Birmingham age-herald., 1894-10-23
DEMOCRACY, The Pride of Every Southern Man and Woman, Expounded by Alabama's Able Statesmen, Oates
 and Morgan. Blount's Bravest and Gentlest Greet the Heroes at
 Oneonta.
Congressman R. Fl. Clarke Greeted by an Immense Audience at Ers-
 we'll Hall.


 tory of Blount county democracy. At S:3O a. m. a special car, provided by the Young Men s Democratic club of this city, left the union car shed for Oneonta. the county seat of BIount. On board were Gen. John T. Morgan, Gov. -elect William c. Oates and number of Birmingham's young democrats. Several stops were made be- tween Birmingham and Oneonta, and by the time the latter station was reached the car was well filled with both sexes, eager to hear the great principles of democracy expounded by two of Alabama's most dis tinguished statesmen. The party was given hearty welcome by the good peo- pie of Oneonta and Blount county. Large crowds were gathered at the depot and greeted the party with expressions of well come.
 The meeting proved to be one of She most enthusiastic and profitable meetings that B!ount county has seen in many days. It reminded gray haired veterans of the days of George Houston.
 The meeting assembled at II o'clock in open air with zoo or 600 voters present. Gov. -elect William c. Oates was in troduced and received with enthusiasm. He opened his address with a short history of the democratic parry in the states and told how the party has overcome the great obstacles thrown in it's way by the ene- mics of democracy. He said: ssThe past belongs to history, the future to God, and the present to us alone. We are hers today for the purpose of discussing the issues which are now engaging the attention of the people.' He gave true definition ol Jeffersonian democracy and showed the people how many good democrats have been mislead by political leaders Of the so- called Jeff,rsonian party. He went into an explanation of the relative positions of the democratic and republican par ties to the constitution, showing how the latter favors class legislation against the masses of the people and the opposite principles of the democratic party; the theory of the republican party in the matter of investing absolute power in their congressmen; the ill regard oi the re- publican party for strict construction of the constitution compared with the posi- ton of tho democratic party. We want freer trade and less restriction. We want legislation in favor of the masses. The principles of democracy fall upon the people like the dews Of Heaven upon the flowers of the earth, giving nourishment and pros- perity to the people of our land. The dem ocratic party is the party of the poor man. It develops Individuality in the people and makes them independent. '
 When he raid his respects to the Kolb lacIiOn III hldDHlud iiC oatos ohh hOc here to abuse any man, but want you to listen to reason-those of you who have gone wrong and got off with the Jeffs, pops and reps, with the reps on top. tLaughter.l Right here in your own dis trict you have an old time, lifelong re- publican running for congress on the Jef- fersonian ticket, and still you claim to be democrats. Come back into the house of your fathers and go with your brothers.
 ssEut you ask, What has the democratic fnr r,annIaY1 We baUa achieved some great victories under the present administration, and we have achieved them through the ability and per- sistence of such great men as Gen. John T. Morgan, who is in your midst today. [Applause.1 We have repealed the most infamous election law ever placed upon g free people. If we had accomplished noth- ing more than this the people of this country would be indebted to that party for glori- ous administration, but this IS not all: What have we done in the matter of tarifff We have done away with the Mckinley law ,the worst the country has ever known. We have freer trade, one of the first and \ great principles of the party. We can man ufacture 90 per cent of all goods in this country at nearly the same cost as Europe can make them, but when the tarln comes on it increases the price about one- third of its original cost. This. is what is meant American industries. Who protects these rich corporations under such laws? It,is the laboring man, and he protects them with the hard earned fruits of his labor.
 'sI want to see cotton factory estab- lished in every town. village and hamlet in Alabama and the south. We raise the finest quality of cotton in the world, and we are the best patrons of the mannfactur- CTS in the world. Let us produce our own cotton goods and not depend on the manu- facturers of other sections for them. The great trouble with us is that we are not manufacturers, and are the best patrons of them in the world, ,''
 He spoke of the cry of fraud that has