The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-04
One of Important Questions
to Be Settled at Com
ing Meeting
PRIMARY PLANS
TO BE WORKED OUT
Must Decide Whether Plurality Shall
Prevail and Fix Date for
Nomination of Party
Candidates
By HUGH w. ROBERTS

By HUGH w. ROBERTS
viii the members of the state demo-
cratic executive commnittee at their
meeting in Montgomery this week adopt
| strcng methods by means of which to
exclude the republican from the demo-
cratic primary, or by the passage of
puny resolution will they Intellectually
attempt to remedy the evil, satisfied in
that they have thrown Up a smoke to fool
the people?
Everybody is anticipatlns the meeting
of the committee. clamor has gone
up from every section of the state that
the republicans be restrained this year
from indulging in their pastime of aiding
In the nomination of officials and then
shooting them in the general election.
Some of the members, it is known, are
prepared to support resolution requiring
every man who offers a ballot in the
primary to pledge his honor that he sup
ported Woodrow Wilson IN the last elec-
tor or would have done so had he had
ar opportunity to VOTE and that he will
support the nominees in the primary in
which he desires to participate. An inter-
esting report has 1t that other members
will not favor the adoption of methods too
strong. These members, 1t is said. will
support perfunctory resolution that the
bars be raised"
The Other Business
The committee has other business save
excluding the republicans from the demo-
cratic primary. 1t will name date on
which the election will be held. 1t will
declare that the plurality or the majority
plan Shall prevail; in other words, that
there shall be one primary or two pri-
maries 1t will discuss the matter of
convention of the party for some date
following the primary for the election of
judicial officers and the adoption of a
new party platform.
1t is generally understood that the
committee will order the election for
April 6. A strong following will support
the double primary idea-that is, a plan
" hereby each nominee for state office
will receive a majority OF al votes polled
1t is believed, however, that the support
ers of the plurality or single primary plan
Will be successful.
The Gubernatorial Situation
Awaiting the action of the state COM
mittee there is a lull in Alabama poll
tics The five candidates for governor
are still in the race.
At the present time there seems to be
no doubt but that B. B. Conner holds the
upper hand, and that unless there follow
retjrements from the field he will be COM
plimented with a plurality of the votes
polled.
Should however, the contest be fought
out with Mr. Conner ana Walter ID. Seed
on the one hand. and either Charles Hen
derson or Reuben F. kolb on the other,
: +ber m ha str through.
out the state that the defeat of Mr.
Conner would be accomplished.
Membership of Committee
The members of the state communities
follow, the Ninth district having a va
cancy caused by the resignation of Judge
John C. Pugh yesterday:
Tyler Goodwin of Montgomery
chairman, and John p. Abbott of Bir-
mingham, secretary.
state at Largc-John J. King, Consul,
Maringo county; George w. Jones,
Montgomery Montgomery county; j. g.
Foy, Eufaula. Barbour county; L. h.
Greer, Choccolocco, Calhoun county; M.
b. Abercrombie, Tuskegee, Macon coun
ty; T. j. Long, Jasper, Walker county;
j. Gardner Green, Pell City, st. Clair
county; r. f. spragins, Huntsville, Mad
ison county, and p G. Bowman, Bir-
mingham, Jefferson county.
First District-R. T. Erwin, Mobile,
Mobile county; +. J. Barefeld, Butler
Choctaw county; E. p. Wilson, Grove
Hill, Clarke county, and b. d. Turnel,
Jr, Chatom, Washington county.
Second District-John Gamble, Troy,
Pike county; Walter Lee, Evergreen,
Conecuh county: Alexander Troy, Mont
gomery, Montgomery county and c. r.
Hamilton, Greenville. Butler county
Third District-W. w. Rainer Union
Springs, Bullock county, b. Dec Wad-
dell, Scale, Russell county; j. w. Cor
bett, Ozark. Dale county. and b. L.
Reid, Dothan, Houston county.
Fourth District-Chambliss Keigh,
Selma, Dallas county; Kelly Dixon, Tai
ladega, Talladega county w. L. McCaa,
Annston, Calhoun county, and W. b.
Merrill Admission, Calhoun county.
Fifth District-J C. Wood. Hayne-
Vile, Lowndes county; w. NJ. Lackey.
Dadeville, Tallapoosa county; George
D. Robinson, Wetumpka, Emore coun-
| ty, and d. NJ. White, Goodwater, Coosa
county.
Sixth District-John W. Cook, Eutaw.
Greene county; DR.. A. X. Collins, Ver-
non, Lamar county; Evan f. Allison.
Bellamy. Sumter county, and DR.. J. NJ.
Miller, Cordova, Walker county.
seventh ctstrIct-W. NJ Coleman, Al
bertville, Marshall county; w. T. Nc
Cord Alabama City. Etowah county:
j. r. Rosson, Cullman, Cullman county,
and DR. j. c. Taylor. Haleyville, Wins
ton county.
Eighth District W. w. Callahan,
Decatur. Morgan county; Shelby Fletch-
or Huntsville, Madison county; l.. L.
Brown, Scottsboro, Jackson county, and
II. c. Thach, Athens, Limestone county.
Ninth District-L. II. Nunnelee, Cen
treville. Bbb county; w. l.. Pitts,
Uniontown, Perry county. and d. r.
Blacl<wood Cleveland, Blount county.