Evening star., 1923-12-29
GIVES
COOLIDGE ALABAMA
G. O.. P. Convention Able to
ignore Any Johnson
Delegates.

President Coolidge will not be, a
candidate against Senator Hiram
johnson for the sixteen delegates, to
the republican national cenyention
from Alabama in the Alabama pref
erence primary for the excellent rea-
son that republican delegates elected
under this primary law cannot be
recognized by the republican national
committee and will not be- seated at
the republican national convention.
As far as the Coolidge forces, are
concerned. therefore, Senator John
son will have no opposition in Ala
cause the Johnson delegates who
may be elected will not be seated.
Johnson announced yesterday his in
tention of participating in the pri-
mary. The Coolidge delegates will
be chosen at state and district con-
ventions in Alabama.
Queer Primary Law.
The Alabama primary law is one Of
the most bizarre of its kind in the
country. Senator Underwood of Ala
bama is candidate for the demo-
cratic presidential nomination. His
friends, fearful that he might not
have the united support of the Ala
bama delegates to the democratic ma
tional convention. got through a pri-
mary law providing that only a ciu-
zen and resident of Alabama can be a
candidate in the Alabama primary
for a. presidential nomination, and
that the, man receiving the pFeference
shall select the delegates to the ma
tional convention Of his party.
This means that Senator johnson,
q resident of California, cannot him
self be q candidate in the Alabama
primary, but will have to designate
John Doe. Richard Roe. or some other
citizen Of Alabama to be. a proxy
candidate, for him with the under
standing that IL he is given the re-
publican preference he shall select
johnson delegates to the republican
national convention. The Same, would
also be, true. of the President or any
presidential nomination living out
aide. Alabama and desiring to partici-
pate In its. primary.
VIII Ignone Law.
Alabama republican supporters Of
|. the President at one time were plan
ming to. run q proxy candidate there
for him. But the, republican national
| Comml tt0e, AZ 1tS meeting mere carrier
this month, decided 1t could not obey
the Alabama law because it provides
| that the number OF delegates to the
republican and democratic national
| cony ention shall be In each case, two
from each Of the ten congressional
districts and four at large, a total
| of twenty four, whereas the repub-
,lican national committee, in it's ap-
| portionment OF delegates, provided
| that Alabama should have total of
sixteen delegates, including four at
large.
| with the view, therefore, of meet
ing this situation in Alabama, the re-
publican national committee passed a
resolution which said, in part:
| "That in selecting delegates and
alternates to the national convention
no state law shall be observed which
lhinders, abridges or denies to any
citizen of the United States eligible
under the United States Constitution
! to, the Office of President or vice
president the right or privilege of
being a candidate under such state
law for the nomination for President
or vice president, or, which author
ICES the election OF . number of dele
rates or alternates from any state to
tho national convention different from
that fixed in this call"
/ The same resolution also provided
that in states where the state law
could not be observed by the re-
n