The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-04-14
Nimrod E. Benson and Charles Pollard Foremost in Pioneer Movements for
 Advancement of Capital City.

have two entrances one 10 the east and one to the west.
 | But all building will be subsidiary | to the architecture c8 the beautiful | old structure. All will harmonize, but | the basis of the harmony will be the | pure Grecian lines which characterize | the old structure. The wing was so | constructed. It was not built us tall as the old building for if it had been | it might dwarf the importance of the l main structure The columns which | ornament the entrance of the new ] wing were made Ionic because the columns of the oriignai building were | Corinthian, the highest class of col umns and the wing had to be 50 con- structed that 1t would be no rival of the main structure. The wing was built at a cost of $S0.000.
 And the building of this wing is the latest development in the life of far off struggle at Tuscaloosa 10 have the Capitol moved and in which Mont gomery and Wetumpka were rivals.
 Ancient Tradition Shattered.
 tradition, which endures to this day and which has many believers re- lates the story that Wetumpka lost the State Capitol by one vote. The in teresting tradition says further that Wetumpka's loss was due to personal difference between the two members who represented Coosa county in the Legislature, the territory occupied by Wetumpka then being in Coosa county.
 The old story told again and again has it that one of the Coosa members having a personal hatred to the other and one having grievance against wetumpka voted for Montgomery and this single vote moved the Capitol from Tuscaloosa to the hill on the banks of the Alabama. The record unfortunately kills the story. There may have been differences between the Coosa county members and one man might have had a grudge against We tumpka. He may have voted for Mont gomery but his vote was hot respon- sible for Wetumpka's loss
 As a matter of fact while n .ormida- ble competitor for the great honor We tumpka was never in striking distance of 1t. It was second in the race on more than one ballot and on more than one ballot it received more votes than did Montgomery. As matter of Tact more members of the Legislature vot- ed to keep the Capitol at Tuscaloosa than voted to move it either to Montgomery or Wetumpka.
 The record, together with some notes of peculiar interest on the contest have been preserved in the valuable Remi- nicences of William Garrett for many years CleTk or the ftOuSo ana DSStc- tary of State of Alabama. MT. Gar rett was Clerk of the House in the session of 1s45 at which the question was decided and at which 1t was she paramount issue.
 Two Constitutional Amendments.
 The people of Alabama had in the preceding campaign voted for the re- moval of the Capitol from Tuscaloosa. There had been two constitutional ts, fn fhn nannIa for approval or rejection. The first provided for biennial sessions of tie Legislature. From the adoption of the first Constitution in 1S1S Alabama had had annual sessions. But the session of 1845 submitted to the voters of the State the two Constitutional amend ments, the one for biennial sessions Of the Legislature and the other for the removal of the Capitol. The vote on biennial sessions were. for 65,S19; against, 5,167 On the removal of the seat of government voted on the same ticket the total was 33,79S for removal, and 27.320 against removal which showed a considerable division on the question. The Black Belt and Cane brake counties, in those days of the baronial plantations and big slave pop ulation waged considerable Influence in the political affairs of the State. The Canebrake counties favored Iuscaloos osa and some of the Black Belt counties stood for the Capitol to remain at Tuscaloosa But East and South Ala bama with a considerable help ;yom the northwest counties carried the day
 The fight was not won, however. There was still another fight to be won when the Legislature was called upon to carry into effect the will of the people registered at the polls. IL NA-.-. thirds vote of the members of the Leg islature to amend the Constitution and Tuscalosa had many friends. The first fight was on a point of order. The endorsing resolution embodied both amendments, that Is, it declared that the Legislature of Alabama should meet every two years and that the Capitol of the State shrould be moved.
 The opponents of rel oval contended that the two propositions should be separated for the vote. They declared that a man might want to vote for one proposition and against the other. in which case he would be unable 10 vote on both questions. In the recent Legislature the same question arose and 1t is an interesting fact that 1t was decided in the same mannev.
 The decision was made by Andrew R. Moore, Speaker of the House at the time, but later destined to be Cover nor of the State. Speaker Moore ruled that the questions were indivisiable and that two could be voted on in the same resolution. Hon. Samuel NJ. lnge. one of the strong men of the day and a staunch friend of Tuscaloosa imme- diately appealed from the decision of the chair. The House sustained the chair, ayes, 52; nays, A. The joint resolution was then adopted, 68 to Al. But still the removal light was not won,
 Pretty Parliamentary Battle.
 parliamentary struggle was inau- gurated and the House fought it out all day long in filibustering and spar ring for advantage. The minority un- der the Constitution had a pretty open ing for a nice fight for the Capitol could not be moved without two thirds vote of the Legislature and the Removalists had 10 marshal sixty seevn votes before the remvoal could be effected. At length this was ac- complished with the vote up to the constitutional requirement..
 The removal of the Capitol had been determined upon, but the question ns to what city should have it had to be settled. In spite of the adverse vote of the people and in spite of its con firmation by the Legislature Tusca- loosa had more friends among the