ALABAMA. 



11 



uently, this institution was successful- 

 ly organized. The fund of the college now 

 amounts to $218,500, invested in 8 per cent, 

 bonds. Acts were also passed providing for a 

 central normal school at the University of Ala- 

 bama, establishing a normal school for white fe- 

 male teachers, to be located in accordance with 

 sealed proposals made to the Superintendent 

 of Public Instruction, and providing for the 

 education of teachers of colored schools. 

 These last were approved in December, 1871. 

 The new town of Seale was incorporated in 

 Russell County. An act to authorize the sale 

 of the swamp and overflowed lands of the 

 State to the Mobile & Northwestern Kailroad 

 was vetoed by the Governor, on the ground 

 that such a sale would not be in accordance 

 with the object for which these lands were 

 granted to the State by Congress, namely, " to 

 enable the State of Alabama to construct ne- 

 cessary levees and drains to reclaim said 

 lands." 



The political campaign of the year was at- 

 tended with considerable excitement, but no 

 serious disorders. The Democratic State Con- 

 vention was held at Montgomery on the 19th, 

 20th, and 21st of June. Presidential electors 

 were named, and the following State tick- 

 et was put in nomination : For Governor, 

 Thomas PI. Herndon; for Lieutenant-Gov- 

 ernor, Edward H. Moren; for Secretary of 

 State, Jabez J. Parker ; for Auditor, Thomas 

 J. Burnett; for Treasurer, James F. Grant; 

 for Attorney-General, John "W. A. Sand- 

 ford ; for Superintendent of Public Instruc- 

 tion, Joseph Hodgson ; for Commissioner of 

 Industrial Resources, Edward F. Comegys; 

 for Congressmen at large, Alpheus Baker. 

 John J. Jolly. 



The platform adopted by the convention 

 was as follows : 



Resolved, 1. That in the opinion of this conven- 

 tion, under existing circumstances, the National 

 Democratic Convention ought not to make nomina- 

 tions in opposition to the nominations recently 

 made at Cincinnati. But this resolution is not in- 

 tended to instruct the delegates to be sent to Balti- 

 more. 



2. That the Democrats and Conservatives of Ala- 

 bama will abide by the action of the National Dem- 

 ocratic Convention. 



3. That this convention condemns, as alike demor- 

 alizing and dangerous to good order and peace, all 

 associations of men formed to evade or violate the 

 laws, whether State or Federal ; that it is the duty of 

 every good citizen to obey the laws, until repealed 

 by the law-making power (or decided to be unconsti- 

 tutional by a court of competent jurisdiction). 



4. That this convention denounces as alarming to 

 the citizen, and destructive to constitutional liberty, 

 the use of the military in the execution of the laws, 

 on the pretence of protecting the freedom of elections ; 

 that every person, who, by law, is entitled to vote, 

 should be permitted to exercise this great privilege 

 of freemen, unseduced by corrupt influences, and 

 ttnawed by power ; that the purity of the ballot-box 

 is the life of republics. 



The Republican State Convention assembled 

 at Montgomery on the 12th of August, and 

 continued in session till the 16th. The nomi- 



nations were as follows : For Governor, David 

 P. Lewis; Lieutenant-Governor, Alexander 

 McKinstry; Secretary of State, Patrick Rag- 

 land ; Auditor, R. T. Smith ; Treasurer, Arthur 

 Bingham; Superintendent of Public Instruc- 

 tion, Josiah H. Speed ; Commissioner of In- 

 dustrial Resources, Thomas Lambert; Con- 

 gressmen at large, Alexander White and C. 

 C. Sheeb. The platform consisted of four res- 

 olutions. The first indorsed the action of 

 the National Convention of the party at Phila- 

 delphia ; the second favored internal improve- 

 ments on as liberal a scale as was consistent 

 with prudence and economy; the third de- 

 clared that it was the duty of Congress to se- 

 cure the rights of citizens under the fourteenth 

 amendment of the Federal Constitution by 

 permanent legislation ; the fourth declared 

 that education of the people, generally, was 

 the onlyjmeans by which liberty and free gov- 

 ernment can be preserved, and opposed dis- 

 franchisement for any cause except crime. 



The election occurred on the 5th of Novem- 

 ber, for all classes of officers throughout the 

 State. The Board of Electors pledged to vote 

 for the reelection of President Grant were 

 chosen by 10,828 majority, the total vote be- 

 ing 169,716, of which 90,272 were for the 

 Republican, and 79,444 for the Liberal and 

 Democratic ticket. The Republican State 

 ticket was also successful. The total vote for 

 Governor was 171,239, of which Lewis re- 

 ceived 89,868, and Herndon 81,371, giving 

 the former a majority of 8,497. Of the Con- 

 gressmen elected, 5 were Republican and 8 

 Democratic. Much importance was attached 

 to the election of menbers of the Legislature, 

 not only on account of measures to be passed 

 relating to public finances, etc., but because 

 a Senator to Congress was to be chosen to 

 succeed George E. Spencer. 



The Legislature was to meet on the 18th of 

 November, but before that date the correct- 

 ness of the election returns was disputed. 

 The Republicans claimed that certain persons 

 who had received certificates of election in 

 Barbour and Marengo Counties had been 

 fraudulently counted in by the supervisors, 

 for the purpose of securing a Democratic ma- 

 jority. On the day when the session was to 

 commence, the Republican members declined 

 to meet with the Democrats at the Capitol, be- 

 cause the persons having certificates of elec- 

 tion from Barbour and Marengo Counties, be- 

 ing present and recognized as members, 

 would put the organization and the decision of 

 contested cases into the hands of the Demo- 

 crats. They accordingly met separately at the 

 United States Court-House in Montgomery, 

 admitting to seats those who claimed to have 

 been legally elected in the doubtful counties, 

 but had not received certificates. Thus two 

 bodies were sitting at once, each claiming to 

 be the Legislature, and each having, according 

 to its own decision, a constitutional quorum of 

 the members elected. The Democratic body 



