The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1894-11-29
ALABAMIANS AT WASHINGTON
ANXIOUS OVER THE OATES
KOLB CONTEST.
Harrison and Mckinley Said to Be Jea-
lous of Reed and Will Try to Keep
Him Out of the Speakership.
How He Will Down Them.
Special CORRESPONDENCE.

SptSlui
Washington, Nov. 22-In the dali
papers this morning appeared the mani
festo of Reuben II. Kolb, the defeate,
POpulist candidate for governor of Ala
bama, in which he states that he HAD
been fradulently and unlawfully de
prived of the certificate of election anC
that he would be ON hand at Montgomery
on December for the purpose of having
the oath of office administered to him,
and further that he was determined to
hold the office. There is quite q large
number of Alabamians located in this
city and the manifesto created among
them quite good deal of excitement.
Not only among the natives of that state,
but in fact among all classes who take
the least interest in politics or the local
governments of the several states. In
times that have passed KOlb has given
evidence of the determination of his
character and of his willingness to go to
any extreme to accomplish his purposes.
That he will do so in the present instance
is pretty generally believed. In his state
ment to the people, he has declared that
he will have the oath administered to him
and if it is not done peaceably the pre-
sumption is that it will be done forcibly.
The constitution of the state of Ala
bama defines treason to be the denying
or resisting of the established govern
ment.
Governor Jones, the present incum-
bent, has said that if Kolb becomes OBJ
streperous at the time set for the inaugu-
ration ne will most certainly be arrested
and arraigned for treason. That such
action will be taken no one who knows
the governor doubts for an instant. AS
the matter now stands any action which
Kolb may take will not be against Oates,
the governor elect. In legal sense pol
itics will be practically eliminated from
the question. The assembly of the state
of Alabama has in joint session can
yassed the vote cast at the recent cleo
ton and declared Oates to have been
elected for the next term; hence it will
be seen that in the place of Oates, as a
man, opposed to Kolb, will be the state OF
Alabama as a commonwealth, with the
power of it's arms behind it. UP. to the
time that Governor Elect Oates takes the
oath Governor Jones will be at the helm
of state. He has said that his Dem
ocratic successor shall be inaugurated,
even if he has to call out the entire mill
tia of the state. Before Governor Jones
was elected to his present position he was
Mt the head of the Alabama militia, and
is said to have been exceedingly popular
with the rank and file In all cases
in a state where politics
enter into q question of any grave and i'm,
portant movement it is always expected
that the militiamen will be more or less
Influenced one way or the other. 1t is
only natural to believe, therefore, that
this state of affairs exists among the Ala
bama citizen soldiery. 1t confidently
asserted by the more representative Ala-
bamians in Washington, however, that
should the necessity arise for Governor
Jones to call out the militia, that his own
personal popularity, together with the
strength of his call in the name OF the
law of the state, will cause them to rally
to his aid and support almost to man:
The question at issue would not be fair
ly presented were the claims OF the Pop
1llistic supporters of Kolb overlooked.
They assert that the dominant party IN
Alabama have been perpetrating frauds
Mt every election, growing in volume each
y6.r. Under the present statutes OF tne
state it seems that there is no tribunal III
fhe state clothed with authority to near
and PASS upon a contested election OF a
state officer Such being the case their
only means of obtaining recognition is
by' following the plan OF opera
lions outlined by Kolb in ms
manifesto. They ideprecate resort
IN force and assert that all their efforts
m tbe LIST of December will be to preserve
neace, but that they will insist on their
rights. Should Kolb be arrested they
saw they will carry the issue to the SUI
nremp court. While both sides are hop
ing for a peaceful settlement it is never
theless very evident that both are expect
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