The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-04
EIGHT GOVERNORS OF ALABAMA
1874-1901
No. 84-Some Disturbed Conditions
Thomas Seay, Governor
1S74--1901

others. The benefaction of the govern
ment to the state, known as the Agricul-
tural and Mechanical college, had been
absorbed by the whites. Now the legisla-
ture should redeem the pledge made by
the white leaders to support the colored
normal school, removed from Marion to
Montgomery. The Blair bill In Congress
offered equal opportunities for federal
education to the races, but the whites Of
Alabama, led by Senator Morgan, opposed
it. The state was burdened by the crime
of lynehing, but one race only seemed TO
be the victim.
I'VE as citizens of Alabama" was the
peroration," rejoice in the success of the
national republican party. We
honor the white men of this state, who
have so long stood by the principles ST
the republican party"
The Montgomery conference and its de-
cided expression of the confidence of the
negroes in the incoming administration at
Washington alarmed the white republican
leaders
A delegation of white partsans was
appointed to go from Birmingham to In
dianapolis to wait on General Harrison to
unfold to his view the real conditions In
Alabama. Ex-Governor Smith, he who
20 years before had been legislated
into office by act of Congress, following
his defeat at the polls, was selected as
spokesman. Smiths baggage was packed
when he upon opening the local party
newspaper, saw for the first time that the
delegation would present his name for a
cabinet portfolio. He unpacked his bag
gage.
Birmingham had now begun an earn
est rivalry with the state capital for the
claim to political center.
On April 10 a republican meeting as
sembled at the new town. The object
was to proselyte the iron manufacturers
to the republican protective tariff prin-
ciple by party discrimination against the
negro contingent. The meeting split. The
negroes went to the Knights of Labor
hail.
The lilly white" and the "black and
tam factions cropped out. r. A. Nose
ly, sometime postmaster at Talladega,
wanted to be fourth auditor of the treas
urer. Alex Boyel, negro president of the
Montgomery conference, wanted to be col
lector of internal revenue, and to this
Mosely assented. Mosely failing to find
the berth which was his first choice, took
that intended for the negro.
The line of demarcation between lily
whites and black and tans was finally
put out by the new Presidents distribu-
ton of the patronage.
Some inclination among democrats of
Birmingham to support the protective
tariff mad never Deen concealed. Inc
presence of this sentiment among his
supporters greatly irritated and perplexed
Senator Morgan. In his familiar. out
spoken habit, he said, from his seat. that
if the prosperity of the mineral region
had the indirect effect of increasing the
cost of cotton production beyond a wage
of so cents a day, the interest of Ala
bama did not lie in mineral development.
speech February u, 1881
The Montgomery Advertiser of May Is,
1899, said: Colonel Jones will enjoy the
supreme satisfaction of having been for
several months the only citizen of Ala
bama who had the candor to admit that
he was a candidate for governor of this
great state
| In the Christmas holidays of the same
year, Capt. r. f. Kolb declared himself,
| through The Age-Herald, a candidate be-
| fore the approaching state convention OF
| the democratic and conservative party for
! the nomination for governor. Not every
| alliance member was for Kolb. Every
democrat was not also an alliance men,
Der. We have seen the earnest appeal
| of General Pettus to democrats not to di.
vide. We have seen the pamphlet pub
| lished by State Senator John T. Milnel
( at his own cost and distributed over thu
state under the significant title: white
| Men! Stand Together
| JOHN WITHERSPOON DUBOSE.