The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-06
. SEMINARY R DdE
EIGHT GOVERNORS OF ALABAMA
1874-1901
No 40-Administratio of Governor Cobb
The Federal District Court in Alabama

President Hayes withdrew the troops
which his predecessor, Grant, had placed
at New Orleans and Columbia for politi-
cal purpose and thus gave his sanction
to claims of Nichols, democrat, upon the
office of governor of Louisiana, and
Hampton, democrat, in South Carolina
The public was exercised in mind to ap-
preciate this conduct in a President who
had accepted his office from the electoral
colleges of these states respectively The
vote for governor and for presidential
electors was cast by party lines on the
same day. by the same voters, at the
same polls. White supremacy in the
politics of the state was the one issue
of all elections
A democrat. Smith M. Weed, a respons-
ible citizen of New York, testified before
a subcommittee of Congress that he
went down to Columbia to observe the
conduct of the South Carolina returning
| board, while the result of the election in
that state was yet in obeyance. Mr.. Weed
testified: Definite proposition was hand
ed me. saying that for $4,000 or $4,000 the
returning board would make things right
for the democrats
Weed took the proposition to Balti-
more forthwith, where he met Pelton, a
nephew of Mr. Tilden, living in his house
in confidential relations with him. The
purchase money for the South Carolina
electoral vote could have been raised
instantly and thus the democratic leader
! would have received the election. but he
| declared he would not qualify under such
circumstances.
The joint session of the two houses of
Congress was in session at 4 o'clock in
! the morning of March 2, 1871 92 hours
before General Grants term expired,
when the acceptance of each house of the
/ finding of the electoral commission the
vote of the states favorable to Hayes
was declared.
| Each house had to pass upon the find
! ing of the commission and the country
was surprised by the acquesence of the
| lower house, which was democratic by a
| large majority
In truth a filibuster intended to carry
the question over, beyond March T. was
attempted in mild way, to be put down
! by the vigor of Speaker Samuel j. Ran
dali.
1t developed that the speaker strong
man that he was, would not have been
able to cope with the flibuster had it
not been for the knowledge, impaired in
4 advance to many democratic members,
that Hayes, if allowed to take. his seat
would remove the troops and recognize
/ Nichols and Hampton. Drew, democrat.
had already been seated as governor--sf
Florida, as we have seen, even While
| Hayes had been accorded the electoral
vote of that state by the commission.
Two cotton crops, those of 1877 and 1878,
| had been made in Alabama after the
seizure of the presidency by the electoral
| commission for Hayes and before the
succession of Governor Cobb. The prac-
, tical effect of two years of the Hayes
rape upon the federal government, in per-
petuating the policies of the republican
party may be understood by the utter
ance of the retiring leader, Governor
| Houston, given in the most formal and
solemn manner. In his final message to
the legislature, recapituating events of
| his two terms then closing, this the re-
| deemer of 1874, said: while I admit the
great shrinkage of values since 1874 has
disappointed me, yet, in my judgment, the
! bottom has been reached and a distinct
and reliable reaction has commenced and
! will continue" etc. The great shrinkage
| of values" In Alabama had no connection
with the industrial and political status of
the state. In 1878 the largest cotton crop
ever harvested up to that time, was to
| the credit of the state. The lay Gould
trouble. Gould boarded the Falls River
steamer at the wharf in New York, on
which he had discovered President Grant
would take passage for Boston. He found
out from the President the appointments
of the administration to sell gold to Wall
street. On knowledge so derived he pre-
cipitated "Black Friday, Cotton dropped
from II cents to cents when it could be
sold at all. Depositors in banks of Mo-
bile and elsewhere had to pay a premium
to have their checks honored. A citizen
of Marengo county. being in New York
on that day, walking Wall street, met
scores of rich men raving in tears. some
pleading with him to accept 100 per cent
for the use OF 100000 for that day. Ala
bamians in that city bound homeward
from their summer resorts could not
draw for travelling expenses the deposits
they had placed earlier in the season in
the banks there.
Governor Houston, In this the second
year of the Hayes administration, ex-
pressed the solemn opinion that IF the
ruinous financial policy of the federal
administration and the unwise legislation
of the United States Congress can be
corrected it's (the state'sl advance will be
much more rapid and reliable"
General Grant set out on a tour of all
nations. His political friends reioiced in
the act He would be received as the
tions in all foreign places would recon-
mend him to the voters of the north. He
would land at San Francisco on the re-
turn voyage and his political friends
would see that the overland journey back
to New York should be an ovation. By
1880 Grant would be in universal demand
by the republican party for third term
Carpetba gger John Bruce, the Scotch
man. received appointment United
States district judge in Alabama to sue
ceed Busted. from PRESIDENT Grant; from
President Hayes Charles e. Mayer, car