Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-08-08
ALABAMA MADE DOUBTFUL.
A Review Of Recent Political Events in That
State.

The result of the recent sta.a elac.,o, i, Ala
h.,,o h,s - a. -, % -. .,.,;.;.;--
80, - % NANNY
rendered .hiS state oohDtiul one as regards the
national election In November. While 1t is true
that the organized democra v trlumphed in the
recent election vet they won nv sucb n co,on,ra-
t;velv small ,,orc;r tho. :, "a sofo 20 CIV =, :.
-, 49, -, - 'o "
"ouiu iequife ou' niue 10 change 'ne cohoiuoh
OF affairs on the presidential vote.
The political status in this state has been q
ncculiar ono and brief revie,v 10 nacesssrv ",
IL =. - L.. an a., e..
" A' "' - 10
Two years ago heupeh L. holo' AT that ume
state commissioner of agriculture and man
who had gained some notoriety on account of
having travelled through the northwest at the
expense of the state with n car of exhibits of
Alabama products as an advertisement of Ala
bama came forward as the candidate of the
Farmers Alliance for governor There were
four other candidates in the field all represent
ing the old-line democracy, and Kolb was
looked upon as the representative of the new
alliance element, whose battle cry Was reform.
Az once an organized EFFORT was made to beat
n,ln ,n ne ehset 'S 'ne sa.e consenIon Win
lacked about twentv-fire Of having enoucb 't ~
nominate him. The ba,Ioting lasted for DAYS,
with Kolb in the lead. but without
reaching result. Finally friends
of the four opposing candidates got
together. determined as they were TO defeat
Kolb, against whom all sorts of charges and
ugly stories had been brought concerning his
public and private career, and decided to con-
centrate the strength of Johnston. Richardson,
Crook and Jones, the four candidates. on one
man and thus down kolb. All the votes not for
kolb were then turned over TO Thomas Ct.
Jones. lawyer of wide reputation and a man
of unimpeachable character. and he was nomi-
mated for governor aid subsequently elected.
n NO Wit nod
kolb and his close friends at once get about
quietly canvasslng In his own interest for this
years campaign. Meanwhile alleged crooked
ness in his Office as commissioner of agriculture
was developed, and Gov. Jones. at the expira-
ton Of kolb's term of office, appointed an
other man to fill it, and the Legislature had
meanwhile made this Office elective. but from
the time OF the expiration Of koib's term
until the new law took effect there was an
interim of nearly year. Kolb tried to hold on
and the matter went to the supreme court, but
that tribunal sustained Gov. JONES'
This engendered much bitter feeling on the
part Of kolb's friends.
THIS YEARS F1GEr.
For .wo vears EoIb has hoen roorro,,,; ~,
60, IN g., p. N.'
FENCES Ill 'niouen ALABAMA. IL mas always
been the custom OF the democratic party to re-
nominate and re-elect good governor after he
has served one term. According to party pre-
cedent JONES' who had served the people we'll.
was to have no opposition for the second term.
But Kolb claimed that he was defrauded out of
the nomination the first time. and that as a ma
jority of the farmers and laboring men of Ala
bama wanted him he would oppose GOV. Jones
for the nomination. The fight began actively a
year ago, and as late as last December counties
began holding their primary elections for tha
selection of delegates 10 the state Convention
which convened in June.
Avigorous campaign was begun and Eolb
mad some OF the abiest orators in Alabama on
fiabt The ca, zones enaereI aeuvely INTO the
personal, and troube of a serions n.tnrs e WV
constantly feared.
One by one the counties selected their dele
gates to the state convention and Kolb devel-
oped strong following, especially in the rural
districts, and the towns and cities were for
Jones. This gave the appearance that it was a
fight Of the city against the country and of
capital against labor Mr.. Kolb's orators laid
stress on this point, Kolb himself Boosting that
every banker in Alabama was opposed to him.
In all his speeches he charged the previous
state convention with having defrauded him out
Of the nomination, but all the while swore his
allegiance to the democratic party.
In March it became apparent that Jones
would have a large majority of the le,ero,es
to the state convention Then there Was ,aiI
of Kolb boiling the convention and running
independent Kolb himself did not DENY or
affirm these reports. When the conyention xas
in Montgomery in June Jones had more than
100 majority Of the delegates Kolh ard son,a
of his followers refused TO enter the convent;on
but met in the opera house and nominated Koib
and fnlI attn e tSctet and seioctad a. asaa,.;
COMMITTEES. They called tbemseives tbe ..Ies'
fersopian democracy of Alabama " The reor-
lar state Convention was in the state horss =,
the same time and mt ont n ticket be.da5 hw
Gov lone. AeA0'0 y!
, fhA NoniNArioNs
the fight began again with renewed vigor. The
matter was left for the people to settle at the
polls as to who would be governor II then
developed that Kolb had the srnn,,t ~ al a.,
third partyites and a large element of the re-
publicans and negroes. The Farmers Alliance
also came 70 ms support, but not as a whole,
the alliance refused to leave the party.
As the election approached the campaign
grew m bitterness: Ineendiary speeches