The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1913-11-03

Necessarily the clements that composed
the movement were restricted 10 whne
farmers OF the western states ana the
white people of the southern states where
at the period, all white people were in
acute sympathy With the agricultural
community.
Senator John Shermon of Ohio aspired
10 the presidency. He could not recon-
mend himself to the farmers of the west.
He was inextracbly involved in the mill
tary usurpation that had hung over the
south for 10 years.
In the winter of 1878, preliminary to
active campaign for the favor of the
pending auadrenniaI republican national
nominating convention, Senator Sherman
made an electlbneerlng tour in the south.
He came to Birmingham from New Or
leans. Evidently he had become possessed
of the falacious notion that new south
meant submergence of Calhoun and the
open resume to Sherman.
The senator was out In his own affair.
He took a room at the Florence kept
bv Nixon, moved in with his family from
Eutaw In the forenoon of bright day
the SeDdlOT sat III iiiS eiPetA NH-'N--N -
an expected visit from several of the
leading colored politicians. He failed to
see them then and there. Several Wen
dressed negro men appeared in the looby'
requesting to be shown to Senator Sher-
mans room, but Nixon played ''reh,' and
they quietly withdrew.
We must keep an eye to the pontlcai
situation to comprehend the involyements
of the farmers movement. 1t was bona
fide for needed reform. It's way was
thorny Under another name 1T won.
Following the senator's visit to Blrmihg-
ham, in due time, the state convention
of the republican party met in the capi-
toI to appoint delegates to the Chicago ma
tional republican convention. The as
semblage was two-thirds negro. Bill Stew
ems. negro. was called upon by Arthur
bingham. chairman of the state commit
tee to be temporary chairman. stevens
was known as q partisan OF Blaine.
The convention went into violent
disorder. In the confusion Gen. VIII
lard Warner of Ohio called upon Eu-
rope. Mobile negro, to take the chair'
this in the interest of sherman. Europe
quailed. Negro after negro was called
upon by whites to dispossess the Blame
chairman. Sam Lee, negro, shouted Ell
desc dam white men is feard TO go
on we'll TEX de fight oursels. steven
still held the chair. Thereupon McCull,
white, from Lowndes county, brought
upon the scene an ak handle. Taking
his stand with the improvised gavel
he hammered with all his might on the
secretary's desk for order. Ben De
Lomos, Jew from Lowndes, mounting
a chair, Immediately behind the man
with the ak handle, sang at the pltch
of his voice some plaintive plantation
melodies; then, mounting the steps.
patted Bill Stevens on the head. beg
ging him to "hold the fort" Delegate
Charles p. Lane from Madison now APP
pealed to the whites to retire from the
hall.
In these events transpired the first
days session of the convention. With
the meeting of next day 1t was agreed
that A. Boyd, negro, from Jefferson,
should be temporary chairman, to be
succeeded by ]. D. Stanley, negro, from
Bullock, as permanent chairman. Boyd
and b. NJ. Long, q Virginian emigrant
to Walker county, were among the
delegates sent to Chicago. A full state
ticket, on which no negro appeared.
was nominated. This state ticket was
composed of DR.. w. L. Ewing of Etc
wah for governor; J. j. Goodall of
MorganS secretary of state; r. S. Hef-
lin of Randolph, state auditor; Sam L.
Fowler of St. Clair, state treasurer;
Judge George II. Craig of Dallas, at
torney general. without hiss consent,
DR.. j. NJ. Clark of Lawrence was NOM
mated for superintendent of education,
an honor which he Indignantly reject
ed. Judge Craig Immediately refused
his nomination.
In all the years from the organiza-
ton of government in Alabama until
the subversion of government here al
ter Appomatox there had been known
only three lynchings of negroes The
crime in the present governors time
had become appalling in growth. In
his first term a mob of white men
lynched a negro, taken from the jail of
Lowndes county. Sheriff Brinson re-
ceived letter from the governor of
most emphatic tone. Constituting it as
official censure, the sheriff with en-
phasis made reply that the governor
had mistaken the legal relation of the
two offices.
The precarious racial relations of the
time may be explained in the following
letters. The author was one of the large
planters of the south, a gentleman of
active force In society. The letter was
written from his home. Because those
conditions described are fading from
view, the intricacies of the past must
be more the less interesting and instruc-
able pointer to the difficulties which
beset the farmers In their attempt to
concentrate upon public issues that
were nation wide. The letter further
more Is valuable testimony to the
wonderful tact, patience, courage of the
whites of the state in their effort to
ameliorate race prejudices and establish
an interdependence of the two races
which would remove the perils which
the letter describes. The wisdom of no
enlightened people was ever SO beset
with difficulty as in the south at this
time:
"Lowndes County, Alabama, April TO-,
1888.
Editor The Advertiser None
of us leaves home for the night or
goes to bed without providing IN, ans OF
self-defense, easily In reach. The ne
groes are taught daily by their teach
ers and preachers that 1T is their Chris
tian duty to protect their race from all
, crimes committed by them against the
all his property in a farm being on ii
with wife and children not anothei.