E-text prepared by the Online Distributed Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net) from page images generously made available by Internet Archive/American Libraries (http://www.archive.org/details/americana) Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this file which includes the original illustration. See 34111-h.htm or 34111-h.zip: (https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/34111/pg34111-images.html) or (https://www.gutenberg.org/files/34111/34111-h.zip) Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive/American Libraries. See http://www.archive.org/details/politicsofalabam00mann POLITICS OF ALABAMA by J. C. MANNING Published by the Author Copyright, 1893, BY J. C. Manning. All Rights Reserved. DEDICATION. To the patriotic people of Alabama who demand "a free ballot and a fair count," and believe in honest government, this little book is fraternally dedicated by the author. [Illustration: J. C. Manning] CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. THE FAMOUS KOLB-JONES GUBERNATORIAL CONTEST. CHAPTER II. THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY ONE OF PREJUDICE. CHAPTER III. DIFFERENT KINDS OF "PARTY LASH" CRACKERS. CHAPTER IV. THE TROUBLE OF THE SIXTIES. CHAPTER V. WANT PRODUCES THINKERS. CHAPTER VI. "BOURBON" CAMPAIGN INTOLERANCE. CHAPTER VII. ELECTION METHODS OF THE DEMOCRATS. CHAPTER VIII. SUCCESS OF THE POPULISTS ASSURED. POLITICS OF ALABAMA. CHAPTER I. THE FAMOUS KOLB-JONES GUBERNATORIAL CONTEST. Until recently, embracing the past several months, almost national attention has been centered upon the politics of Alabama. Notice was first attracted by the famous Kolb-Jones gubernatorial contest. This campaign was something novel in the South, for until then, there had not been, for years, any probability of defeat to the organized Democracy in Alabama. However, during the Kolb-Jones political fight, astute "organized" Democratic leaders soon expressed such grave apprehensions of the success of their ticket that, only a few weeks before the time had come for the state election (Aug. 1, 1892), Alabama was in the throes of such political excitement as had probably never before been known in the history of that commonwealth. This fervor increased up to the day of election, when, as is known to the entire country, Capt. R. F. Kolb swept the state with cyclonic victory, notwithstanding the fact that he was defrauded by the manipulations of the ballot-box stuffers, unscrupulous returning-officers and unprincipled members of canvassing-boards. Another man is to-day occupying the seat to which Captain Kolb is entitled, with the absolute acquaintance of the certainty of this statement, and with the perfect knowledge that a vast majority of the people of Alabama are fully aware that, inasmuch as he has assumed it wrongfully, he is unworthy of the trust. What a shameful and revolting spectacle!