The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-09-17

final action on the bill in February, some
 of the earlier advocates of a contest law changed their minds, because they be- lieved, from such investigations as they had made, that a contest would not prob ably change the general result, though the overhauling of the vote, consequent upon the Investigation in the different counties might result in further contests, and in unseating many officers whom they did not wish to disturb. Some sen- ators believed that the result as to state officers, after sitting all the frauds
 would not be changed, and that the pas sage of a contest law would only result in a useless continuation of heat and
 strife, and entail heavy drains upon the treasury. Other senators, it was said at
 the time, having in view to use the dis position made of the contest bill as an issue against the party in the coming election in 1894, preferred to keep the issue alive for future use, rather than
 run the risk of losing the issue by an
 adverse decision, and having made rec ord in favor of contest law were con tent to have the bill defeated. At all events, no effort was made by the oppo- sition or any one else, to reconsider the adverse report, or to withdraw the pro- | visions about a committee to hear the contests after the expiration of the ses~ 1 sion, which was the final rock on which the minority and majority split. No one
 even suggested that the legislature should | be called together in extraordinary ses- | sion to consider the subject again. To 1 have done sowoud only have been a | useless stirring of political strife and the 1 imposition of heavier burdens on the tax payers. Without the passage of law under which contests could be had, there were no reasons which could justify an | extraordinary session. I had no earthly doubt that I received a large majority of the white vote, and there was no req son why l should refuse to serve out my 1 term. To have done so would have been a cowardly abandonment of the men who | followed me, and 1 could not think of 1t, | pleasant as 1t would have been person. l ally to have been rid of the cares of office. which I held at much .pecuniary | sacrifice. ~ The Truth Alone Makes History The former governor cannot make his-,
 tory by exploiting and parading his per
 sonal and Yindictive views of men or ad- mnistrations. The sober judgment of the great body of the people long ago crystal
 lzed into the conviction that the state government of Alabama in 1S90-9i and the administration 1t gave the people, so Tar from being secondary in it's evil resuits to the civil war and reconstruction was | d benificent power, at a critical time in promoting the welfare and happiness or the people. No man who studies the hls- tory of those times can fail to perceive that most of the leaders of the opposition in pursuit of their aims to inaugurare
 a reign of intolerance and prescription, madSevery possible appeal to passion and unreason, and to array class against class and race against race, while the leaders
 on the other side. on the contrary, ap- pealed to the reason and intelligence of the people and their higher and better in7 stincts and their regard for liberty and law in support of their candidate and principles
 The public prints and co-temporaneous recollection of my hearers will bear out the assertion that the leader of the resu- lar ticket, and it's supporters on che stump did not seek to stir passion or in-
 cite prejudices, either before or after my
 nomination for governor in 1892. I may ba pardoned in this connection for indulging in a quotation from my opening speech at Birmingham, whose spirit characterized the tone of all my subsequent addresses.
 l then said: "As far as depends upon mo, this campaign shall be conducted along the lines of truth and absolute fairness, in manner worthy the dignity of an ex
 alted office, the honor of a great state,
 and the fair fame of million and a half of people. This contest is an appeal to the justice and judgment of the people, and bitterness and epithets have no place in such a discussion of it's issues" In the
 joint debate at Eufaula 1 emphasized that
 "of all men in Alabama the governor can
 not afford to appeal to prejudice or pas
 sion.'
 l will not here attempt to partieularize and review the speeches of particular
 leaders on the other side. All men who
 lived during those times recoect their general tone and temper, though here and there was an exception. They were gener-
 ally resonant with threats of bloodsheo and violence, and mere efforts to incite hate and to array class against class.
 Boycotts were a favorite weapon. Some
 of the opposition speakers even went so far as to insist that their followers should not hear the speakers on the other side.
 Even the state credit which should be held high above partisan hate, was at
 tackled. The oppositioD leaders and some of their organs proposed tp starve the state government by withholding taxes, and flooded the money markets of the east with threats and warnings against extending credit to the officials then Tn office. Although the governor had ex- plained to the opposition leaders in the house the absolute necessity of increasing the contingent fund s70O0 for one year and
 
 contingent expenses, including interest on and cost of effecting temporary loans and other arrangements for maintaining the public credit" the opposition leaders in- duced the house to refuse the appropria- tion. The amendment having been put on In the senate there was much difficulty hi inducing concurrence in it, which was brought about largely by the frank attl- tude of the executive that as the refusaf of the appropriation would help to ruin credit of the state and be a step Towards repudiation, he would veto the entire ap- propriation bill, and thus squarely put the issue before the people whether they would stand for the effort to starve sheIr own government.
 Two momentous commotions occurred in the mineral regions in the spring and summer of 1894, in which struggles be- tween employer and employe overleaped the bounds of law and threatened the C.. ~G ~