The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-03-21

Take Barbour for illustration. The census of 1890 shows the ratio of ne- groes to whites to be approximately as three to one. The election returns for that year give Jones 1882 votes and B. M. Long, republican opponent, 3S9. The census of 1890 shows four negroes in Dallas to one white. yet the election re- turns give Jones 7sS3 to 112S for Long, Negroes preferred the republican tick ct. with practical unanimity.
 The rule of apportionment upon the basis of the 1890 alleged vote for gov ernor gave the 13 black belt counties perhaps 26 delegates more in the state convention than apportionment by the rule of population would have given them. Koib construed the prevailing rule as against him in a partisan sense. Kolb held that the state committee act | ing ostenslbly as compiler of facts | for the final judgment of the conyen- | tion, did forfeit that attitude toward the party by it's own partiality. On only one of the subcommittees was Ko1b allowed a majority of the members yet the subcommittees examined and re- ported all county contests to the whole committee.
 The counties of Bibb, Butler. Coosa, Cullman, Crenshaw, Cehrokee Dale, Fayette. Hale, Marshall and Pickens appeared with contests. Each contest was assigned by the chairman, Addison G. Smith of Jefferson, to a separate subcommittee.
 The contests from Butler. Hale, Pick ems, Crenshaw and Cullman were de- cided by the committee in farvor of Jones. The contests from Bibb and Dale were decided for kolb.
 Intense general interest was fur nished in the several days proceedings | of the state committed, preliminary to | the meeting of the convention. Leading l politicians felt it incumbent on them I to declare themselves for publication. F. T. Taliaferro, a lawyer and member ! of the committee from Jefferson, pub lished a letter, when the committee had concluded it's work, saying Governor | Jones had won the nomination and is legally entitled by all the rules and customs of the party to be nomi- hated" Taliaferro had been one of the most influential supporters of Kolb. He 1 it was who coined the watchword, "The common masses of the common people," i Messrs. Robert R. Poole of Marengo and Billingslea of Dallas politically de- | clared their intent, as Kolb supporters, to accept the judgment of the commit tee in favor of Jones as final.
 l The atmosphere of the hotel Hobbies and the streets was surcharged with the spirit of bolt" Tuesday night, the night before the meeting of the con vention, about 300 of Kolb's following assembled in caucus at the opera house on Bibb street. Capt. A. T. Goodwin ipresided. Oscar R. Hundley from Madi- son county offered a resolution that a committee be appointed to meet a com mttee of the Jones side to attempt a settlement of the matter of dispute be- tween the factions. This meant, to re- cast the rule of apportionment upon (which the convention had been made iup. The resolution read, TO effect a
 
 jisting in the democratic party of Ala lbama."
 The resolution carried, but when Chair man Goodwin looked for the mover. MT.
 IIundley, to appoint him chairman of the
 committee of three, the gentleman could
 not be found.
 The state convention was called to order
 Wednesday morning by Chairman A. G.
 Smith of the state committee. Many | of the counties did not answer roll call.
 The temporary secretary read a com
 munication from MT. P. G. Bowman, rep
 resentng the opera house caucus com
 mittee, proposing a conference of the
 factions. Gen. F. W. Pettus of Dallas in
 stantly arose and in scornful tone moved
 that the communication of MT. Bowman
 be laid under the table,"
 l Nevertheless the state committee had
 taken prior independent action. It had
 appointed a subcommittee of its own
 members at the solicitation of the opera
 house caucus "to meet those delegates
 who had been elected in the interest of Captain Kolb." The substance of this
 deliberation of the irregular conference was Q the Kolb delegates claimed 2SC
 seats on the floor of the state convention. a number that a majority of AZ of the membership of the convention; @ the Kolb delegates demanded that in no
 event should nomination by the con
 vention be final. but whether the nonlina-
 ton fell to Jones or to Kolb. 1t should
 be submitted to the democratic voters al the polls, in 90 days, to be ratified or re-
 jected; (3) that only Waite democrats should vote.
 The report of the subcommittee was re.
 ceived by the full committee, which de-
 clined to submit 1t to the convention. The dernier resort had now beer reached. The opera house was held il | readiness and while the state convention
 of the party of 1874 was passing througf the customary forms of organization foi . business in the customary place of as sembling. the capitol, at 2 o'clock or
 Wednesday afternoon. June $. 1892. 76 ol