The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1912-11-13
TEN YEARS OF ALABAMA
1865-1874
No. administration Of Governor Lindsay

lature, known to the constitution as the
general assembly, met November 20,
1871, and adjourned sine die February
Is, 1872 Four hundred and seyenty-four
acts were passed, all but 81 denominated
private and special" The alterations
and making anew of law for the govern
ment of negroes emancipated precipitate-
ly, was responsible largely for the local
legislation. Many county courts and in
ferior courts of records were created. An
avalanche of acts to protect territory
named from the liquor traffic was en-
acted. Many small towns were incorpo-
rated The demand for these corporations
arose from the necessity of police. Ne
groes in slavery were held at home and
fed and clothed by their masters, who
bought in Mobile. Now they resorted each
in his own right to the nearest trading
places, thus increasing the number and
proportion of such places. A large num-
Der of individual relief acts were passed,
involving change of removals and gard
ians of estates on account of removals
of heirs from county to county. This
and similar acts Indicated more unset
tied condition of the population than had
existed previously.
Election laws were amended from those
enacted by the carpetbag legislature, SO
that the voter must cast his ballot only
In the county of his residence In a pre-
cinct of his choice. He must take an
oath before voting, and the Inspector
must cry out the voters name as the
ballot is deposited. The ballot must be
numbered and the voters name numbered
on the poll list, to correspond to the bal
lot. Election chanengers must be APP
pointed when election managers were APP
pointed and by the same authority, and
their names published when appointed.
All poll lists were sent In Immediately
to the county board of supervisors. This
board of supervisors was composed of
the probate judge. the sheriff and the
circuit clerk. The county board opened,
compared and counted the ballots, sealed
the package and sent it to the secretary of
state In five days, showing the vote of
all the precincts of the county for all
persons voted for except governor, lieu
tenant governor, secretary of state, aud
itor, treasurer and attorney general The
vote for these five enumerated state Of
fees should be sealed and sent 10 days
before the time fixed for the next meet
ing of the general assembly" to the
presiding officer of the senate. The pro-
visions of this law, in regard to the duty
of county supervisors, entered largely
into the general election of November.
1872, which, as we shall see. was attended
with highly revolutionary incidents.
The finances were In distressing condi-
ton, chiefly because of the default on
the part of the railroad to meet the inter-
est on their Endorsed bonds and other as
sistance given them by the state An
act was passed seeking relief from the
treasury in an issue of new bonds to the
amount of 81, 900, bearing interest mot
bonds, or per cent for sterling bonds"
semi annually paid in either case, trans
ferable at the option of the holder, pay
able in 20 years and renewable at the
pleasure of the state.
In order to meet the state obligations
an act was passed laying special AK OF
one-twenteth of per cent to create a
sinking fund for their gradual redemp-
ton and final extinguishment.
The legislature considered but failed
to pass an act left to its successor to
substitute for the $4,000 per mile indorse-
ment of first mortgage railroad bonds a
straight state bond of $4,000 per mile, run
ming 80 years with per cent semi-annual
interest, payable In gold. Other railroad
Legislation fixed dates on which the state
aid roads respectively must be completed
Yet other acts defined the duties and
power of the governor to sell delinquent
roads.
The task of Governor Lindsay was with
out precedent, and was extremely diff
ficult even to man in his place of wider
experience and stronger character. In
order to continue the political degreda-
ton of the state, agents of the northern
interests in Europe were active in de-
stroying confidence in the character of it's
people. They were represented as law
less almost to barbarism. without schools
or churches burdened by the presence of
negroes with whom immigrants must as
sociate on terms of social equality. These
reports seriously hampered the financial
character OF the state in a period of abb
normal depression of industry and polit-
ical discord.
In less than 60 days after Lindsay as
sumed office the legislature that had been
elected with him, or rather the lower
branch of II then elected, placed on the
governor the entire responsibility of in
vestigation and determination of the con-
ditions of disgrace and fraud heaped upon
the credit of the state by j. c.. Stanton
in collusion with several of the Oldest
and strongest and most INSCRIPTIONS
banking houses of Wall street. He went
promptly to New York, instructed by the
law he had approved, to follow GER
tain line of action. He proved unequal to
the part ne was required to take.
The governor did not know what had
been done by the state or by the manipu-
lators of state liabilities in New York.
The offices of state auditor and state
treasurer ought to have shown the out
standing obligations of the state In all
particulars, but from those offices he
could get no tabulated statements. The
records were neither complete nor ac-
curate to the extent they were written.
Governor Smith had Endorsed bonds in
advance of the legal authority; Governor
Lindsay had Endorsed bonds without keep
ing record.
The governors instructions by act of the
legislature were to pay interest on all
bonds of the state held by bona fide pur-
chasers on January !, 1871, and none
others The law sent along with him
was That no interest shall be paid upon
any of said bonds in the hands of said
railroad company any incorporation or
agent thereof, or merely hypothecated by
them, II being the object and intent of
this enactment to pay interest only to in
nocent bona fide purchasers of valid
claims against the state"
Former Governor Smith went to New
York in the wake of Governor Lindsay
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
Cpointlng to another of the leopards). See
low she riIhs her face against the bars