"BOURBON" CAMPAIGN INTOLERANCE.
The revolt of the common people of Alabama against the "machine bosses"
is, simply speaking, a revolution against revolutionists; and the
increasing strength of the former is rapidly developing the intolerant
spirit of the latter. This savage-natured sentiment that has characterized
the campaign policy of the Democratic party of the South in its treatment
of the opposition, has often received the scathing criticism of many a
caustic pen. Yet nothing too severe could be said in its condemnation.
It is the most idle and hollow mockery for any writer or any newspaper
to attempt to repudiate the rightful accusation, so long made, that the
Democratic party in the South is responsible for the campaign intolerance
that is practiced in this section. These outbursts of violence in the
South and in Alabama are but the spasmodic ventings of an overwrought
public sentiment that has been instilled and tutored by the press and
leaders of that party ever since the war. In reality, not half has been
told of the attempts at stifling free speech in Alabama.
Although the entire record of the "Bourbon" element is indeed unenviable
and astonishing, yet, never before in the history of Southern Democratic
campaign ruffianism had this spirit reached the height of deviltry
displayed during 1892, in Alabama. With organized rabbles at their back,
and partisan courts at their faces, political bullies openly boasted of
their lawlessness and engaged in their dastardly outrages defiant to
morality, honesty, conscience or prosecution.
During the last weeks of the Kolb-Jones campaign this barbaric nature
was beginning to be fully drawn out; the most cowardly demonstration of
its existence having first been made at Florence, Ala., where the writer
was attacked at midnight, July 27, by a mob that had assembled at the
depot to do him violence upon his departure from the town. The mob, as
was stated by dispatches published in the Democratic press, consisted of
"fifty enraged citizens." The riotous crowd was incited and collected by
partisans, for no other than a political cause; and had it not been that
the writer succeeded in reaching the platform of the car unobserved, no
doubt but that he would have been egged, stoned, or shot to death. The
lights had been extinguished in the depot, which is located in a desolate
part of the town, and every other arrangement was seemingly made for the
doing of a dark and bloody deed. These villainous plans proved, however,
to be advantageous to the writer, who escaped a brutally-designed
assassination by getting on the platform of the car before the shower of
missiles had commenced. The writer's hat suffered ruin from the
"indignation," and a Memphis & Charleston car was turned into the shops
spattered and battered. Herewith is given a letter, referring to the
Florence incident, and as its author is one of Alabama's most eminent
ministers, this document will prove valuable literature:
"Study of L. F. WHITTEN,
Pastor M. E. Church, South.
JASPER, Ala., Aug. 1, 1892.
"My dear Brother Manning:
"As soon as I have the time, I hasten to tender to you my sincere
sympathies for the barbarous and uncivilized treatment you received
at Florence a few days since. The correspondent of the _Age-Herald_,
who lives at Florence, saw 'an amusing sight last night to see the
boasted disciple of Kolbism, J. C. Manning, run from a volley of
rotten eggs thrown by fifty enraged men.' He could have seen in this
'amusing sight,' the return of the Spanish Inquisition and diabolic
intolerance of barbarism, had he been able to look ahead. This was
outrageous and inhuman treatment for which I assure you I am full of
regrets. I am ashamed that it has happened in Alabama or the South.
This spirit shown you, and the abuse heaped upon you, if not
denounced and punished speedily, will culminate in the hottest
persecution of an honest minority; which will prohibit free speech
and destroy the right to oppose the majority, although that majority
be led by the devil himself. If that spirit is not rebuked in our
state and the righteous indignation of our people does not stamp it
out swiftly, then the darkest days of the Rebellion will be bright
as compared to those to follow. This spirit will invade the pulpit
and go into the sanctum of the editor, and sermons will have to be
pleasant, pacific and agreeable, and editors must agree with those
in authority, or else the minister will be driven out of town, and
the editor will be rotten-egged or swung up by the thumbs! If that
comes to pass, then give me a monarchical government. I should
greatly prefer to appeal to Caesar, than to an enraged mob of 'fifty
or more citizens' (?) fired up with red liquor, and thirsting for
the blood of the man who differs from them,--a set of brainless,
heartless sapheads. I heard a gentleman who saw it, denounce it as
the most villainous thing he ever saw in a land of freedom. He does
not belong to your party,--neither do I,--but he was for you. You
keep on, if you die at your post. Mobs to-day, mausoleums to-morrow.
