Birmingham age-herald., 1894-12-05
Issues an Address to the General


 F. Kolb 10 the general assembly and citi- zens of Alabama, aud is signed by him as governor of Alabama:
 To the General Assembly and to the People of Alabama:
 The revolutionary condition of your state government must become the subject of your continued and most anxious contem- plalion. The plans of usurpers So alarm ing to you are ablting in nothing 10 reduce you to an abject and fual submission e their own unbridIed will and passions.
 You have seen your just demands for the full execution of the eiection system of gov ernor and other state off eers, secured to you by sacred constitutional guarantees, deliberately set aside by the legislature, itseli only creature Of the constitution. l declare to you without fear of contradic- ton that if the present party in control of your government be not arrested in it's
 mad career no elections can be held in Ala bama under the law and the constitution.
 In the name Of the great body of the white men of Alabama, l have set in mo- ton their solemn protest. l have taken the oath of governor and intend to pros- ecute in your name my right to that high office solely upon the claim that by your ballots cast in the legitimate and orderly way prescribed by the forms ot law was appointed to 1t on August 6, 1891. would waive much to avoid conflict of coutesting parties for power in Alabama. l row hesitate long to expose the people of Alabama to internal discord. But, my countrymen, the concession of right 10 the evil spirit of wrong is not the road to a peace which is peace. What is the real status of your political relations? What are the things of which you complainf Where are the sources of your apprehen- sions and the incentive of your distrusl? Your votes al the polls less than twenty years ago were necessary to put in force the constitution which your delegates had been commissioned by you Tn sovereign convention, sitting at Montgomery, to frame for you. This sacred instrument became henceforward your covenant among yourselves by which you taxed yourselves, educated your children, perpetuated your rights of religion, secured your peace, ad. vanced your civilization and made, as you firmly believed, your enjoyment of the right of suffrage inviolable forever to you and your posterity.
 Following the very words of this your organic law, upon the protection of whose sanclty your rights of life, liberty and property solely rest and depend, l declare 10 you that no election forN governor or other state officers is compIete under It until all Of it's provisions have been obeyed. give it as from the letter of the constitu- tion which you and were supposed to un derstand and accept as the covenant between us when we ratified it by our votes in 1875 that number of ballots cast on the ii irst Monday in August biennially and counted by the joint session of the legisa- ton the ensuing November does not, in those procedures only, conGtitute valid election. The constitution of Alabama ex- pressly secures to every citizen, DO matter how humble, the right to go before the legislature and demand judicial pro- nouncement by that body, after the forms of law, upon the result rsached at the bil- lot box. The legislature has no more of authority, save revolutionary authority, to abolish the constitutional right of the citizen to have his ballot passed upon by the legislature than that body has right 10 forbid tt 6 ballot itself at the poll which tae constitution ordains shall be the priv ilege Of the citizen and the security oi freedom.
 Because the legislature of 1892 93 did ex- pressly revoke the sections of the civil code, however unprotected, which seemed to allow a contest Of election of governor and other state officers, refusing on de- mand to restore them or to substitute oth- CTS of a reasonable and practical nature, you are perfectly justified In declaring there can be no election of governor or other state officers under the constitution of Alabama binding on you, which is tainted with fraud at the ballot box.
 l have formally proclaimed to you that I am clear and firm in the belief, sustained by unimpeached aud peachable evil dence, that you elected me to the office of governor on August 6, 1891. am detIined at present from executing your sacred trust reposed in me by the physical force op- posed 10 your will. It is not expediens 10 precpitate collision of forces engaged in this controversy at this time. lam fully per suaded we can meet the encs ol justice and re establish your constuut. on as your supreme law by peaceable proceedings.
 | have initiated the proceedings 1 pro- pose to follow to practical end by taking the oath of governor. 1 am, therefore, now governor de jure.
 In the first instance entreat the legisla- ture to retrace the action of it's predecessor. l ask, in the name of an outraged consti- tution, that the entire elective system rightfully belonging to citizenship in Ala bama be made easily operative. And to this end l ask that contest of election statute be promptly enacted. pledge my self to sub bmit your cause 10 such statute, and pledge the country that upon the en- ictment of that statute Alabama will at once return to her long career of internal peace and unity.
 I have no threats to offer to the legisla. ture. Much less do l conceive that threats in this grave and solemn crisis would be agreeable 10 that great body oi tue brave white men of Alabama, for whom and in whose name it Is my undeserved honor to speak on this occasion aud in this pres ence.
 Iknow the people well, aud l know that they are willing and ready to await the &C., ton of the legislature, where they have hope that their liberty will not be endan- gered by their patience. 1 know the peo- pie, too, abundant well 10 siy they do not intend to resign their rights to consti- tutional government under any pretext whatever. They are capable oi enduring much for peace's sake; they are incapable of shrinking from any sacrifice which the defense of their inheritance of liberty may impose. II l were less confident of them would remain silent. But candidly de- clare they will yield no further and that they are now well convinced they stand with their backs to the wall.
 Having now made plain the whole argu- ment of my present contentious; having pledged myself and my cause to abide the law us n o man denies the law does stand upon the book, can say DO more in that direction.
 advise my supporters and all lovers of liberty to organize clubs to assist the gen. eral oblect of my appeal for their rights.