Arizona republican., 1899-05-09
DEMOCRATS AT ODDS
Bifler FaCfiOnSI Fight in inc Sfafe
 Of Alabama.

 bama is now the storm center of tional fight on in the democratic party that exceeds the famous Kolb-Jones contest of 1S90 The present governor | of the state Joseph F. Johnston, has stirred the citizens in the last few weeks as they have never been stirred politically before, and he has lined up
 two bitter and determined factions i'll as heated struggle as ever witnessed in the arena of Alabama politics.
 The constitGti onal convention ques- ton has split the democracy. At it's last session the general assembly of Alabama passed 9 bill submitting to the people the question of whether or not a convention should be held. The bill provided for delegates to be elected at the election which passed on the convention question. When the democrats met to nominate dele gates from the state at large a reso lution was adopted making the hold ing of constitutional convention party question. It appeared also that Palmer and Buckner democrats had captured the party.
 Soon after the adjournment of that convention Governor Johnston. the free silver leader, threw down the gauntlet that brought up the wrangle. He issued a proclamation convening the legislature of Alabama in extraor- dinaTy session to repeal the consitu- tional act. The fight new on, there fore is for or against repeal, Johnston or anti-JGhRStoa. TE1iaa. scate executive coIn1ntttee Of the GeSOcrat:e party met and passed, by 8 small majority. resolutions indorsing the holding Of a convention, and the anti-Johnston democrats apply the epithet of "bolt- CT" to the governor who declines 10 be whipped into line. The county committees are acting on the ques- tion, and of the number of them heard from, fifteen in all, ten have indorsed Johnston and repeal, and five have condemned the governor and declared for a constitutional convention to dis fra1cise the ''nigger.'' The other county committees will act in about the same proportion as for and against the governor
 The white counties with but few exceptions, and some of the black belt counties are with the governor The leading newspapers of the state are for the convention and are bitter in their denuEciation of Governor John- ston's course.
 The present fight is very much like the old Kolb-Jones campaign of 1890- 92, when the press was against Kolo by majorities amounting to 2,500 in 1 cause the black belt was solidIy against him-that is, the manipula- | tors of it were.
 If the legislature fails to repeal the | covention the act and the question go | before the people in July, Governor Johnston will win, for he will carry the white counties against the conven- ton and will lave few black counties on his side. Governor Johnston has another advantage. He is governor. and he can order his secretary of state not to certify returns f-onl black belt counties, where the votes may ba nous majo1ities. The governor has courage and he is in this fight to carry his point. He has letters from . majority Of the members of the gen. sral assembly favo-ing repeal and the of the legislature for that purpose, but what the results of the session will be no one can foretell.
 Never in the history of Alabama las such a lobby been organized as hat arranged by the advocates of the constitutional convention. Governor Johnston has warned members of the egislature who favor repeal that open hreats and boasts have been made to 1 'btain favorable results by the use of big corruption fund. The speaker Of the house and the president of the senate are against re- ,eal, and the bill to repeal the act will have a hard road to travel. The wo factions of the party are far ( nough apart now, but when the legis- ative session is over it is probable hat the chasm will be too wide to ridge until several years have passed. The populist members of the le-is- l atuTe are for repeal, as are the two ] epuDlicans in the house. The popu- ! ists and republicans are in sympathy with the governor and look upon the yrangling of the democrats with no mall degree of satisfaction.