The broad ax., 1909-09-11
The Rise and Reign Of The
BOUIbOR OIigaIcIy in The
Southern States.
Concluded from page ~

tionary temperament of the Southern
democracy is afforded in the ex-
ample Of the Rebellion. That the
spirit Of govern or overthrow by
force did not die when secession
failed, that the determination to DOM
mate is as strong now as then, it is
only necessary to refer back TO recent
political events in some Of these
states during these years not long
since gone Violence and fraud was,
seemingly, a pastime employed in, the
Reconstruction era, but we find that
crimes against the ballot have been
just as brazenly perpetrated when
these oracles of the Southern "democ-
racy" were not called upon to count
out and to intimidate carpet bag
gers" and @Niggers." The theft Of the
governurship of Alabama from Hon.
R. F. Kolb, a native Southerner and
an ex-Confederate soldier, demon
strated indisputably the fact that the
oligarchy is resolved not to yield Do
litical control and that no one except
an agreed upon member of the regime
shall be permitted to be elected to
Office in the States which they fasten
down with hooks Of daring despotism.
Captain Kolb had been permitted to
be elected to the Office Of Commits
sioner OF Agriculture of Alabama by
the democracy but the leaders Of
the machine rebelled against his am
bition for higher place Popular be-
fore the people, more so than any man
Of his party in his time, the masses
favored his aspirations and encourag-
ed his candidacy for governor; and
the white counties favored his nomi-
nation and he secured the delegations
to the state convention. He was fig
ured OUT there. He made his appeal
to the electorate. The result was
that the democracy was saved" by
immensely padded returns from the
sixteen black belt counties in Alabama J
populated largely by blacks and that
enormous fictitious majorities, from
these counties, were employed to over
come and to annul the majorities hon
estly polled by the whites in the forty
five white counties Of the State-cOun-l
ties populated almost exclusively byl
whites Returns were recorded for
the democracy from black belt pre-
cincts where the polls were not in |
reality opened and where the formalfty
of an election was dispensed with.
Upon the day Of the "ofRcial" count
the majority Of votes for Kolb were,
scaled down in the white counties,
where the democracy" controlled the
returning boards, by the throwing out
Of the vote Of many precincts voting
Kolb majorities and this was neces-
sary to overcome the revolt against
the machine even though the black
belt had already done its duty"
There is not an informed man in Ala
hama who win not. perhaps, confess
to the election Of Kolb in 1892 by a
majority. The supporters
Of the KoIb ticket were moeked at and
dehed. The bourbon leaders boast
ingly asserted: Yes. We counted you
out and we win do 1t again, Il neces-
sary and what are you going to DO
abcnt it9~
The present Populist candidate for,
Hon. Thomas E. watson,
had an experience IN congressional
Dolitics in his district not very mueAi
mike the gubernatOriai campaign
and election experience Of Captain
xolb me ballot box suffers Of Rich
mopd county. Georgia. 50 much over
sia Il however, that Mr. WatsOn's Op-
Donsnt vas compelled BY the n0toi-
stv Of the stsaI to become ashamed to-