Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-10-01
ALI the Anti-Democratio Forces Have
Combined.
WHERE THE REPUBLICANS HAVE hope
Charges Made Against Congress-
man benson.
HIS UNQUALIFIED DENIAL
Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.

| has opened, and already 1t gives promise
| of being as full Of interest and excitement
as was the late state campaign, which
| ended August in the election CT Col VIM.
C. Oates, democrat, to the office Of gov
ernor.
At present democrats represent every
Alabama district in Congress There are
| nine districts in the state and review of
the vote cast at the August state election
shows that in every district except the sew
enth a majority OF the votes were demo-
| cratic. In the seventh, which is at present
represented by Congressman William Ii.
| benson. every county went for Captain
Kolb, the nominee of the "Jeffersonians,"
| or Kolbites and populists.
Peculiarly of the Present Campaign.
The present congressional campaign is
peculiarly different In many respects from
| any ever before inaugurated in Alabama.
1t finds Jeffersonians or Kolbites, who
comprise the disaffcctcd element of de-
mocracy, and the popalsts and republi-
cans standing together against organized
democracy. The result is that the latter
party is bending all its energies In its en-
deavor to maintain the control it Tow has.
Early In September the state executive
| committees Of the Jeffersouians, populists
and republicans met in this city to confer
| mittees were appointed to consult with
each other, with the result that co-opera-
ton was agreed upon. 1t was decided that
| in four of the nine districts stralghtout
| republicans should be named by the regu-
| lar republican organization for Congress
and these were to be indorssd by the regu-
| lar Jeffersonians and populist convention.
and to receive the united support Of these
/ two parties.
In the other flve districts Jeffersonians
| or populists were to be named for Con-
| to receive the Endorsement and support OF
| the republicans of those districts. 1t was
| further decided that only the ablest and
| best men be nominated for Congress and
| that the fight be made on the popllists' and
| republican platform, or on a generally anti
| democratic platform.
| In the north Alabama districts where are
| situated the coal and iron Industries and
where more or less protection sentiment
prevails, 1t was agreed that straightout
| republicans be run and that the tariff be
| the direct issue.
| Carrying Out the Fusion Program.
| This program is being carried out. The
| first nomination to be made was that Of
| the republicans Of the fourth district In
the iron and coal region. where w. F.
Aldrich Of Shelby county. a prominent
and wealthy mine owner. was named for
Congress. He Is a straightout republican,
having come south from Ohio many years
| ago. and Is protectionist. Shortly after
| his nomination the Jeffersonfan and popu-
| list convention of the same district met
Endorsed the nomination and pledged the
| support or those parties to Aldrich.
Captain Reuben F. Kolb. late defeated
| candidate for governor. was one of the
| speakers at this convention. and he openly
and boldly Endorsed Mr.. Aldrich and urged
| his party followers to support him. Mr..
| Aldrich's platform declares for protection.
| honest elections and the completion and
| control of the Nicaragua canal by the gov
4 ne of
as is generally conceded. that his party
| has In the fourth district. He is a pros
porous and successful mine operator.
The next convention to meet was that of
the republicans in the ninth or Birm!ng-
ham district, which is In the heart of the
| Industrial region of Alabama Here Col.
| In the fourth district. was nominated for
| Congress. Col Aldrich, like his brother,
| is mine operator and most successful
business man. He was, until recently, gen.
eral manager of the Tennessee Coal, Iron
and Railroad Company. His nominatio
| was Endorsed by the Jeffersonian and popu-
| lists, who will support him. Col. Aldrich
! is a strong protectionist and favors the
| re enactment of the Mckinley law.
In these two districts. the fourth and
ninth, the fight will be exceedingly warm.
| In both the Jeffersonians. populists and re-
| publicans are strong, besides, there are
| many men who, while democrats in state
| politics. are protectionists, and will vote the
| republican ticket on that account
In the sixth district the republicans have
named Col b. NJ. Long of Walker county,
| who was defeated for governor in 1890. He
| is a prosperous mine owner, and has long
been conspicuous in republican affairs In
| the state. The Jeffersonians and populists
in this district have put up Professor ]. b.
Sanford. but In order to unite forces IL has
been agreed that Mr.. Sanford come down
which. it is learned he will do in a few
days, when an effort will be made to throw
| the populist and Jeffersonian vote to Long
The fourth republican to be nominated
was Col. w. ID. Wickershaw Of Mobile who
has been named to make the race in the
first district against Congressman Clarke
Unlike the sixth, fourth and ninth districts,
the first is very strongly democratic and
the reelection Of Clarke is conceded.
Lee CrandaIrs Nomination.
In the eighth district at present repre-
scented by Gen. Joseph Wheeler, the Jeffer-
sonians. republicans and populists met last
week and nominated David d. Shelby. a
prominent Huntsville lawyer. and republi-
can. for Congress Mr.. Shelby, however,
declined. and the nomination was then given
to Lee Crandall. who is claimed as a popu-
list. The nomination of Mr.. Crandall, how
ever, does not seem to satisfy all wings OF
the three parties in the district. as there is
more or less dissension the result.
The populists and Jeffersonians of the
seventh district have named M w Howard
or Fort Payne for Congress. While the re-
publicans have not Yet Endorsed him. II is
some notoriety of late because of the publ
cation by him OF a book entitled, IF Christ
Came to Congress-" The book Is an alleged
expose Of Washington and congressional
private life. Howard was a democrat until
short time ago. and was a delegate to the
Chicago convention. The seventh district is
the stronghold Of the Jeffersonians, popu-
lists and republicans.
In the fifth district A. T. Goodwin state
chairman Of the executive committee of
the Jeffersonians has been nominated for
Congress with republican and populist in
dorsement. He Is a state senator and one
OF the abiest and most aggressive leaders of
the Kolb party.
Judge w. c. Robertson Of Lee county who
has been prominent In kolbite politics Is
the Jeffersonian nominee In the third dis
trict. He. too receives republican and pop
ulist Endorsement and support
The anti-democrats of the second district
have. as yet. made no nomination The
nomination was tendered TO w. T Smith of
Butler county. but he declined ii. Who they
will put out remains to be seen.
Democratic Congregational Nominees.
The democrats held all their nominating
conventions on the 4th instant, with the
following results: First district, Congress
man r. H. Clarke OF Mobile renominated;
second district, Congressman Jesse +. Stall
ings Of Greenville renomina ted; third dis