The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-08-18
TEN YEARS OF ALABAMA


aro ride in alI publie eonveyances;

ITO ride in all public conyeyances; 'ro sit at public tables;
 TO visit public places of amusement | What the policy of the white men? The first step must be, consent to stand together. The questions expanded Was 1t wise to accept what Congress 1 imposed, vote and run the hazard of eividing the negro vote? Was it wiser tc defy the beast in his lair and sulk in unr own tents?
 Let the enemy hasten to the length Of his tether and we will then strangle him, spoke out some. Other more defiant spirits shouted back: Alabama is not eomatose; her spirit Is not in suspense Let us organize, let us bide our time in faith. We shall not stoop to conquer" There were two daily papers at the eap- ital, each edited by true Confederate veteran; one took one side, the other the other side There were two daily papers at Selma, divided between themselves John Forsyth had now merged Langdon's old Whig Advertiser with his state rights democratic Register and the Register wonld hear of no suggestion of expe- Gieney Let General Pope make up his constitutional convention, on the plan of his orders from Washington. Let white men of self respect keep out. The light would break upon Alabama, the full day would return. God rules. Every cotton lndi tOulU Itditl MQbliS Dy lib mail read the Register, and shouted back to Forsyth.
 The next month, on June 4, General Swayne and Judge Busteed made another attempt to organize the Union Repub- llcan Party in Alabama. They were unfamiliar, when they arrived, with the characteristics of their constituency. Hence the membership of the Mobile state convention of May had been limited to negro delegates.
 The later convention, of June 1. met in the hall of the house of representa- lives. The attendance was satisfactory. About 100 negro delegates occupied seats on one side of the main aisle and about half that number of whites held their seats on the opposite side. The whites were citizens from Montgomery, Mobile white delegates had assisted in the or ganzation of the white mans party at Selma the year before, when General Clanton was put at the head. Henry C. Senple, a lawyer of standing and a Vir einia gentleman of the first water" d Confederate soldier of exceptional dis tinetion, took his seat as from Mont gonery. Francis w. Sykes, a gentlem7tn from Lawrence county, who had receiveda various public trusts from the democrats in the past; Joseph H. Speed, a Confed- crate soldier and a legislator from Perry county, were seated on the white side of the aisle.
 l3usteed had developed into a rival with Swayne for the United States Senate He desired to forward his political claims oy the influence of the chairmanship. Swayne managed to put Judge William H. Smith from Randolph in the chair. Two of Shermans soldiers had seats, General Willard Warner of Ohio, of his staff, arf Col. George F. Spencer of New YoltS Of the staff of General Jud- son Fitzpatrick, as we have before seen. BLsteed and Swayne were favored spec tators.
 nor Sykes was made temporary chair man. Busteed, in effort to hold his own sent to the desk a letter from himself to be read The letter went against the grain somehow, and was coldly received
 After Smith took the chair and the bodye organized, Governor Patton was escorted upstairs from the executive of fees below, 10 be seated by the side of the presiding officer. Thereupon dele gate from his place called out: 'I feel that you are with us, governor" les, l am with you always" returned Gov ernor Patton.
 Later in the campaign the governor, by sufferance, went down to Selma to ex- plain to public meeting why he~ at tended the Montgomery convention. He had nothing to say in extenuation except: ''I want to get back into the union, for ther all our troubles will cease" He could not be a democrat in Alabama, he sad, for democrats can do nothing here"
 IL two-thrds negro part of the conven ton sat quietly They seemed to have no purpose beyond listening to the whites. Semple and Sykes had come to use the negro to put down Spencer and the car pet baggers The carpet baggers re- taliated. called in the Congress and the generals to their support and rose to the surface, bedecked with the honors of the times.
 JOHN WITHERsPooN DUBOSE