The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-08-30
TEN YEARS OF ALABAMA
 1865-l874
Mo- 31-Major General Ge orge G. Meade, Commanding
1865-I874

practically exclusively in the north. The entire system of federal taxation and dis bursement has been and is deliberately devised to feed the north.
 Let Alabama have restored to her peo- pie the value of the cotton stolen from them after Appomattox, under authority of the United States; let the three years cotton tax be refunded. Say nothing of 40 years of tariffs, arranged to bleed the south and fatten the north. In 1860 not dollar of the stock of the 743 miles of railroad in the state was owned out Of the state. Let the thefts of various kinds be refunded, on the claim of equity, and the stocks of the 5000 miles of railroad, now here, will be purchased by our own people. Our state debt will seek our own investors. The railroads will feed Mo- bile rather than Wall street. The unequal application of intrastate rates, if any, will cease. The money of our own people, coralled on Wall street by federal leg islation, will cease to masquerade as foreign capital' come to draw com- pound interest in the initial sources of supply.
 The putting into effect of the Alabama constitution of 1S67-6S was g. feature of the scheme of conquest. We have ex- tinguished that feature. Gradually we shall blot out the scheme itself and re- Buf1le cOntTOl HI the UUp.
 If it were not true that ''reconstruc- tion'' in Alabama was a feature of a scheme of revolution, the facts and tho fall of 1t might not demand record in this day of partial recovery from it. Macau- ley says since the birth of government over men, 'the soil of despotism has favored the thoughts of genius among men," Alabama may thank the Giver Of every perfect gift, that there has never | f4..-t 4.]t 11 Ia to the track of despotism that flavor of it has humbled the thoughts of Ala bamians.
 The returns of the election of Febru- ary, mades by the major general com manding, proved that the constitution had been defeated by about 15,000 ma- jority. No candidates for governor or any of the state and county offices opposed the nominees of the convention caucus, that is, the carpet baggers and the Loyal league, the negroes. Those nominees were elected" as the constitution was ratified by the act of Congress June 12, 1888.
 Congress therefore legislated into place in Alabama, among the whole host of state and county officers. the following. to-wit: William H. Smith of Randolph county to be governor; A J. Applegate of Ohio to be lieutenant gov
  to the state; Charles A. Miller of Maine to be secretary of state; Arthur Bing- ham, northern man with northern principles, long resident at Talladega, to be state treasurer; R. M. Reynolds of Maine to be state auditor; John c. Kef- fer of Ohio to fill a second newly crea- ted office, commissioner of industries i; Joshua Morse of Choctaw a captain in the Confederate army, now a brilliant lou fn ha ean The organization of the system of public education was wholly changed by the new constitution. Dr. N R. Cloud. former secession editor of the Mont gomery Advertiser, later surgeon in the Confederate army. was also legislated by Congress into the newly created office, president of the board of edu- cation.
 Who was Governor Smith? What of the heighth, depth. breadth of organ ized society in Alabama did he imper- senate? First the same land had Bienvilie. History glories in the sub lject New conditions brought here from Pennsylvania Governor Sargent, noble gentleman, known to all men. There was another mighty man of valor and truth, ruler here, Pushmataha. What he was, we know by this, that while dying afar off he whispered with feel . e
 When the news that ' am gone away goes out to my people. it will be like the fall of big tree when the wind is still.' A more tender and divinely inspired epitaph than that is not in scribed on the stones of Westminster Abbey. Another change brought here Governor William Wyatt Bibb, 30 and odd years of age. fresh from well earned laurels in the highest walks or public service, a gentleman by inheri- tance, education and instinct Governor Smith was separated in the antecedents of his life, separated as suide, or prophet, or priest from all precedent in the office of governor Of Alabama. He represented nothing that could evolve by natural process from the in- stincts of Alabama. He was an abor- ton, a miscarriage fthe processes of American civics.
 A fragment of Congress, in con tumacious revolt. belched from its li- 'bidinous belly the other state officers. Lieutenant Governor A. J. Applegate of Ohio had served as private in the