Year: 1875

tho wants Of Alabama.


Spencer was the friend of tho cOlOred man.
Personally and by various proxies-to some OF
| whom he promised Offices and some money,
none of which he ever paid, because it was
contrary to sound morals-hc reached out tho
friendly hand to tho down trOdden and Op-
pressed. He was sweet on the dOwn-trOdden
and he lowered over the oppressed. And to all
of them word went out that Spencer was tho
friend of the colOrcd man, and that in order
to prevent their Reinstatement they must lose
no time in sending Spencer to the Senate.
And they sent bim. With his career in that
body during his first tcrm--though the
world at large may not have heard OF it-cvcry
Cabinet officer il entirely familiar. He organ
lied the State. He had q man for every place,
though unfortunately not place for every
man. And when no had got the State fairly
stocked it was the wonder of tho world. The
amount of lying and stealing those people
have shown themselves capable Of in tho past
two or three years Is something almost in
credible. They did it oil with such ease,
grace, and dexterity. that the very people
who were plundercd and lied about did
not at first know whether to protest
against it or sit still and watch the process.
Spencer and the gang had a good time. The
colOrcd folks believed that he and his fellows
stood between them and slavery, and the lead
ing statesmen Of the Republican party assured
the people Of the Northern States, with tears
in their eyes, that if it were not for Spencer
and patriots like him who settled in the South
al the close OF the war and took the govern
mcnt of that section into their own hands,
Lao o,fn fnp ylnIp N
rebels, the negroes would be killed or rcGn-
savcd, the National debt repudiated, the Con-
fcderate debt paid, and people sent TO Con-
gress who would oppose President Grants
policy, and very like! vote against some OF
his appointments.


In this state Of things the first term OF
Spencer was about to expire, and Il Legislature
to be elected to choose his successor. Then
there Wa. trouble in Alabama. Supporters OF
the Administration, who were either holding
Offices or in hopes of holding them, got up
nights and fired muskct-balis through their
hats and sent word to Washington that there
was no safety for Republicans in the State
unless troops were kept there to put
down the Ku-luux as1assins tho negroes
wcro told that Spenccr's reelection
vas their only salvation, the leading
statesmen said everything depended upon
Spenccrs return TO the Senate, and ont OF 1t
all there came hodgc-podec of a Legislature
which had contested elections and two organ
izatons and conflicts of jurisdiction and every
thing to make them happy. Then emerged
Spencer with some sort OF certificate OF an
election, which, when it was presented to the
Senate was referred to the Commit
tee on Elections. But Spencer, with tnat
undistuIbcd Willingness to take the chances
which has characterized his whole career,
stepped up with the Otncr Senators who were
about to take the oath at the beginning of tho
next Congress, and held up his hand like
little man, till somebody discovered him and
made q fuss about it, when he fell back
gracefully. Aftccward he was vindicatod, and
has been sitting in the Senate and
attending regularly on the departments
ever since. And they are making
inJniiirs about how he came there. and by
what right he bores the departments for Offices
for the Testers aud such. The committee are
finding out some queer things. I he men who
shot bullet holes in their hats and laid it to
the Eu-Kux, and had troops stationed
in the State on account OF II, are
telling their stories and unc0verlng the
history of the Spencer campaign. The
investigation promises to be almost as
fruitful OF revelations as The TRIBUNE, in
uuiries last Summer into Mr.. Charles Hays's
outrages. But Spencer is still Senator. And
probably Will be, no matter what exposures
are made of tho process by which he was
elected.