The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-06-12
EIGHT GOVERNORS OF ALABAMA
 l874-1901
No. 119-Oates, KOlb and Johnston In 1894.
 Thomas G. Jones, Governor.

As January, 1894. opened, the twentieth bellum parties-whig and democrat. union and secession-the consolidated party was found divided into four factions of office seeking distinction. The office sought was that of governor. Two of the factions expected to coalesce for the purpose of defeating the other two, coalesced against them.
 The coalition in possession was com posed of the Cleveland faction, or as they affected to be known, the sound money democracy united for the time and purpose with their heretical allies. the '16 to 1 money y-of-the-constitution democracy"
 This coalition was not to be rent asun- der. Governor Jones. sound money leader. the Montgomery Advertiser sound money oracle, declared it should not be.
 The heretics turned to Capt Joseph F. Johnston, strong candidate in 1890, next to Kolb then.
 Seeing this the sound money men in Mobile, where the commercial interest intensified the political bias, brought out young MT. Rich, the mayor at one time, thus to show fight perhaps with no more serious purpose
 The field was in this aspect when the great Winnie Davis wigwam fusion con vention met in Birmingham, February B. There the Jeffersonian democracy and the populists coalesced, once for all. Captain kolb was nominated by acclama- tion of 5000 or more men on their feet In uproar. full state ticket was put out. w. H. Skaggs, a young banker of Talla- dega, and noted orator, was placed at the head of the large committee of infiu- ential men, managing the campaign.
 Col. W. C. Oates had been long a rep resentative from the Third on Wire Grass district. It may be doubted if there was more popular man in public life in all Alabama. The one arm left on the battle field in Virginia punetuated the argument of excellent stump speaker and man of robust mind With the term for which he was last elected to the lower branch of Congress, only half ex- pended, he resigned to stand for the nomination for governor by the biennial democratic convention of the summer of 1894. He did not hesitate to say he was on his way to the Senate. by the elec- tion two years ahead, and he would only accept one term.
 Oates had a record in Congress, ad- mirably adapted to the emergencies of a candidate for governor of Alabama. President Cleveland felt kindly toward him, a circumstance of weight in Ala bama. He had been active in the promo tion of more than one measure there ex- ceedingly important to Alabama, regard less of state politics.
 He voted against restoring the silver dollar to the coinage at 16, IT,, IS or 19 to l. But he wanted a greater volume of currency. To effect this he voted for Bland's amendment providing for free and unlimited coinage at 20 to l. One by one, Blands amendments. denominating a ratio all the way from 16 to 20 to 1. in- elusive, were rejected. MT. Bland, nothing daunted, next came forward with this further amendment:
 Provided, that the act of February 2S. 1878, entitled, An act to authorize the coinage of the standard silver dollar and to restore its legal character requiring the purchase monthly of not less than $2 100000 and not more than S4,O00 GOO worth of silver bullion and the coining of the same as fast as purchased into standard silver dollars. be and the same is hereby revived and re-enacted into full force and effect"
 Congressman Oates, therefore, diff fered from ths Cleveland faction of the Alabama local coalition for the state election in that while that faction would repudate the silver dollar ut sterly and coin no more, he would open the hints to free and unlimited coin age of the piece at the ratio of 20 to l. Oates further differed from the Johnston faction on this point--the lat ter would restore the old law of free and unlimited coinage at 16 to l.
 Oates being denied 20 to 1, voted for the Bland amendment to restore the act of February. 1878. just quoted. Lost
 Indeed, Oates stood out an indiffer-