Michael Eppolito's List: Flow of History

• political power in the state of Alabama was controlled by Conservative-Democrats or Bourbons, a group of wealthy landowners
• It is believed that the Jeffersonian-Democratic (Populist) candidate, Reuben F. Kolb actually won the 1892 gubernatorial election.
• Populists being elected to the legislature, where they blocked an attempt to disenfranchise anyone who did not own 40 acres of property that was worth $250.
• In 1894, Kolb once again ran for election. Amongst his other items on his platform, he promised to protect Negro voting rights.
• Black Belt counties, where he lost by huge margins despite the support of African American leaders.
• One hundred and fifty five Delegates gathered in Montgomery on May 21, 1901 for the constitutional convention that lasted until September 3. There were no black delegates, neither were there any women.
• introduction of a poll tax, and literacy tests. This would not only have the effect of removing poor black voters from the voter lists, but would also remove poor white voters as well. This ploy appealed to Conservative-Democrats as the bulk of Populist supporters were poor white farmers
• 108,613 to 81,734. Oddly enough, the margin of victory came from 12 black belt counties where the total vote in favor was 32,000 with only 5,000 against. These figures are beyond belief. In some counties, the returns show that not only did virtually every black male vote, but they voted for their own disenfranchisement. In other counties, no black males voted and every white male did.
• reduced by more than 98%. The number of registered black voters reduced from 181,000 in 1901 to just 3,000 in 1902. In Birmingham, just 30 black voters remained out of a population of 18,000 blacks, and in the 14 Black Belt counties, just 1,000 black voters remained.

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•   So long as the negro remains in insignificant minority, and votes the Republican ticket, our friends in the North tolerate him with complacency, but there is not a Northern State, and I might go further and say, there is not an intelligent white man in the North, not gangrened by sectional prejudice and hatred of the South who would consent for a single day to submit to negro rule.

    

       If the negroes of the South should move in such numbers to the State of Massachusetts, or any other Northern State, as would enable them to elect the officers, levy the taxes, and control the government and policy of that State, I doubt not they would be met, in spirit, as the negro laborers from the South were met at the State line of Illinois, with bayonets, led by a Republican Governor, and firmly but emphatically informed that no quarter would be shown them in that territory.

•  And what is it that we want to do? Why it is within the limits imposed by the Federal Constitution, to establish white supremacy in this State.

    

       This is our problem, and we should be permitted to deal with it, unobstructed by outside influences, with a sense of our responsibilities as citizens and our duty to posterity.

• Vermont's 1777 Constitution gave birth to the State, which at the time was   claimed by New York and New Hampshire. Drawn in large measure from Pennsylvania's   1776 Constitution
• 1786 Constitution.  The new constitution was generally perceived   as curtailing some direct powers granted citizens
• The 1793 Constitution remains the core of the current Vermont Constitution.   

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• CHAPTER I. A DECLARATION OF THE RIGHTS OF THE INHABITANTS OF THE STATE OF VERMONT

• Article 1 Declaration of Rights

• THE CONSTITUTION OF 1793

• [Article 8th.

   

  That those who are employed in the legislative and executive business of the State, may be restrained from oppression, the people have a right, by their legal Representatives, to enact laws for reducing their public officers to a private station, and for supplying the vacancies in a constitutional manner, by regular elections, at such periods as they may think proper.]

• [Article 13th.

   

  That no warrant or writ to attach the person or estate of any freeholder within this state, shall be issued in civil actions, without the person or persons who may request such warrant or attachment first make oath, or affirm before the authority who may be requested to issue the same, that he or they are in danger of losing his, her, or their debt.]

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