The party that resorts to such tactics may ride the top of the wave
to-day, but the good time is coming when that rotten and rum-soaked
method will be buried out of sight under an avalanche of ballots of
brave men, who scorn the rotten-egg method of answering brainy
arguments, which 'Bourbons' have not sense enough to meet in any
other way. For my part, I do not believe in intolerance. The day has
passed to allow it. God holds the reins of government. Life, liberty
and free speech are our own inalienable rights. To destroy these, as
the mobs would do, is to muzzle the press, kill the stump-speaker,
and hang the preacher who does not court popular applause, and who
defies public sentiment that is wrong.
"Cordially yours for the Right,
L. F. WHITTEN."
"P. S. I said I do not belong to your party. I am a political
Prohibitionist, and pray for the day to dawn when the sober and
sensible and honest manhood of our country may get together and
rule it.
"L. F. W."
Other instances of this frenzied partisan madness soon abounded. But the
most wicked resort of Democratic party passion, be it said to its
eternal shame, was made upon Col. J. M. Whitehead, editor of _The Living
Truth_, Georgiana, Ala. Not content with destroying peace, planning and
attempting midnight assassinations, hooting and howling at public
meetings, these haters of civil liberty and "dying hard" Democrats come
forth in their extreme infernalism, and hurl eggs at a gray-haired,
one-legged, ex-Confederate soldier and citizen of irreproachable
manhood. In response to a request for a statement on this subject, the
writer received the following reply from Colonel Whitehead:
"GREENVILLE, Ala., April 3, 1893.
"J. C. Manning:
"_Dear Sir_,--You ask me to write to you some of my experiences
during the campaign last year with our friends, the organized
Democracy. Knowing their methods so well, their 'wild and woolly'
ways did not surprise me. I had some experiences with them in 1884,
when I was an independent candidate for Congress in this district,
against Herbert. At Ross Hill, Covington county, I was set upon by
their tools, who had been organized before to kill me. It was a
miracle that the plan failed. As it was, I had an arm broken, a
shoulder dislocated and was left for dead on the ground. I had just
closed a speech in which I had exposed the unfaithfulness of their
Congressman (the nominee), which I had been doing for the past two
weeks and he had heard of it. He is now the Secretary of the Navy!
I had challenged him to a joint discussion and he had declined. He
was a Confederate soldier and so was I. I had lost a leg and he had
lost the use of an arm, but nothing of this kind could stand in the
way of his ambition. I never had any doubt but that he and his
henchmen instigated this cowardly assault upon me. Last year, most
of my speeches were made in the 'white counties' where our friends
are largely in the majority. I went to Union Springs, in Bullock
county,--a 'black county'--to engage the Hon. W. C. Oates in a
joint debate. He declined and I made no attempt to speak. As I was
leaving on the train from the depot that night, I was honored with
a shower of eggs coming through the car window at which I was
sitting. They passed within a few inches of my nose and breaking on
the other side of the car, fell on the good clothes of an
enthusiastic Democrat. Of course he was mad, while I was in the
best possible humor. I did the laughing and he did the swearing. It
took place as the train moved off, so that there was no chance to
investigate who the parties were. They were under the cover of
darkness, and doubtless will there remain."
"Most respectfully,
J. M. WHITEHEAD."
"They are under the cover of darkness, and doubtless will there remain."
What manner of Democracy (?) is this, which forms a prominent part of
the nation's administration--even entering the make-up of the cabinet of
the President! It is no surprise that an opposition cause to such a
party as this Democracy (?) would dare to undergo the most trying
difficulties in its struggle to maintain freedom of speech and to
sustain human liberty; it is no wonder that the Southern champions of
reform dare to preserve law, protect home and have honest government.