The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-03-02

We shall tell i'll d close following num- Der, how the political party that rescued Alabama from military despotism in lsA and after Is years of wise resolute tand absolute) rule dlsmember itself. for n reason. in mad contention of mushroom factions.
 Should tho party precedent of two terms be held to in the example of Governor Jones' Did an involable party precedent of two terms to an incumbent party gov ernor exist?
 Joshua Martin of Tuscaloosa was twice elected to Congress, twice elected circuit judge, always democrat. As q demo- crat he was elected next as chaneellor. He resigned from the bench to stand as independent democrat for governor in lSi5. He was elected governor and the demo- cratic legislature elected with him fol- lowed his advice in essentially construc- tive measures Governor Martin was not thought of for a second term, The most popular democrat in the state at large was Reuben Chapman of Madison. He succeeded Martin with one term only, although he aspired to another Governor Shorter, democrat of Barbour, was al- lowed one term only, In ls6S Governor Lindsay of Lauderdale, democrat, was al- lowed one term only in 1872.
 There was no room for doubt that Cap tain kolb stood for a class interest, the producing interest and had the ardent support of many strong men who did not belong to that class.
 Jones and I<olb entered the state con
 
 tive party of 1890. each to challenge the indorsenent of the party. Every mem Der of that convention would have resent ed as personal affront to him and a defa- nation of his posterity suggestion that his party fealty was liable to suspicion.
 The question of 1890 came down to the state party convention Of 1892 and the convention split.
 We resume consideration of the prelimi- nary action Of the party state committee and of the counties, seVerally, intended to bring the revived question of 1890 before the convention of 1892 for settlement as q party question. We shall find in these proceedings preparation for the tragedy of party disruption.
 The state committee met in Montgomery on January 26. The seven strong men rep resentng Kolb rejected and defied the rules sent out by the l5 strong men rep resentng Jones to govern the action of the counties in choosing delegates to the forthcoming state conventions. The seven formally published to the world that the rules of the majority of the state com mittee were 'undemocratic and the com mittee had no power whatever to adopt the same, therefore the same are null, void and of no effect" Clayton and Roquemore of Barbour, Altman and Tala- ferro of Jefferson. Mcclellan of Limestone, lawyers at the front of the Alabama bar. were five of the seven repudators.
 Butler was the first county to act after the promulgatIon of these rules. This county convention assembled the next week. February ,. It was composed of delegates from the several beats. Prepar- atory to the beat meetings Governor Jones had spoken In the county In behalf of himself; Captain Kolb had spoken there. Some friends of the governor had ad- dressed meetings In his interest MessrS. P. G. Bowman of Birmingham and A. A Wiley of Montgomery. prominent young lawyers, had addressed large and enthusi- astic audiences for I<olb. The chairman of the county democratic committee was for Kolb and the majority of the com mttee were for Kolb.
 On February the chairman, who was also q minister of the gospel called the county convention of beat delegates to order That done, and the prayer cus- tomary offered, the chair announced that only 19 of the % delegates sent mp from the courthouse beat, Greenvile, were en- titled to seats
 This ruling by the initial county of the series of elections of delegates to the state convention opened wide the fac tional conflict.
 The seven repudiating committeeman had resented the rule laid down by the 15 which prescribed the method of county representation in the state convention The rule was that representation should be ap-