The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-10-07

Tho better to appreciate the terrors Of the political conditions in Alabama in 1870, let us glance, hurriedly only, across the state lines
 Governor Warmouth's administration cost the state of Louisiana in that one year s7,1s1.2o2 in current expenses. The ilem of registration of voters rose to $147,S41.
 In South Carolina an effort was made to escape reelection of Scott, carpetbagger. by voting for Carpen ter. also carpetbagger, for governor. Governor Scott aroused himself in deep revenge. He ordered out the negro militia to assist his canvass. He opened the gates of the penitentiary, to turn out upon the community the vilest of characters to mingle with his canvass. He deliberately drew $310,000 from the state treasury to defray ex- penses of his canvass. He defeated Carpenter by s0,0Oo majority and then progressed a saturnalien of vice un- dreamed of in the annals of the land
 In North Carolina, Governor Holden organized two regiments of militia. One was made up entirely of negroes from
 
 counties. The other came from the mountains. all white men, "deserters. renegades and cut throats." The colonel commanding the mountaineers was ono Kirk of infamous notoriety. The gov ernor armed these troops and made dispositions of them among peaceable communities to spread dismay by fre- quent and cause1ess' arrests. Chief Jus tice Richmond Pearson was of the gov ernor's political class, but not a pur- dtan. He issued in at least one case the writ of habeas corpus which Hold en defied.
 The legislature of Georgia convened on January 10, 1870. Governor Bullock selected a commissioner to administer the test oath to the members and ap- pointed also a clerk for each house, l instructed to organize it. The clerk selected was from New England. The governor sent to this clerk memor- andum of names of members that he desired to be added to the roll of the house of representatives. That body indignantly refused to admit the names Thereupon General Tenny, in command of the post, demanded that the gov ernor's legislators should be seated, and the thing. Was done.
 ChairIhah fCianton now entered reg / ularly, devotedly and with matchless leepergy upon his great and too brief ] 1abors. Could the state hope to make battle against the violence of the frag- mentary congress and against the as founding resolution of President Grant to perseyere in it's humiliation! Many linen that were true and brave passed solemn judgment upon Clanton that "he 5is hote headed'' he will do more harm than good"
 z The chairman gave notice that the executive committee of the democratic and conservative party would meet May 23, 1870, at Montgomery. A date and place were named for state nom- tinating convention, September 1, at Montgomery
 The republican state committee thereupon met and ordered a nomfn- aating convention for August 30, at Selma.
 The campaign marked the first con test of the two parties for control of the state government The first state convention of the republican party of Alabama met as ordered at Selma, Au- gust 30.
 The chicanery of Senator Spencer 10 break down Governor Smith and to de- feat his party in the legislature had now become apparent The convention was composed in large proportion of delegates from the ranks of federal officeholders and all of these were carpetbaggers and henchmen of the senator.
 Among the cute tricks of the senator was the arrival at critical moment of bundle of democratic newspapers from Huntsville containing a letter from one Tichenor, former comrade of both the senator and the governor in General Sher- mans army. Tichenor had revealed to Spencer, confidentially facts and opin- ions which seemed to cast doubts upon the fealty of the governor to the radical element of their party in common. The Tichenor letter was lost on the streets of Huntsville but had been found by an innocent third person and guilelessy de- livered by the finder to the democratic ed- itor. The circulation of it at the psy chological moment was supposed to be evidence of the unftness of the governor for leadership of his party.
 J. C. Stanton of Boston, manpulator of the Alabama and Chattanooga rail- road and expert politician, was on hand lobbying for Smiths nomination.
 Spencer had accomplished his purpose He had ''laid his wires" gathered to- gether his carpetbag cohorts and deliv- cred their instructions. Smith was to be defeated at the polls in the interest of the senator, let Stanton do what he might with the convention.
 The governor was nominated for his seecond term by exclamation; not renomf- hated. for his previous selection was by caucus of the carpetbaggers of the con- StitutiOnal convention; not for fe-eieclon.. for he had been defeated at the polls February. 1sG0 and thereafter legislated into office by the fragment of Congress.
 Miller of New York the incumbent, was forced to give way that negro from Lauderdale, J. T. Rlpier, might be nomi- mated for secretary of state. Arthur Bingham of Talladega and Joshua Morse of Choctaw, both scalawags. were nomi- hated to fill again the offices respectively of state treasurer and attorney general.
 In the freedmans bureau at Demopolis was clerk, young man of slight fig- ure and unimposing bearing. Ho had come with the army of invasion and hailed, indifferently, from Massachusetts and New York, his name Pierce Burton, Spen- Ger seems to have procured his nomina- tion for lieutenant governor, since stan ton hated him bitterly. because of his opposition to the railroad legislation.
 Tn the hall of the house of representa- tives at noon September 1. 1S70 Chairman Clanton called the first state convention Of the historic democratic and conserva- tive party of Alabama to order.
 Gen. F. w. Pettis of Dallas was chosen president Of all men, Gen. John T. Nor nation for governor. He had excrted lie sentiment. He published an eloquent and touching letter in the press, saying <he had undertaken professional business -that in good conscience he must com- olete. He had a young family to sup rport and educate by his labor alone othsr cstizens stood ready to accept the