The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-22
EIGHT GOVERNORS OF ALABAMA
No. A-Administion of Governor Cobb
The Plantation Mortgage Loan
By HOP
1874-19O1

value of exports of the United States.
Banking facilities were ample, COM
missions, interest and profits remained
there to be redistributed to cotton
planters. Immediately after the great
war the railroad stocks. new and old,
centered in Wall street and Wall street
broke up the cotton trade of Mobile.
The planters were victims.
How could the capital in plantations
be promoted? Operating cash was
needed The laws of Congress forbade
national bank loans on land collateral
That law crippled the planter beyond
remedy The laws of Congress taxed
state banks 10 per cent on their is
sue. with interest to extinguish that
source of currency supply. Congress
had deliberately committed to the
flames many millions of the green
backs that served so we'll as currency
feet upon the supply of money In
farmers. True. the Bland Allison sill
yer coinage bill had Just gone into
operation, but too recent for direct eff
feet upon the supply of money in
hand.
Under these circumstances. the law
firm of Johnston a. Nelson OF Selma
Joseph f. Johnston and Richard M.
Nelson--went to New York, and there
prevailed upon certain capitalists, the
Corbin Banking company to invest a
great sum of money in agricultural
land mortgages in central counties Of
Alabama.
The use of this money on long time
prevented widespread bankruptcy
among planters. Not only so, but the
diffusion of 1t in the general business
of the state, brought the best results
Whether the original borrowers among
the planters ever redeemed the mort
gags OF not, the presence of SO large a
sum of mony in time of abnormal de-
preston brought decisive results.
The people of Alabama were never
down-hearted in any aspect of oppression
In the reconstruction times. The leaders
were men who had lived In the open with
out tents, on insufficient food sleeping
on their arms, with arms in hand, braved
desperate foe. who had been torn and
MANNED by years of conflict. They knew
no such word as despair They lived for
tomorrow and commanded tomorrow
or the leaders of ante-war time Hon.
Henry W. Hilliard succeeded In reaping
favor above the others from the Hayes
administration. The President sent him
In the capacity of minister to Brazil. Mr.
Hilliard was seen speaking to public
meeting once in Montgomery. wearing kio
gloves He delighted In extremes of ele-
CANT habits. He was by culture and am
bition capable of entertaining the most ex-
allied people. Promptly on reaching his
port OF official destination he entered upon
his duties. He reported to the Secretary
of State at Washington that he had given
a dinner on board the American ship
under the stars and stripes to the Emper-
or and. Empress. lie explained the event
so important TO the minister in detail The
Emperor had met him at the end of the
gangway with a hand-shake as cordial
as could be desired; the emperor actually
engaged him in conversation with all the
ease of social intercourse"
president Hayes was less judicious In
olvldlng foreign appointments of the con-
suiar rank between the sections These
were bestowed on northern men who nat
urally exerteu an influence in turning for
eign capital seeking American investment
to their own section and in directing for
eign immigration to that section which the
consuls could describe more intelligently.
The appointees to federal offices in
the south were not improved in Mr.
Hayes term. Major f. c. Randolph of
montgomery, wrote to the administra-
t1on the proof of the active influence
of the marshal or the middle district
in partisan politics. Congress called
for a report of the number of United
states marshals actually employed at
the polls at the national election last
held, 1876, throughout the south. The
number returned was 1887. AT II
polling places in South Carolina, that
election. 400 federal marshals appeared.
AT 120 polling places in Louisiana 100
federal marshals stood up In Virginia,
Maryland, Delaware they were numer-
GUS on the same occasion
The selection of juries grand and
petitt for the federal courts had been
long public scandal. IN 1S79-SO Col
onel Hilary A. Herbert secured. the
passage of reform jury bill. The
simple law of reform was that the
clerk of the court and one other per
son of opposing political bias should
alternately drop names into box un-
til 300 names had been so deposited
The jury was made up from the box
so prepared.
Among the last demonstrations of the
carpetbagger class was tile attempt OF
Paul Strobach to secure to himself the
office of postmaster at Montgomery
He came near success, but in falling
grew revengeful. He at once took the
stump at the north for General Grant
and third term. He told the Ger
mans that another term OF Grant was
necessary to make habitation in the
south for a union man possible
Among the expiring signs of the
scalawag was the burglaries of w. r.
Cockrell of that class, in Eutaw. In
company with negro oco-conspirator he
robbed Judge Coleman of a watch. Mr.
j.. b. Head of watch, Judge o.
iver of pistol and the county safe
of $4,000 cash.
JOHN WITHERSPoON DuBOsE