The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-11-25
PRIMARY. LAW ID FAVOR NOMINEE
This State To Present Can- didate Before Republican
 Convention, Is Report
STATE CAPITAL BUREAU
 THE AGE-HERAJD MontgOmery Ala. Nov. g ]

zen of Alabama can obtain control of the entire Alabama delegation tu the republican national convention as a result of the enactment of the law giving a presidential candidatn from Alabama the right to name the delegation after he has received :. plurality of the votes. This control can also be exercised in any other party convention next year.
 Discussion became general this week as result of reports that cer- tain republicans were developiils plans for action under the law Which was enacted for the purpose of giV- ing Senator oscar ". Underwood the Alabama delegation in the demo- cratic convention.
 Under the preferential primary act any citizen of Alabama, member ot any political party, may become a candidate for President in the prl- mary by filing his declaraton under oath on or before January l. ThiS declaration must be filed with tn" secretary of state and must tell un der what party banner he is running. When candidate who IS a citizen of Alabama has qualified, the state is required to conduct a presidential preferential primary the second Tuesday in March. Any candidate who receives a plurality of votes in r the primary is given authority by the law to designate the persons who are to represent the state in the ma tional convention.
 Gives Absolute Power
 The law does not bind the dele gates to support any particular can didate after they have been desig mated by the Alabama candidate.
 Their only obligation would be to directs and this obligation would not be assumed as a result of the law, but rather as a demonstra tion of loyalty to the Alabama men and as a moral obligation.
 Any republicans-and rumor has it that such a plan Is being considered who has qualified as candidate and has obtained the authority to name the delegates, by careful choos ing of a delegation he can abso- lutely control 24 votes in the na tional convention. Twenty-four votes constitute an important power in national convention, particularly the republican convention where nomi- nations are made by majority vote.
 The law expressly provides that no second choice votes shall be cast in the preferential primary. If there are more than two candidates from Alabama one person may take con trol of the delegation in the conven- tion even though he only received a plurality of the votes.
 O o Q
 Republicans Active.
 One report has been that certain republicans were preparing to desig nate 8 candidate for President in order that they might be able to direct the 24 votes in the next re- publican convention. If one candi- date should need these votes and they should be applied the person who did the supplying would be able to take a commanding position in the administration if the candidate nominated should be successful in the general election.
 The presidential preferential pri- mary law follows:
 Section l. That whenever a citi- zen of the state of Alabama Is candidate for the nomination by any political party as its candidate for the election as President of the United States and files his declara- tion of such candidacy on or before January 1 of the year in which the nomination Is to be made, which declaration shall be signed by tn , candidate in person and acknowl- edged before some officer authorized by the laws of Alabama to take acknowledgment. and which said declaration shall be filed in. the of- flee of the secretary of the state of Alabama and with the chairman O. the state executive committee of the political party, a primary election shall be held on the second Tuesday of March of the year in which said nomination is. to be made for the expression by such political party of it's preference of the candidate for such nomination. All candidates qualified under this act shall have their name placed upon the ballot and no other name shall be placed upon the ballot. There shall be no
 
 mary.
 Sec. 2. The result of such pri- mary election shall be ascertained, declared and certified as now re- quired by law in the case of pri mary elections for the nomination of state officers.
 Shall Select. Delegates.
 Sec. 3. If. in such primary cleo tions. candidate who is a citizen of the state of Alabama, shall receive a plurality of the votes cast therein, he shall select the members of the state delegation to the national con vention of such party and shall cer- tify the same to the chairman of the state executive committee, who shall certify the same to the national con vention of such party, and issue to each of said delegates a certificate of his due and regular section by the party as such delegates, provided two delegates and two alternates shall be certified from each congress sional district in the state and four delegates and four alternates from the state at large, or provided further that the number of delegates to which the state of Alabama is entitled in such national convention may be doubled each to have one half vote in which case at least four shall be appointed from each con