The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-02-07
BY D. W. McIVER

Forty wears in Alabama politics.
 This is an ordinary lifetime of per non and in this number of years many moving scenes may be witnessed on the political stage.
 propose 10 write more or less intimate fy of my observations covering period of forty years in Alabama public life. I shali narrate the reorganization of the Democratic party after the war and in a series of articles will present running sketches of each convention of the party since the party was reorganized, to those of the present year. In each article pic- lures of the leading and most prominent personages will he presented.
 will recite events that came within my personal knowledge for much of the time. as T was a member of the convention of 1874 and have been either member or present as an officer, or as reporter or the proceedings. in every one held since.
 Forty years ago there were pertfous times in Alabama. Hon. Thomas H. Watts was Governor. He was a Whig and possessed strong Union sentiments, opposing the secession of the State. But when 1t did secede and the final step was taken, he raised a regiment and went 10 the front as its commander. It Is said Of him that ''at Shiloh his bravery and daring qualities under fire, gained for him . fine reputation in military circles and throughout the whole country" He was made Attorney General by MT. Davis and remained in that position until he was elected Governor in 1863.
 In the second year of his administra- fion he was deposed by the provisional Government and 'by the magic of radical ism he suddenly found himself no longer Governor of a sovereign State, but a dis Sranchised rebel of a province under mill tary rule with commissions In vogue, su- preceding the laws, and convicting white men of high crimes and misdemeanors on negro testimony. From being the master of slaves he found his condition reversed and that his slaves were his masters at the ballot box" 2
 This well describes the condition of all our people at that time and is only re- ferred to here for that purpose. This was the beginning of the provisional govern ment and of the dark age in Alabama politics. When the right of suffrage and all the rights of citizenship were conferred upon the negro. he was suddenly made to feel that he was superior to his former masters. The Northern adventurers Hooked to the State, bringing all their earthly possessions in their carpet-bags and living under their hats, They were were called ''carpet-baggers." a name that has stuck to them to this day.
 j There were Southern white men, too, who, for the sake of selfish gain. desert cd their own people and joined with the negro to get public office. They were call ed .scallawags the two words being coined to it the case. Some of them prospered and fiourished for a time, but, as is usu- ally the case after such conduct, retribu- 1ion came and they have almost today entirely disappeared from the politic al arena and will hardly ever arise on tha harfzon of our politics again.
 Provisional Government.
 Hon. Lewis E. Parsons of Talladega was made the Provisional Governor, the government of might over our people. On July %. 1885. he issued proclamation for an election to be held in each County on August g, for delegates to a Constitutional Convention, to assemble on September IF of thAt yeArse
 Tfe cohTention. was held and its prin- cipaE actsa were to abolish slavery; de- claring -t4ie ordinance of secession null and void: and other necessary acts to take the State back into the Union.
 An election for State officers was held and Hon. Robert Patton of Lauderdale was elected Governor. On December E he was inaugurated and five days there after Secretary Seward notified Mir. Par Hoffs that ''the time had arrived when, in the Judgment of the. President of the Uni ted States. the care and conduct of the proper affairs of the State of Alabama may be remitted to the constitutional au- tilority. chosen by the people thereof without danger to the peace and safety of the United States
 Governor Patton made the best Cover nor possible under the circumstances, but all his acts were censored by military commander and he could do but little for the people. He was finally deposed by khe Reconstruction acts of Congress and a military government was established.
 In 1888 Hon. William H. Smith of Ran dolph was elected Governor by the Re- pliblicans. Right here occurred one of the most important political movements since the war, when the celebrated Ex- change Hotel Conference was held and the policy of the party was formed, the white people being advised not to vote for the new constitution. It was predict ed that it would be saddled upon the State by Congress at any cost, an 1t was thought best for the white people not to vote. I was surprised to find so little known or remembered about that confer ence. when I began to inquire about it.
 The First Convention.
 The Union Conservative party was or ganized at Selma on August 3, 1S66 It WAAs luS IiISL party meeting aIIeT Ine war and was called to send delegates to the Union convention al Philadelphia, August 14.' 1866. Hon. w. H. Crenshaw of Butler. presided over this convention
 On the 4th of September. 1867, the Union party met to decide whether negroes should come into the white mans party and whether white men would vote on questions of constitutional convention on October 1st, and how they should vote Gen. M. J. Bulger of Tallapoosa. presi6~ ed, Hon. W. H. Barnes of Chambers. was called to the chair temporarily. on motion of General James H. Clanton of Montgomery. Thirteen counties were represented by eighty-seven delegates, fourteen of them being negroes, From , Chambers there were w. H. Barnes and Ike Vincent; from Dallas, Robert Mckee Greene, J. w. Taylor; Lee, J. IT. Drake l.. F. Mccoy; from Montgomery there were J. H. Clanton, W. w. Allen. G. w Stone, J. Hodgson. J. F. Whitfield; from Macon there were R. II. Abercrombie. H H. Armstrong and R. H. Howard; from