The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1912-11-14
TEN YEARS OF ALABAMA
No 1.-THE Democratic State Convention Of 1872
1865-1874

A profound anxiety oppressed the lead
ers of the democratic conservative party
after the exposures of the house commit
tee on railroads in the session of the leg
islature that adjourned sine die February
2e. 1872 The chairman of that committee
was the young representative. Burwell
Boykin Lewis. from Shelby county. He
was a man of rarely well balanced mind.
He was a lawyer. native of the state
and graduate from the state university.
In later years he became representative
In Congress and closed his life prema-
turely as president of his alma mater.
Chairman Lewis wrote with humiliation
the record of Governor Lindsay in the
most serious duties of his office. The
committee had discovered among other
like things that after the governor was
well informed of the Illegal claim of the
Selma and New Orleans railroad for an
endorsement of its first mortgage bonds
on the completion of the first 20 miles.
he had nevertheless given his indorse-
ment to the full amount claimed. S320O0O.
In another case that of the South and
North road. the committee reported as no.
torious fact that John Hardy. represen-
tative from Dallas. had been paid SIS 900
to use his influence as chairman of a
house committee to have passed special
act to raise the state Endorsement of the
bonds of the road from $4,000 to $4,000
per mile. In regard TO this road the com
mittee found that Governor Smith had in
dorsed its bonds thus secured by bribery
and had preserved no files or records to
show that the legally required proof of
the claim of the road had been made, NOR
did the present governor (Lindsay) require
them TO furnish satisfactory proof that
the proceeds of former bonds indorsed by
the state had been faithfully, honestly and
economically expended at the usual rates
chased. as was his duty under the last
proviso of section 2 of the act.'
In addition to the embarrassment of
the party leaders arising from the gov
errors railroad record the story was re-
vived that carpetbag United States Sena-
tor Spencer had sehemed to defeat his
enemy, Smith, for reelection by securing
the office for Lindsay through the votes
of whites In the upper counties where
the Union league was strong. Spencer
had control of the federal patronage,
which then was abnormalIy great in Ala
bama. He wished to remove competition
of a colleague in the Senate for di-
vision. Warner Willard of Ohio was his
colleague. He preferred a democrat for
the seat who would not compete with
him. So Spencer il was understood, In
structed the assessors and collectors of
the internal revenue. the collector at the
port of Mobile, the postmasters every
where to defeat the republican candidates
for the legislature that would chose War
ner's successor. in the session of 1901.
Late in June several hundred delegates
from 81 of Sc counties took their seats as
delegates in the biennial state convention
of 1872 of the democratic and conserNa-
tive party. 1t was the second convention
In order of that new party, an amalga-
nation of "old line" wings and all kinds
of democrats. Clanton was dead and there
was no equal successor thus far devel-
oped. Thomas j. Judge, chairman of the
party state executive committee. called
the body to order. 1t was tacitly agreed
upon in advance that two habits of such
convention should be pretermitted for
the occasion, no platform should be pro-
posed and the precedent of two terms
for the governor of the party should be
avoided.
Old line wings on the floor we're men
of such eminence in the history of the
state, as Benajah S. Bib Of Montgomery,
william r. Smith of Tuscaloosa, ]. R.
John of Dallas. c. c. Langdon OF Mo-
bile. Democrats who in their time had re-
sisted these were Leroy Pope Walker of
Madison. f. s. Lyon of Marengo, Il. W.
Pettus of Dallas. George w. Stone. Will
liam M. Brooks. OF the younger class
of leaders sat William Coates of Henry.
Joseph F. Johnston and Robert Mckee
of Dallas, Rufus K. Boyd of Marshall.
Willis Brewer of Lowndes. William ].
Sanford of Lee. denominations were
made. Moren for lieutenant governor.
Parker for secretary of state, Grant for
treasurer, Hodgsop for superintendent OF
education. Sanford for attorney general
opposed by Col. Michael l.. Woods, but
renominated on the first ballot by more
than two-thirds majority. b. f. Cornegys
of Lawrence received the nomination for
commissioner of Industrial resources. The
quadrennial election of state auditor APP
preaching, T. ]. Burnett of Butler re-
ceived the nomination to succeed the car
petbag incumbent legislated into office
by Congress in 1868. Gen. Alpheus Baker
of Barbour and Col. j. J. Jolly of Greene
were nominated for the two seats in Con-
gress to which the state at large was
entitled under the new apportionment.
None mentioned Governor Lindsay's
rame Competitors for The nomination
for governor appeared. Thomas RI. Hern-
don and c. c. Langdon of Mobile, r. r.
Lyon of Macon, Thomas A. Walker of
calhoun and william G. Oates of Henry
were put in nomination. After the first
ballot the convention adjourned until next
day After the fifth ballot on the sec
ond day. all names were dropped except
Herndon and Oates. The vote for Hern-