| The Alabama Recount--Part II | |
A hint of the bitter rhetoric that would follow was given by
a Wheeler spokesman when he condemned Lowe’s supporters as “radical who
would sell their very souls for the Negro votes.”
The congressional race was one of the most closely watched in
the nation. At stake, depending on which side you chose, was the continuation of
“carpetbagger and scalawag rule, or the restoration of “a Democratic party
controlled by the rich and powerful aristocracy.”
As a result, money and political operatives began pouring
into North Alabama. From the very beginning Wheeler factions began a strategy of
labeling Lowe as a scalawag and radical. Lowe found this difficult to counter.
Although he had served in public office during the carpetbagger era, the fact
that he had voted against most of the administration’s policies fell on deaf
ears.
Although Lowe, like Wheeler, had based much of his early
campaign on “white supremacy,” as he saw traditional Democratic votes began
to peel away, and in an effort to replace them, he met with the State Chairman
of the Republican party and received their endorsement. In addition, the leading
Black newspaper in the south strongly endorsed Lowe.
The Wheeler factions heralded this as proof that Lowe was in
the pockets of the “carpet bagging radicals.” Secretly, though, they were
worried. With Lowe picking up a unified black vote it could spell doom for
Wheeler's candidacy. In an attempt to nullify the Republicans' effect on the
race, Wheeler operatives enlisted the help of W.H. Councill, a leading black
educator in Huntsville. Rumor mills in Huntsville had connected Councill’s
name to a sordid sex scandal and possibly he saw this as a way to change the
subject.
With Councill’s help, the Democratic party began holding
mass rallies across North Alabama. Abundant quantities of free food and drink
attracted thousands of people who listened to speeches by Councill and other
black leaders urging them to vote for Wheeler.
Now, the Lowe camp was worried. With Councill and other black
leaders supporting Wheeler, they could no longer count on a solid black vote. To
counter this, and with advice from the Republican party, Lowe’s operative’s
began to link his name with that of James Garfield, the Republican candidate for
president. Garfield had been a Union General stationed in Huntsville for a while
during the civil war and was highly popular with the black voters. The white
voters, however, detested Garfield as a reminder of the Union occupation during
the war.
In an almost comical sense, Lowe was placed in the situation
of portraying himself as a loyal Confederate veteran at white gatherings and a
friend of Garfield and the Union Army before blacks. It was a successful
strategy however as newspapers of the day describe Lowe’s rallies as having
almost a religious fervor, with his speeches before black rallies being
constantly punctuated by choruses of "Amen" and
"Hallelujah."
Many newspapers called this contest the "no-show election." Early on many people began
calling for the candidates to debate but it was soon apparent that neither one
wanted to face the other in a public forum. Lowe, however, learning that Wheeler
had commitments at the far end of the district on a certain date that he could
not possibly avoid, immediately offered a challenge to debate on the same date.
When Wheeler's camp realized they had been blind-sided they began issuing the
same type of challenges. The result was a constant barrage of debate challenges
with neither side showing up.
Election
day observers declared one of the highest turn outs ever. People started showing
up at the polls hours before they opened and some had to be kept open later to
accommodate the waiting crowds.
Lowe, with his advisors, spent the night at his palatial
home, The Grove, going over the returns as they trickled in from outlying areas.
As expected, the “hill countries” were going strongly for Lowe while the
"flatlands," home of the cotton plantations, were swinging to Wheeler.
By late that evening it was evident that the cities of Huntsville and Athens
would determine the outcome.
General Wheeler, on the other hand, seemed unconcerned with
the outcome. After voting earlier in the day, he had traveled to Huntsville and
checked into the Huntsville Hotel where a large crowd of his supporters had
gathered. Leaving the vote counting to his aides, Wheeler then retired to a room
to get some much needed sleep.
Part 3--More
Recounts
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