The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1895-07-31
ALABAMA.
KOLB IS CONFIDENT.
He Says the Populists of Alabama
Will Win and Without
Fusion.

Capt. Ruben F. Kolb, the leader Of the
Populists of Alabama, who was the cen
trail figure at the time Gov. Oates took his
seat, is in Washington. Capt Kolb is
every inch a Southerner in appearance
clean shaven man except a gray mus
tache, kept well trimmed, and hair that
shows few traces of the black locks he
possessed Is years ago. But Capt Kolb
moves about with the energy of a young
er man and carries determined counten-
ance at all times.
Several prominent Democrats OF Ala
bama have lately claimed that Kolb IS
losing his following, and that the Pop
ulists there are becoming discouraged
The idea has been givn forth that the
Populists themselves have begun to see
the error of their ways and are turning
again to the Democratic party.
'FThe people who say these things"
said Kolb, "do not believe them. If they
think the Populist party in Alabama is
dead, they will find it is the liveliest
corpse they ever had to deal with. Far
from being discouraged throughout the
Populist party there is deter
mination that at the next cleo
ton two-thirds of the white peo-
pie of Alabama voted the Populist
ticket. They are ready to vote it again
l will cite one circumstance, partly per-
sonal to me, to show that there is much
life in our party. It is just nine months
since l started the Peoples Tribune at
Birmingham. 1t is weekly paper but
pays more postage into the postoffice than
any paper of the city We have the larg-
est circulation of any paper in Alabama.
| believe that the election which comes
off one year from next August will be a
Populist victory not only in the sense
that we had a victory in our last contest
but our votes will be counted and our
candidates will be seated.
'sYou ask why / can hope for this in
view of the fact that we did not succeed
in the last election? reply that the con-
ditions will have changed. Indeed they
have changed. We were but poorly or
ganized in our last election and were not
prepared to enforce our rights. We now
have an organization in every county,
and, more than that, an amendment to
our election law has been adopted which
Will do much in helping us to get our
rights
I'm the last election the Democrats had
the power in the black belt to appoint
any man they saw fit to represent our
party at the polls. They selected an ;g-
norant negro who might be bought for so
cents to represent US, so that that the
oreticalprotection was of no practical
use to us. But the amend
ment to our election law provides that the
organization of each party shall name
three men, one of whom must be selected
to represent it at the polls. By this meth
cd we can get another class of men to look
out for Our'interests.
There is no likelihood of the Populists
of Alabama fusing with the Republicans.
| have advocated that no such course be
adopted, and in order to determine the
sentiment of the state | have sent cir
cular letters to all members of the state
central executive committee as well as to
other prominent members Of the organi-
zation. The sentiment shown in the re-
plies received is almost unanimous
against fusion.
"While I am Populist do not con-
cede first place in my loyalty to true JEFF
fersonian Democracy to any man. You
can depend upon it we are going right
ahead, and with no feeling of discourage
ment, and the real cyclone in Alabama is
vet to ome."-Washingto Correspon-
dpnce