The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-07-14
LITTLE PROSPECT OF NARROWING RACE DOWN ID TWO MEN Three Candidates Still Will ing to Go Into Conference
 on Elimination
PETTUS EXPLAINS
 POSITION IN DETAIL
Thinks People of County Want Race Narrowed to Contest Between
 Two Men

There seems little present prospect of
 the congressional race in the Ninth dis trict, Jefferson county, narrowed down
 to two men. as it was believed a few days it would be. The present represen- tative is opposed by five candidates.
 Erie Pettus, Fred NJ Jackson, pr. A. !.
 Dickinson, J. F. Carle and M. B. Grace.
 For several days there has been talk
 of the elimination of all of these but
 one, so that a straight-out, clean-cut
 race might be run between MT. IIud-
 dleston and one of the i've others
 named.
 Several weeks ago. at largely at-
 tended meeting in the Jefferson thea
 tre, the Patriotic league of Jefferson
 county was organized for the ayowed
 purpose of defeating Representative
 Huddleston for reelection for his aI legged opposition to some of the admin
 istration's war policies At that meet ing he was severely arraigned by sev- eral speakers for his opposition to con scription, the espionage and explosive bills and the Third Liberty Loan. EACH RECEIVED LETTER About week ago each of the five candidates announced in opposition to him received a letter typewritten on stationery of the Patriotic league and signed Jefferson County Patriotic League" with pen and ink, calling upon them to get together and settle upon one of the five to run the race
 out. In that letter Col. Tom O. Smith, wee president of the Birmingham Trust
 and Savings bank, was named as ref cree and the persons addressed were re- auested to select a representative to meet in confernece. MT. Pettus. Mr Jackson and Dr. Dickinson accepted the invitation. but MT. Carle delayed an- swering for several days, while he
 made an investigation. It developed within the last two or three days that
 none of the officials of the Patriotic league knew anything about the let ter. J. Mercer Barnett, president. was out of the city, and Secretary I. D.
 Matlock disclaimed any Knowledge of it.
 Yesterday MT. Carle received anotber
 letter signed in the same handwriting put written on stationery of the Jeffer- son circuit court
 w. J. Waldrop. clerk of the circuit court, stated during the day that the letter was not written by any one in his office, and that the use of his sta tionery was unauthorized.
 HAS NOT CHANGED ATTITUDE MT. Jackson stated yesterday that he had not changed his attitude in the mat. ter and was still willing to enter into conference with the view of selecting
 the strongest man to oppose MT Hud : dleston.
 Dr. Dickinson stated to an ARe-Her- aid reporter that he hestitated at first
 about answering the letter because ii lacked the signature of some responsi
 ble officer of the league, but as he was not opposed to conference of the kind suggested he finally sent a favorabi response. MT. Grace has been out of the citv several days and his views could not be obtained yesterday. but it is uu- derstood that he is not willing to got out of the race at present. MT. Carle stated that he had about definitely decided to stay in the race regardless of any movement to eIimi-
 nate one or all of the candidates PETTUS MAKES STATEMENT MT. Pettus yesterday gave out the
 following statement:
 The article in an afternoon paper
 Friday in regard to the elimination
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