Alabama Politics from 1890 to 1938 as Viewed by a Country Editor [cover title]
1938 · [Athens, AL]
by [Walker, R.H]
[Athens, AL]: The author, 1938. First edition. 12mo. 63 pp. Walker served as editor of the Athens, Alabama, Limestone Democrat through much of the period covered and was active in local and state Democratic Party affairs; this work, a collected edition of newspaper articles written in 1930 with an update, describes the bitter 1890s fight between party factions for state political control and the aftermath, including the 1901 state constitutional convention establishing the "grandfather clause" that effectively removed African-Americans from the voting roles, state prohibition in the teens, and other issues. Typed letter, signed by the author, on his Limestone Democrat letterhead, to Alabama Judge Walter B. Jones, of Montgomery, elaborating on events described in the book laid in; with Jones's ownership signature on the front wrapper. Jones (1888- 1963), circuit court and presiding judge in Alabama from 1920 until his death, was a virulent racist whose overturned decisions formed the basis for much of the national Civil Rights legislation of the 1950s and 1960s. Caption title: "Four Decades of Alabama Politics as Viewed by a Country Editor." OCLC records one copy (Alabama), without author attribution. One paragraph with two ink marks (by Jones?), else a very good copy of an important modern rarity describing Alabama politics of the early 20th century. Original printed blue wrappers. (#5924). (Inventory #: 58761)