The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-02-09
REPUBLICANS WILL
 SELECT DELEGATES ID CONVENTION
State Committee Meets To- day-Interest Centered in Selection of National
 Committeeman
By LEON BRADLEY

Watchfully waiting and hopeful. even
 if Tot confident.
 That is the attitude of the members of
 the republican state executive committee
 who have gathered here for the meeting
 which convenes at the Hillman hotel at
 noon today. Plans will be made at the
 meeting for the republican state conven-
 tion the time and place will be agreed
 on and the apportionment of delegates
 for the gathering settled.
 After suffering the hardships and pri- Vations of private life for three long,
 lean years, the republican hosts of Ala bama, who were wont to occupy all the soft and choice berths of a political na
 ture so freely dispensed by the bountiful hand of the federal government, are again gathered together and are making
 merry in the hope than once more they
 are about to return into their own. While
 there cannot be said to prevail any spirit of confidence among the republican com nitteemen, at least there is a feeling that things can be no worse than they now are.
 VIEW WITH ALARM Almost without exception, the commit teemen take peculiar pleasure in view ing with alarm the Wilson administra- ton. That the nation is in the last throes of depression, that poverty is rampant and that the republican party is the only salvation which can come, is the oft ex-
 pressed opinion of the committeeman Re- gardlng present conditions and those which have prevailed in this land during the past three years, a more pessimistic gathering could hardly be discovered But when the future is discussed. the light of hope shines in their eyes and they speak with pardonable pride of the full dinner pail and the era of prosperity which is to begin immediately after-as they see 1.-the success of the republicans , in November.
 The delegates for the convention began arriving yesterday morning, and at the | caucus held at the Hillman last night, a majority of the accredited representa- 1 tives were present. Practically every member of the committee is expected to I be here at noon today when the session convenes. Pope Long of Cordova is | chairman of the committee and c. B. | kennamer of Guntersville is secretary. | It is expected that the state convention l will be held in Birmingham, and the date | will probably be between May 15 and 20. l The convention will select the delegates | to the republican national convention, | which convenes in Chicago, June z. The
 state election law prevents the holding | of this convention within less than seven | days after the state democratic primary, which occurs on May 9. The committee men are of the opinion that the meeting should be held as soon after that time as possible, the early meeting of the
 national convention makes this impera- l tive.
 DELEGATION REDUCED
 The apportionment of delegates to the state convention will be decided on today, l and it is expected that the number will | be from 400 to 500, the representation from the various counties depending upon the vote in the last election. The representation of the Alabama republi- cans in the next national convention will be only 16 instead of 24 as was the case at the last convention. The representa- tion of all the southern states was re- duced three years ago. One delegate is to be chosen from each district of the state, no matter what the republican, vote was in the last election.
 One of the most interesting fights which
 is to come up among. the republicans of
 Alabama Is to be the selection of a na- tional committeeman. This position is
 now held by P. D. Barker of Mobile, but there is considerable talk among the
 committeeman that when the selection is made in June, o. D. Street of Gunters- vile will be selected
 STATE COMMITTEE The members of the republican com
 mittee, in addition to the chairman and secretary follow: First district F. D. Barker and J. H. Tomlinson of Mobile; Second district Warren $. Reese of Mont gomery, B. s. Perdue of Greenville, Jesse w. Barnes of Andalusia; Third district Charles Roland of Dothan, c. M. Cox of Czark F. w. Slocumb of Headland; 1; Fourth district, J. H. Adkins of Heflin, F. r. Grove of Montevallo, Charles R. Barker of Anniston, J. A. Bingham of Talladega; Fifth district, H. E. Berk- stresser of DadeviIle, T. M. Swann of
 Roanoke, Douglass Booth of Prattville; Sixth district, c. P. Lunceford of Hackle i, burg; $. T. Wright of Fayette, s. L.. Studdard of Cordova, c. M. Sartain of Jasper; Seventh district, Fred Buchanan of Cullman, J. $. Curtis of Double Springs o. D. Street of Guntersville, T. H. Stevens of Gadsden. W. l.. Chenault of Russellville. H. Gordon Ashley of Ash vile, George l.. Majors of Fort Payne . w. T. Hutchens of Huntsville, Ei B. Downing of Moulton, G. O. Chenault of Decatur; Ninth district, Charles J. Ali son, A. c. Birch, T. J. kennamer, J. G. Bass of Birmingham; state at large, T Fl Aldrich of Birmingham, Alex c. Kelly of Wetumplla, J. B. Sloan Of Oneonta,