Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-11-20
If Kolb Attempts to Seat Himself as
Governor.
JUDGE BLACKWELLD VIEW OF THE Case
What the PopuIists Think viii Be
the Result.
SOME VOTING FIGU RE S

The news from Alabama that Mr.. Kolh
proposes to seat himself as governor of
that state and that If he attempts 1t Gov
ernor Jones will arrest him for treason
is causing considerable commotion among
Alabama politicians now in Washington.
Intense interest In the situation Is also
manifested at populist headquarters here.
Judge Blackwell, third auditor of the
treasury, is from Alabama and for many
years has been closely identified with the
political history of that state. To a Star
reporter today Judge Blackwell gave a
statement of his view of the situation.
Judge Blackwelrs Views.
'If Mr.. Kolb attempts to carry out his
threat" said Judge Blackwell, he will
certainly be arrested for treason by Gov
ernor Jones. There is question as to
the result; the only doubt is whether Mr..
kolb will go TO the length he threatens"
Judge Blackwell said that under the con-
stitution of Alabama treason consists in
denying or resisting the established gov
ernment. II MIR. kolb takes the step
which he promises to do III his manifesto
he will come in conflict not with the newly
elected governor, Mr.. Oates, but with the
present established state government, with
Governor Jones at its head. The law Of
Alabama" said Judge Blackwell. pro
vides that the legislature in JOINT assembly
shall count the vote for state officers,
determined from the returns of the proper
officials in each county. When the vote
has been registered by the clerks of the
house Of representatives the speaker of
the house announces the result. This was
done last Saturday and William c. Oates
was formally pronounced elected governor
of the state of Alabama, to be inaugurated
December L. Governor Jones wiil be the
executive power of the state until Mr..
Oates takes his seat, and any attempt to
set up another government would be quick
ly crushed by him."
Militia viii stand by Gov. Jones.
In the event of the civil authorities being
unable to cope with the fore es of Mr.. Kolb,
which he calls upon to assemble in Mont
gomery on December 1, Juuge Blackwell
thinks that the militia of the state would
obey Gov. Jones and will be called into
action. Before he assumed the gubernator-
ial chair Gov. Jones was commander-in-
chief OF the militia and exceedingly popu-
lar with them. Judge blackwell thinks
that IL there should be any grave insuIrec-
ton in the state, and IL MIR. koiD should
succeed in gathering about him any for
mldable number of men, the militia would
rally immediately to the support Of Gov.
Jones'
Judge Blackwell is of the opinion, how
ever, that matters VIII not progress to this
point He thinks that the manifesto Of
Mr.. kolb is but bluff issued for the pur-
pose OF influencing public opinion i'll other
states and especially in republican quar-
ters where financial aid has been gwen the
kolbites. Judge Blackwell thinks that this
Is Mr.. Kolb's last appearance, and that,
after having issued mis- manifesto in an
alleged spirit Of good faith, he and his 1ol-
lowers Will SubSide. he does not believe
that Mr.. kolb can rally to his support any
considerable body of men who would take
up arms in opposition to the vested author
ity of the state.
What the POpulists Think.
On the other hand, the sympa thizers with
the Kolbites in this city believe that
stormy time is ahead. They feel sure that
Kolb is in earnest in this matter, and that
he will push 1t to the utmost limit idr. X.
w. Dunning, who is supporter of and
sympathizer with the koiD faction, was
found at the populist headquarters IN TINS
city today. II tell you the people OF Ala
bama mean business this time, said MIR.
Dunning to Star reporter. They are
tired of the frauds which nave been COM
mitted at the ballot box and are not going
to stand ii any longer. hoib was elected
the first time and QeIrauded or his seat,
but Ii was borne by The people patiently
for the sake of peace. There IS a unit TO
endurance, however. anu this time they
intend to carry their grievance to the court
of last resort. Kolb Will certainly make
the effort which he proposes IN his man.
ifesto to do. and, II IT Is ne. essary, he Can
gather 100000 armed men to his support.
1t is likely that he Will be arrested for
treason, but that Is just what we want.
We want to get the matter into another
Jurisdiction. Under the present law there
is no provision for contest or an election
in Alabama, unless the Legislature passes
an act to cover the specitlc cases. III kolD
Is arrested, we will carry the matter i'm
mediately into the United States courts,
and there We will get justice.
Some Figures Given.
ITO give you an idea of the frauds which
have been perpetrated there. 1 will quote
hu
w. Howard. the popuhst Congressman
frcm Alabama, just elected by 4,ooO ma
tority He said:
There are sixty-six counties IN Ala
bama and sixteen of them are known as
the black belt. because there are 6S,OOO
voters in IL and nearly oO.OOO of them are
negroes. We carried nearly every white
county, because in the white counties
there are honest elections. As We had
learned their tricks In the previous elec-
tion, we planned to keep then, from cheat
ing In the black counties. We urged the
negroes in those counties not to register.
AS a result, only 5000 voters registered.
Then we thought We had them, because
We thought they would not dare roll up
the count II the registration books gave
them the lie. But it's mighty hard to beat
an Alabama democrat. In the sixteen
black counties the democrats had absolute
charge of the election machinery. and they
rolled up $1,000 negro majority for their
candidates in the black belt.
In Wilcox county the registration was
less than So, yet Wilcox gave the demo-
cratic candidate for governor 5000 major
ity. In one precinct, where we have the
afidavits of five white men that the poll
Ing place was not even open, they gave 311
votes Tor the democrat and one for US.
How generous they were to us! In Dallas
county we managed to get the registration
list after election and found that 23OO
voters We're registered. yet Dallas gave the
democrats 5000 majority"
What Col. CrandaII Says.
Lee Crandall, who ran for Congress on
the Kolb democracy ticket against Gen.
Wheeler In the eighth Alabama district is
at populist headquarters here fresh from
the conference of Kolb men, at which #
was determined to issue the manifesto
published today. Mr.. Crandall says that
Col Kolb will be duly sworn in as COVER
nor on the 1st of December by some mag
istrate qualified to administer oaths, and
will then proceed to attempt to perform
the functions of governor.
When asked whether fighting would en-
sue Mr.. Crandall said: THE Oates men
have the militia to back them. and the
support of the administration, while we
have not many arms. but you know what
NAPOLEON said about the right. Compare
lively few kolb men from the back dis