The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-06-08
SAYS UNIT RULE AND KHAN ISSUE INSTANTANEOUS Tunstall Gives Out List And Questions To All
 Appointees UNDERWOOD LETTER ASKS THEIR VIEW Conner Claims Tunstall Seeks Information
 Outside Agreement

The A ueLeSateS nAmeO Oy D. D. Conner to the democratic national con- vention, comprising half ofeAlabama's quota, are in no sense bound to abide by the unit rule or to sustain Senator Oscar Underwood in his war on the Ku Klux Klan, the former governor in formed them in a vigorous letter Sat urday.
 He described these issues as "ex- traneous matters" and asserted that on them the delegates were "as free as if elected in the most open primary" He frankly expressed his personal objection to infection of such issues in the con vention.
 Governor Conner further advised his appointees that they were selected un- der an iron-clad agreement reached with Senator Underwood during the Alabama preference primary; that they were pledged to back his presidential candi- dacy to the last ditch and were pledged to oppose any move to tamper with the Volstead act, but that beyond this they were mot pledged" He suggested the selection of former Gov. Thomas E. KiIby as chairman of the delegation and expressed the hope that the A dele gates he had named would stand "close- ly together at the convention-not as distinct entity, but rather as possible dietinctiveness for some measure that may come up"
 NeM Turn I'm Situation
 This new turn In the situation came latter Ali Tunstall named his half of the states delegates and began sending out, with Senator Underwo0d's approval, ouestionnaires to all the delegates, in- cludinG those named by Governor Conner, calling for a specific statement of their position on various issues, 1n- cluding the unit rule and the senator's stand for A reaffirmation of the princi- ples of Section 10 of the platform Of 1856. which relates to the anti.klan plank the senator is urging.
 Tunstall also announced that Senator Underwood had authorized his state campaign committee, of which Tunstall ia chairman, to pass on the answers to the auestionnaire and make a detailed report to him at Washington. .,
 Other letters released by Tunstall contained one written by him to the senator in which Governor Conner was quoted as having objected" to the send inr ont of the questionnaire. Included oIso was A telegram from Governor Conner to Tunstall denying he had "ob- iscted." hut asserting that the ques- t;ons--or some of them-were in direct vioIation of the agreement under which he named half the delegates and on the basis of which the people voted m the March primary. ,.- :.
 DuA to the days developments, ln- tereat now will center in the replies ot the Conner delegates to the !unsIah oue.tionnaire. Tunstall said his cam paiRn committee would meet as soon as all replies were in to study them anu pass them on to Underwood.
 In writing to the delegates ne select' ed. Governor Conner emphasized that tne people did not vote Tn Marcn on lns "extraneous issues" it is now proposed to compel the entire state delesation 'O support.
 The fnIl text of the former governors . letter follows: .
 ''COl. Tunstall informs me tnas ne Is mailing you a copy or a letIer iron Senator Underwood, asking your views m certain questions before confirming your nomination as delegates to tne cnvention. .-I
 "As this might cause some misunder- standing. I told him 1 would write you that YOU were selected in accordance with the plan as published Feb. 6, 1SI4 that you are pledged for Underwood for president first, now and all the time; that you were against any changes in our prohibition laws except to make the enforcement better that beyond this you are not pledged; that you are high class citizens, repre-, senting Alabama, and that we are all sure you will accomplish this In the very best manner possible, and on this and this alone the people voted, and on this you are not to be v1sed put confirmed.
 'aThe nomination of Underwood is the primal object and in that accomplish ment the entire delegation-forty-eight will stand as a unit. This does not mean that I favor or pledge you to unit rule or any other extraneOus prop osition. In these matters you will stand as free as if you had been elect ed in the most open primary. Any ex. traneouS matter, unit rule, adoption Ot any clause of the Democratic platform of 1856, particularly relating to the Ku Klux Klan, Catholics, etc, now advocated and insisted on by Senator Underwood, is entirely with you.
 In No Sense Bound
 "Thei people did not vote on this and you are in no sense of the word bound. I frankly wrote Senator Underwood that I was not in favor of them and, if a delegate, would vote against them.
 Would suggest that before finally answering these questions of Senator Underwood's, you have a meeting, or correspondence with the 24 delegates named by me, and would suggest that you name former Gov. Kilby your chairman.
 This because there is a preconceived difference in some of the views of the 24 delegates as named by me and the 24 as named by Col. Tunstall, and
 (Contlmued on Page Tw0.)