The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-04-14
Relation Of Montgomery and People
 to the Seat Of ALaban1a GoUernn1ent.

Montgomery of the honor its enter.
 prise and industry had secured. Mont.
 gomery all but lost the Capitol By
 a hairs breadth the city succeeded ir
 keeping the Capitol here. A report oi
 a joint committee recommending that the Capitol remain at Montgomery and that the State make an appropriation
 to pay for its rebuilding was tabled in both Houses by Q narrow vote. The old Capitol <at Tuscaloosa was still
 standing and was ready to throw open its doors to the prodigal Legislature which had left it. It was estimated that new Capitol would cost perhaps $75.00o which could be saved by Q re- turn to Tuscaloosa. Tuscaloosa still had many friends in she Legislature. So the committees report was tabled and for one day 1t lo,,ked as though Tuscaloosa would regain the honor she had lost.
 to her interest. Led by Robert L. Ware. Senator from Montgomery, ably assisted by Thomas H. Watts, then u member of the Legislature from Butler county. Montgomery rallied from the temporary disadvantage of the ad- versed report and snatched a victory out of what looked like defeat by a reconsideration and an able and intel Igent massing of her forces The city of Montgomery and the county of Montgomery owes no little of their prestige to Robert J. Ware, the strong ana able leader who was perhaps the greatest single political factor in the county before the war. He was a Whig and he did more than any other single man to- keep Montgomery a Whig county although the State was continually Democratic. Dr. Ware for many years represented Montgomery county either in the Senate or House anu was recognized as one of the lead ing Whfgs of the State.
 lt was fortunate for the city and county that he was a member of the senate when this particular crisis
 The friends of Tuscaloosa desiring 70 Win back the Capitol advanced the aoroi. argument that the State was heavily In debt. It was argued that the bonds issued by the State to cover the losses and corruption of the State bank period were an incubus on the state government and every retrench- ment was needed to permit Alabama to meet the obligation of these bonds. Ihe State under the circumstances could Ill afford to make the appropria- tlon required for the building of the new Capitol.
 The Montgomery senator was ready to meet that argument He submitted that 1t would not be economy for the capitol to be moved back to Tusa- ioosa. If this was done the State of Alabama was in honor bound, to re- turn to the city of Montgomery the Sso,00o spent to have the Capitol built In Montgomery. The city had spent that r>eney and turned the Capitol over to ne State with the understanding that the city of Montgomery was to remain the Capital The State could not pos sibly violate its contract without re- turning to the city of Montgomery the amount it had spent in building the Capitol
 The Montgomery senator also re- minded the Legislature that it would only be question of time before a new Capitol would have to be built at Tuscaloosa. He recalled to them that several times in their memorey the Legislature had adjourned on the ap- proach of a storm as the old Capitol was considered unsafe.
 The whole was a clinching argument and Montgomery's fight was won. Tia Legislature quickly passed bill ap- propriating $60,000 to the building Of a new Capitol.