The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-04-13

4
eral relations by the erection of the con-
federacy of 1861 is to be found in the at
tempt of 1885 to reconstruct the industrial,
social and political life of the south; IN
the creation of the new republican or rad
| ical party of 1856, founded upon the move
ment of 1885; in the renewal of the move
ment of 1855 by the John Brown raid, OF
1859 and finally in the success of the re-
publican or radical party, with openly
avowed sympathies with both the move
ment of 1885 and that of 1859, in the ma
tional election of 1850
| The studiously observed or ignored
facts are incontrovertible. Half dozen
men seeking the hour of darkness re-
paired to small building on the out
skirts of Boston and there pledged them
selves to labor together to found a po-
litical party That event transpired In
all it's awe inspiring significance in the
year 1882. William Lloyd Garrison was
the leader.
| A cheering response at once came to the
movement from the Wilberforce party OF
| England. Ready money and missionary
followed to these shores. In three years,
so tremendous was the energy of hate
and ambition, the small beginning in the
night at Boston had swelled into party
with proportions and resources sufficient
| to encourage the movement of 1885.
| In the life time of one generation, Will
liam Lloyd Garrison, John Brown and
Abraham Lincoln prepared for the south
the alternative of reconstruction on sep
arate federal government
| There is no room here for elaboration
| of evidence or demonstration by argu-
ment. The bare statement of facts in
| chronological order must suffice. The
essential fact in the process of statement
remains that the attempt to reconstruct
| the southern states IN 1885 needed the army
| of the United States, needed the army
| only and failed for the want OF the
army The fact of that earlier period
presses down to the later John Brown
| movement of 1880 That movement,
revival of the first, needed the army.
The army was not available to 1t until
1861. That result, which was contemplated
in 1895, and again in 1859, failing In both
efforts then, succeeded at Appomattox.
Upon the occurrence which marked that
direful day, the political party to whose
energies 1t was due had put in the Held,
to execute its scheme of 30 years penden-
cy, the greatest army and the most Won
derful navy known to the annals OF the
/, ages, in all more than 100000 men.
The republican party majority of the
special committee sent by the lower
branch of Congress Ito investigate polit-
| ical aiairs in the state of Alabama re-
ported that 'the democratic party en-
| tered the contest'-the campaign of ISL
| with determination to carry the cleo
| ton at all hazards This judgment of
/ l,aJ sx.ar
testimony, taken before the committee
At Mobile, Price Williams, chairman OF
| the county democratic and conservative
PARTY committee, was called to testlfy
| Mr. Williams related incidents of the des-
perate resolution with which he and his
committee had engaged in the campaign
! The day before election day, that is,
Monday November 2, he in the capacity
of leader of his party, at different hours
snimating and advisory printed circulars
(which were distributed profusely through
the streets The first in order OF these
patriotic appeals was read to the COM
| mittee i'm its session at Mobile as follows:
"ro the Citizens of the City of Mobile;
| go to bed early Monday night, the "a
| November.
| "Be at the polls the next morning be-
| fore they open; o'clock at the court
house, s o'clock at the remainder of tue
| wards.
Spend every hour of the day at the
! polls and let every man be on duty, as
! Though upon the discharge OF his duty de-
| pended the election.
| "See that no man is hindered in casting
! his vote and be sure that none vote who
are not entitled and that no man repeats
| without his arrest.
/ Let no man be seen on Royal or Com
merce streets business streets) on cleo
tion day, unless he be on his way TO the
7 <l,rfx MOI tot
| to the election.
"If you will spend the entire day at the
polls, and thus discharge your duty You
| will carry the election.
| "Unscrupulous and untiring men will
bring to bear every possible influence to
effect your defeat Eternal vigilance is
the price of liberty"
| This appeal was read, too, at every
club of the city the same night of its
issue.
Another longer circular distributed as
1.-THE foregoing, announced in part;
'.FELLOW CITIZENS"
"The plan on the part of the radicals
| is to make a days work of casting illegal
votes and repeating again and again.
',They have their headquarters and their
| leaders of squads who will start early
and move ahead, unless you have them
| arrested
LET all arrests be made by officers (of
the law, but you muO detect and point
| out To do this effectively let each white
! man take as his object for attention the
colored man who votes next following him
| and see to 1t that he does not vote the
| second time.
Detectives from Mississippi and Bald
win county will point out the f1oated vote.
Let every man keep sober
'Assiduously avoid all personal con-
| hiots but be prepared
1--WE are awabiding men; we concede
legal rights; we demand nothing less.
Now, fellow citizens. referring you to
! our circular of even date, which will be
distributed with this, leave you to peace
full slumbers for this night. a glorious
achievement for tomorrow
| Eight days prior to election day the full
/ county executive committee had issued
an elaborate argument and appeal, con-
| cluding as follows:
"F'riends! If we but so will and make
the proper exertion, we will carry Mobile
| county by 1000 and the state by 10000.
| Shall we not make the effort? This ii
! a time and ours is cause where
| ''He who dallies is a bastard,
| And he who doubts is damned"
! The white vote of Mobile county at that
time was. in round numbers, 1000, and the
negro vote 1000. From the first exercise
of the suffrage by negroes great disturb
ance and repeated riots had occurred
| in the city. About 500 negroes, growing
nifty of the radical leaders of their race
and the tricks of the carpetbaggers and
| scalawags deserted the republican party
! and cast their ballots for the candidates