to
 meet in the capital March 29, should l be selected. The party state convention must complete the roll of nominees to
 the constitutional convention by nomi-
 mating the whole of the class of 33 delegates.
 | As soon. as the action of the state committee was published able leaders came forward announcing themselves for the constitutional convention or for the state party convention to meet at the capitol. Every conceivable topic | of political dispute was injected into the situation. Was Senator Morgan practical in his plan for an isthmian canal? Did not General Joseph Wheeler in his anxiety to go to war with Spain do too much, in that the result of the war must tend to fasten the grip of the republican party on the country? :? | Was the maintenance of two tax sys- tems in Alabama, one elective. the other appointive. good government? l? What relation did Governor Johnstons s change of front on the convention question bear to the governors recent announcement of his candidacy to sue
 ceed Senator Morgan? Was even meas ure more paradoxicaf and oppressive than the state revenue bill? Had not the elected board of county commis- sioners of Jefferson been condemned and sentenced by the legislature on
 urgency of the governor? Had not the adjutant general of the militia, ap- pointed by the governor. been put on salary as a feature of a general scheme to enlarge the executive office, cs- pecially when, as now, the appoIntee was both a member of the legislature and of the state party committed? These and other grave matters too numerous to mention were rushed to the front by the press and by candi- dates for the state party convention to meet March 29.
 The gold bugs of the democracy
 wanted constitutional convention.
 The silver looms of the democracy were divided on the question. The populists
 were solldly opposed to the conven-
 ton. In the action of Jefferson to select the share due to that county In
 the 100 class of delegates Capt. R. F.
 KolD was chosen on the delegation by u big majority,
 TOlIN wITHERsPooN DUBosE.