The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-12-19
REPUBL ICANS IN SPLIT ON PRIMARY
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 the regular way and that aI candi- dates will have right to send their delegates to this convention and get indorsement in accordance with their strength with the republicans or l Alabama.
 Evins ReiterateS View.
 R. B. Evins, chairman or the Ala bama democratic executive commit- tee, Tuesday reiterated his view that the primary law does not bar nonresident democrats from partici- pating and if the state republican | committee calls primary on that 1 same date he believes that non-rest- dent republicans would likewise be eligible to enter it, even though resident republican is not a candi- date.
 The fact that Alabama has a resi- 1 dent democratic candidate for Presi- 1 dent brings the primary into being, i said Mir. IGvins, and my construc- l ton of the law and of the resolu@ l tions of the state democratic com mittee is that nonresident democrats are eligible to enter the primary l Likewise republican non-residenus | will be eligible if the party ma l chinery in the state cares to use the i primary to get an expression from l their voters" l No meeting of the republican l state committee has been called, but it is considered likely that action will follow. the return of MT. Street i to Alabama The chairman of the re- publican committee is J. M Atkins, l banker, of Heflin. Ala. Republicans 1 Tuesday called attention to still an l other discrepancy in. the Alabama primary. To allow the republicans l of Alabama a chance to express ther choice as opposed to selection from O. D. Streets state committee. Wli- l liam l.. Chenault has been selected and consents to become a candidate for the republican presidential noml- nation and his qualification will inn mediately be filed as required by law with the secretary of state. at Mont gomery. A campaign committee, of which Pope Long is chairman; Frank Rae, Birmingham, secretary, and W. P. Lewis. Mobile, treasurer has been organized and an active campaign will be waged.'
 How Alabama Law Reads.
 As matter Of information and rel erence, The Age-Herald here repro duces the Alabama legislative act providing for the special preference primary next March;
 An act to provide for the selection of delegates to any national party | convention, whenever citizen of the state of Alabama is a candidate for the nominatio by any politicl party as it's candidate for election as President of the United States:
 Be it enacted by the legislature of Alabama
 "Section 1. That whenever citizen of the state of Alabama is a candidate for the nomination by any political party as it's candidate for the election as president of the United tSates and files his declaration on sucn candl- dacy on or before January l of the year in which the nomination is to be made, which declaration shall be signed by the candidate in person and acknowledged before some officer au- thorized by the laws of Alabama to take acknowledgement, and which said declaration shall be filed In the special primary law since 1t provides for the selection of 24 delegates to the national convention and the na- tional republican committee has | adopted a convention apportionment which will permit but 16 Alabama delegates to the republican national convention.
 stands At Cross Roads.
 At the conclusion of the Long Thomas branch of the party. the fol lowing statement was given out for publication:
 The republican party in Alabama stands at the cross roads. The mag nificient strength of more than T500O votes polled for Harding in 1920 re- sultant from the untiring and pains taking leadership of former State Chairman Pope M. Long and his as- sociates through 10 years has been almost wholly dissipated and lost in the first campaign in which the self ish and family policy of O. D. Street, present national committeeman from Alabama, has had uncontrolled charge of party affairs. The 75.000 votes of 1920 dwindled under present leader ship to barely 30.000 in 1922 and with Street as the party candidate for gov ernor he ran more than 5,000 votes behind the state ticket. Republican counties steadfast through all the high tides of democratic national vic tories. were wholly lost in 1922. and there remained only four of the 15 counties in which republican officers were elected during Longs leader ship.
 "The record of Street stands with out a parallel even in the variagated and boss controlled states of the south. Alabama, where republican hopes and prospects were brightest in all the lower south, has iapsed into l the same state Of skeleton Organl- zation made up wholly of federal of flee holders on a par with Georgia and Mississippi. Street, as national committeeman, has used the power and influence which thus came to him from the national committee, and which should have been held in trust and administered for the upbuilding. and benefit of a republican party in Alabama, for the sole purpose of for warding his own ends and ambitions. He has used office to control the state committee. And feeling secure in the possession of his hand picked, office controlled committee, he denies and refuses to allow the rank and file of the republicans of Alabama to have voice and control of their own party affairs under the laws of Alabama in expressing their choice for presi- dential candidates"
 O O o
 Opportunity For Primary.
 1.-The recently enacted laws of Ala bama provide a method by which the rank and file of the republican voters may have a free and uncontrolled op- portunity on the control of their party affairs and their choice for the presidency. A presidential primary has been provided by law in Alabama