Birmingham state herald., 1895-11-17
VIOLENCE.

violent talk and violent action. The peo- pie demand and insist that law and order shall prevail at elections and that the result as declared by the constituted au- thorities shall be recognized and obeyed. If we are to permit self-constituted lead CTS of factions or parties to take up arms whenever elections go against them we may as well abandon organized govern ment and remit ourselves to the condi- tion of the lawless factions which have made mockery of republicanism in the Central and South American countries. The evil spirits which ineite the lawless methods of those feeble republics Is to be avoided, and will not be tolerated by these states in which the calm and just reason and the cool blood of the Anglo Saxon controls. We are led to these re- marks by the blood-thirsty attitude cf MT Grove and MT. Bowman in the recent meeting in this city. The speech Of MT. Grove is one unbecoming a man of intel ligence.' We quote the report of his re- marks in order that the people of Ala bama may see what kind of a man he is who offers to lead them at the approach ing elections
 pr. G. B. Grove was called for, and mounting the stage began his speech.
 The chair appointed Jerry Fountain and Jerry Dennis as sergeant-at-arms.
 'Dr. Grove resumed his speech, saying there should be more work and fewer resolutions. He said he hoped before the conference adjourned an organization so compact, so well drilled and, if need be, so well armed, that should the rape of Alabama be attempted again in 1896 the ballot box suffers would be swept off the face of the earth
 "He urged a. cessation of this talk of fu- sion, of poodle and such things. He said he didn't care who was nominated by the populists he would vote for him. But un- less it be such a man as will fight for hia rights. he will not go around over the state making an ass of himself as he had done in the past.
 Last fall, he said as an adjutant un- der Governor Kolb, he went around over the state and organized a militia. He said he begged and pleaded with the leaders to let him go to Montgomery and capture the capitol. They said the presi- dent was against them and would not let them do it. Next year he said, Cleveland will not be president and in his stead man who favorS them will be president Give him a man who will fight for his rights and he (Crowe) will lay down his life in the cause.'
 If this speech stood alone it might be passed by as the illumination of disor- dered intellect, but it happens that it agrees in spirit with the resolutions brought in by the chairman, F. G. Bow man, and enthusiastically adopted by the piebald convention. The first resolu- tion reads as follows
 'Viewing with distrust the methods and practices of the dominant party in Alabama, in the criminal manipulation of elections within the state, we declare 1t to be the sense of this conference that the election franchise is the right the exercise of which justifes the employ ment of any means that may be neces- sary to protect that right, and that we pledge ourselves to the maintainance in the use of any force that may be re- quired to that end"
 Reading between the lines we find in this resolution repetition of Mr. Crowe's speech.
 The gist of that speech is that MT. Grove will vote for any one nominated by the populists, no matter what plat form he stands upon, and that he is ready to go around the state making an ass of himself if the man selected will only fol- low him at the head of an Sarmy and seize the capitol at Montgomery. He as sumes that his man twill necessarily be elected, and that he must move with his organized militia upon the seat of gov ernment and capture it. He is sure that the capture will be successful, because in his opinion there will be a republican like Reed in the presidential chair and that stalwart czar will see to it that the Grove and Bowman militia shall march in triumph.
 tI1 Io11 mainly against the black counties, 1t fol- lows that the CTowe-Bowman militia will be composed most largely of the negroes whose rights they say are not being re- spected These negro troops, armed by Grove and Bowman and fed by them in some way not revealed, will no doubt con- centrate in the neighborhood of Selma, and crossing the river there will take the Benton road for Montgomery.
 There may be trouble in laying down a pontoon bridge for crossing, but such a little thing as that will not disturb the great militia leader. The delay might enable the state troops to reach Mont gomeisy ahead of him, by railroad, but a great general like Grove would antici- pate such an event by having the railroad bridges burned in every direction and the tracks torn up. His colored army will have trouble in passing through Big Swamp, especially as Judge Pet Caffee and others will tear up the bridges and defend the approache to the swamp. In our opinion they would never get out of that swamp.
 While this black army led by Grove is moving up from the south, we may ex- pect to see Bowman's army moving down by Plantersville and seeking to ef- feet a junction in the neighborhood of Hayneville. If he were to move by way of Rockford and Wetumpka his army would have to try conclusions with quite a little army of whites in the hills who do not agree with him as to the remedy for political wrongs. He would, to save himself, be compelled to move rapidly and get down into the black belt before the hue and cry could intercept him. If we were in command we would advise him to make a night march and cross the Alabama river about Dutch Bend He could then make his junction with Crowe's army of negroes before Pet Caf- fee could strike a blow. When once LII