The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-26

-
tho political armament of Alabama The
white men were divided. The faction
claiming to be the majority had been de-
feated in the state convention of May,
where It claimed the greater representa-
ton on the first ballot there for gov
ernor it's candidate received 2So votes TO
the 45 received by the winner and discon-
tent followed.
The spectacle of popular enthusiasm
and organized formalities which was dis
played at the Inauguration of Governor
Jones had never been approached on
similar occasion and the defeated fac
ton took the situation sorely to heart
There had never been anything so inn
posing seen In Alabama, save upon that
day when the Southern Confederacy was
proclaimed to the world. Then came
the unparalleled inaugural address.
Rebind all this rankled the grievance
of the defeat. The most hopeful minds
considered the prospect OF a renewed split
in the party painfully
The enfranchised negroes were disap-
pointed in General Harrison, the repup-
ljcan party President. His Nlrsihiah
father had been a pioneer in the emahci-
nation oause. But the pest blood of the
James river arstocracy flowed IN the
veins of this President and tempered MS
sectional race politics. He could not pe
made to see the extreme claims of the
negro to political influence anywhere. we
have seen that the leading negroes of
the state met in convention in the capt.
to in January. 1889 to prepare the way
for the incoming republican President
easily to resognize their political rights
Ry December, 1880, they had lost hope
In that month they prepared to hoid a
convention at Mobile to attempt to con-
trive a political status Tor the race.
Not in Alabama alone did CONFUSION
rule. In this month of December the
legislature of South Carolina in Joint con-
vention of the two houses, by vote
almost four to one. defeated Gen. Wade
HAMPTON for a third term in the Senate
and thus retired him finally from the
service. of the state. 1t Is nothing to
say ttAt the successor chosen was a
man of no considerable importance. The
phonomenon was that this inferior man
displaced the most interesting and no.
blest character the state had ever pro-
duced. In South Carolina, as In Ala
hama. the source of agitation was the
organization of the farmers.
on the same first day of December when
the city of Montgomery was thronged
with visitors from all parts of the state,
come to the governors inauguration, the
streets of the new metropolis. Birming-
ham. were alive with laboring men, with
grips packed. hurrying to the car sheds
to take passage on northbound trains.
These were coal miners on strike, re-
turning home
The event was new in Alabama. From
the north had come hundreds of coal
miners, bringing with them attachment
to their labor union. The United Mine
Workers of Alabama, led by their pres-
dent, ]. L. Conley, nearly all men of
foreign birth. and sustained by their or
gan of the press, an ably edited weekly
Birmingham newspaper, The Sentinel,
presented the aggressive side. Pat Nc
Bride, senior member of the national
committee of the order. arrived to as
sist in the strike. Farley, a local miner,
was also a leader.
The demand was for an increase Of
5 cents a ton for mining coal, coupled
with the demand for recognition by the
mirie operators of the miners organi-
zation. The latter feature of the de-
mand was the stumbling block.
At that time the state had entered
seriously into the penitentiary lease
system. Contracting with mine opera
tors to supply negro convicts for mine
work. The white miner grew restive
under this practical state competition
with them. The contract price offered
by the state was a little lower than
the operators price to free miners.
At this time. too. powerful negro
men from the plantation belt began to
flock to the coal mines and this class
of labor cared little for the protection
of labor organizations, nor was 1T ca
pable of participation in that orgapl-
cation even If acceptable to the leaders
of it,
After the strike had progressed 10
days and had become practically gem
eral throughout the district, Governor
Jones invited several OF the leaders to
conference in his office. Nothing of
immediate result became apparent. but
the indirect good from the knowledge
of the governor acquired by the strike
leaders was supposed to be salutary.
The Sentinel moved Its issue from the
weekly to the daily class, pending tho