The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-05-12

The life size bust portrait OF Fran
els W. Sykes, an Alabamian who hg-
ured. during reconstruction days In
sensational electoral contest for the
United States Senate, and one OF the
most prominent OF wartime Alabam-
Ians. has been received by Dr. Thomas
NJ. Owen of the State Department OF
Archives and History, and hung in the
portrait gallery at the Capitol.
Francis w. Skyes was resident Of
Lawrence county during the greater
part of his life in Alabama and served
that county, and others, In the Leg
islature and Senate OF the State. He
was born in 1919, and died during the
eighties
Francis w. Sykes Is best known.
probably, as one of the principals in
the historical contest for the national
Senate seat in 1872, when. backed by
the Democrats in the State Assembly.
he was defeated by the Republican
candidate. George E. Spencer. But
the Legislature, later, undertook to
Investigate the methods by which
Spencer was elected. and revealed vari-
Gus evidenee, covering more than two
= The history of the contest is famil-
lar to all students Of Alabama his
tory.
In 1872 when the Legislature came
to choose a successor to George e.
Spencer, Dr.. Sykes was put forward
2 In opposition to the Republican incum-
bent. On the face of the returns the
Democrats had a majority of both
houses of the Legislature. They pro-
ceeded to organize as usual in the
Capitol. counting the votes for state
officers and announced the, election of
David P. Lewis as Governor. together
with his associates as State officers.
Meanwhile the Republican members as
sembly in the Montgomery county
court houes. and with them were sew
eral candidates who claimed to have
been elected instead OF the Democrats,
who had received certificates from the
election officers. The two bodies were
calld respectively the Capitol Legis-
lature" and the Court House Legisla-
ture. "A conflict was imminent be-
tween the rival bodies, when a COM
promise was agreed upon. as a result
of which the Democrats lost their
majority in the Legislature. At this
time George E. Spencer, then in the
United StatesN Senate from Alabama,
stood for re-election. DR.. Sykes was
supported by the Democrats, and not
withstanding an earnest and vigorous
effort was made to secure his seat he
was not permitted to do so. The late
Senator John T. Morgan and the late
GONSThOS -. " wal WCIC sO1 CVun-
sci for the DR.. Sykes and they pre-
scented strong brief In his behalf,
The minority report of the Senate COM
mittee having the matter under con-
sideration stated:
That Francis w. Sykes. having been
duly and legally elected Senator from
Alabama for the constitutional term
commencing March I. 1873. is entitled
to the seat in. this body now held by
Although on this contest. which was
between Senator Spencer and DR..
Sykes, the latter was not admitted to
his seat, the Legislature of Alabama
lat its session in tS74-5. on its own ac-
count instituted searching investi-
cation into Senator Spencer's election.
and the work OF the committee was
published in a pamphlet of more than
two hundred pages. Senator Spencer
was never ousted. however. and con-
tinued to hold his seat until the ex-
piration of the term, March 4. 1879.