Birmingham age-herald., 1894-08-10
A VICTORY FOR LAW AND ORDER phiIa delphia Tin1aa

Philadelphia Times.
 ti The patriotic citizens of every political faith will honor the people of Alabama for
 their triumphant election of the democratic
 State ticket. They will not specially re- joice that the democrats have succee eded, but they will give thanks that the demo- cratic ticket received great victory as the
 distinctive representative of law and order,
 of peace to the people and safety to life and
 property.
 ,. The democrats of Alabama had the cour-
 age to nominate man of heroic qualities
 for governor in the person of Congressman Oates. When he was nominated some months ago 1t was regarded as an almest .hopeless contest. The popuHst and agra
 rianE sentiment of the state had been run ming rirt among the people, and when MT. Oates accepted the candidacy there were few who had reasonable hope that he could be eleced. But Oates is as brave in sup portof his convictions in peace as he was in supporting them in war, and he accepted the unequal contest and made his battle |, before the people of Alabama. He was ably supported by the leading Journals of the state, and by Senator Morgan and his congressional associates, and from the day that the conflict began in earnest the cause of law and order steadily gained, until on Monday last it was able to overthrow the combination of populists, agrarians and cheap money men by decisive majority. It would be unjust to say that the success of the democratic ticket in Alabama is | partisan democratic victory. The conserva- | tive republican element of the state, which dominates in some of the great business centers, made common cause with the democratic organization to give success to l the majesty of law. Birmingham, which | IS largely northern city, and where the | labor organizations were infamed against | the democratic party by democratic gov | ernor sending troops to suppress their law | lessness, gave majority for Oates over the l combined lawless elements of that region, and that could have been done only by the | cordial and earnest support of the republi- | eau business men of Birmingham.
 The populist-republican agrarian com | bine was led by Mir. Kolb. blatant dema- | gogue who has been playing upon the sufferings of the people to put himself in | political power. He was the candidate of ! the populists and was accepted by the | worst elements of the republican party, in- cluding the idle and vicious negroes | throughout the state. They attempted to 1 terrorize the people,. especially the blacks, | by the most violent haraugues and equally | violent actions throughout the cam paign, | but the more Intelligent negroes, and especially all who owned property, openly | espoused the cause of the democratic party and contributed largely to the success that
 has been achieved. As this is Kolb's sec- | ond defeat, it is quite likely that the mls- erable organization he has led at two cam. l paigns will now dissolve and that Alabama | Is safely anchored as thoroughly law and order commonwealth.
 | The success of the democrats in Tenues- l see and Alabama against the populists, 1 supported largely by the republicans, will have very decided effect upon the Novem Der elections in the west and north west. l Populism is defeated in the south and can now never gain a footing there as suc- | cessful party. Had these fusions succeeded ! in Tennessee and Alabama there would have been like fusons against the republi- cans by the democrats and populists in ] California, Nevada, Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, Idaho, North and l South Dakota and Washington, with rea- I son able prospect of success over the repub- l licsns in most of those states; but with | fusion beaten in the south the populst movement has received a death blow, and | 1t is now quite possible that the democrats lswill refuse to CO -operats with the populists ofn the western states, and it io quite cer- tain that if they were to do SO the republi- cans co uld defeat them with the aid of the conservative democrats.
 Thus the victory in Alabama means the defeat of the populists, not only of the south, but in the west, and while 1t has given the democrats two great victories in the south it is quit, likely to give the re- publicans thrice that pumber of victories in the west and northwest. Thanks to the
 people of Alabama. They have made law
 andIorder the jewel of American govern
 meut.