The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-10-28
MINOR CAN STAY IN COUNTY RACE, LOVELADY SAYS Committee Without Power To Take Name Off
 Ballot
CANDIDATES HELP \
 TO G. o. P. SCORED
Ensley Banker Tells Friends That He Is
 A Democrat

J. W. Minor, Ensley banker, will remain the democratic candidate for the county board of education in the election of November 4, despite his con firmation of Washington re- ports that he contributed $50 to the republican national campaign fund.
 Dr. R. F. Lovelady, chairman of the Jefferson county democratic ex- ecutive committee, said Monday night after a series of conferences with com i1ittee members and Othe party leaders, that the committee is without authority to take Mir. Minors name off the bal lot, as he has already been certified as the democratic nominee.
 "It seems the committee can do noth- ing" Dr LoyeIady said, land l, there fore. shall not call it together. The only way out of the situation would be for Mir, Minor to withdraw, and 1 understand he will not do this. Chair man R. B.. Evins, chairman of the state executive committee, has looked into the matter and also is of the onin- ion that we have no authority to act"
 Dr. Loyelady said it was regret able" that a citizen of the county s.should have run for office as a demo- crat and then turn out 10 be some .thimg else.
 MT. Minor issued no statement, other ifan. to Admit dQuating $50 te, tlM rO'P. fund and to say iie did not i:iBeiid to get out of the race. Outing the day he told some of his friends that he is democrat.
 Bowen Starts Row
 l., K. Bowen, county election com missioner, started the discussion Mon day morning by challenging Mir. Minors right to remain as the democratic nOIn- inee.
 Bowen urged a special meeting of the county committee and said m il- junction to keep Minors name off the ballot, or the entrance of an independV ent candidate would result unless speedy action was taken.
 J. W. Leggett, Bessemcr business man, who ran Minor close race in inc recent primary, came to the court house and discussed the situation w'tl Bowen and a number of others, but is- sued no statement for pu3:'eation.
 T may say something tomorrow" Leggett told reporters. His friends were saying that if Minors name was re- moved, Leggett's would have to be substituted, since he was the runner up." ..
 Leggett declined to state whether he would make the race as an independent candidate. County officials and party leaders said, however, that an independ- ent candidate would have rough sail ing, in view of the fact that the of- ficial ballots already have been printed and mailed to election managers throughout the county.
 Took Democratic Oath
 Mir. Minor, in qualifying as d can didate, took an oath that he was a democrat, that he believed in the prin- ciples of the Democratic party, and that he would support the democratic nominee, according to Dr. Lovelady.
 ''If Mir. Minor is now supporting the republican nominee for President. then he has broken faith with the people of his home county" the chairman added.
 Mir. Minor told friends that he was solicited for his $50 subscription bS Paschal Shook. He said he voted for Harding in 1920, but supported Sen ator Underwood in his last race. He indicated that he would be glad to withdraw his G. o. P. contribution if he could get the money back.
 Many democrats who gathered at the courthouse to discuss Mir. Minors can didacy expressed the opinion that the situation as it now stands will cause many voters to oppose the $500,O0O school bond issue that is up for de- cision on November 4. There were many others, however, who took the view that the issue would be in no way affected.
 NJ. O. Hughes of Pinson sent The Age-Herald letter Monday night, in which he called on the county execu- tive committee to meet at once and purge the ballot of names of candidates who are supporting another party. He said "buck passing" would not satisfy the voters. Here is his letter:
 "To the Editor of The Age-Herald {:
 "Shall republican money dominate the Democratic party of Jefferson county? We had a primary election here last spring to nominate democrats for the Democratic party. Reports are current that J. w. Minor, democratic nominee for member of the Jefferson county school board, has contributed $50 to the reublican national commit tee.
 'In view of the fact that the state democratic executive committee has al ready gone on record as to the penalty for deserting the party, think it high time the chairman of the county demo- cratic executive committee call the en- tire committee together at once to at once to at least purge the ballot of the names of persons who elect to support some other party.
 No excuse or passing the buck will satisfy the party at this time.