The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1894-03-20
Over i'll Alabama.

Congressman Oates, of Alabama, is
vigorously engaged i'll carrying on his
gubcrnatorial campaign in that state.
With the local and state issues that be-
long to his canvass The Constitution
has nothing to do, but when Mr.. Oates
deals with national issues he enters upon
a discussion that is of paramount inter
est TO every democratic yotc4 III the
south
Naturally. Mr. Oates finds it difficult
to avoid national questions in speaking
to an audience of democrats, and. just
us naturally, he finds it convenient to
refer to The Constitution when he deals
with national questions. The national
issues outlined in the Chicago platform
are of surprising interest at this time.
Indeed. they are of more pressing and
vital importance than they were i'll 1892
when the people of Alabama, i'll common
with the people of the whole country,
endorsed the pledges and demands of
tie platform.
we Judge from the brief and meager
reports OF Mr. Oates's speeches which
come to us that his remarks are both in
toresting and instructive. At Sylacauga,
the other day, he made some comments
on The Constitution. but. what was far
more entertaining, he rcaffirmed that
Mr. Cleveland did tell him that the or
ganizcd money power of Wall street
could drain the treasury in forty-eight
hours. We infer that Mr. Oates is Ia
boring under the impression that he
had reported Mr. Cleveland correctly.
but we have never doubted his word in
the matter For it is a fact, familiar
to every person who has studied the sit
uation. that when Mr.. Cleveland adopted
the Harrison policy-Which is the John
Sherman policy of making the silver
notes convertible into gold-the way was
opened for the organized banks of Wall
street to drain the treasury of its gold
whenever anything could be gained by
it. Mr. Cleveland told Mr.. Oates 4 sim
pie fact-a fact that was made patent
to everybody when Mr.. Cleveland him
self informed the associated banks that
the discretion invested in the secretary
of the treasury to redeem the silver notes
in either gold or silver would be trans
fcrrCd to the note holder.
Mr. Oates raped The Constitution
somewhat sharply for saying that John
Sherman is responsible for the present
state of affairs. He then went on to
say that he knows John Sherman is not
connected with the financial policy that
has prevailed under the present admin
istration. Mr.. Oates is sure Of it be
cause John Sherman told him so him
self
1t might be supposed that Sherman is
good authority, but he is not. He is a
man who was never known to tell the
truth about political matter when he
could avoid it. and he is an expert in
avoiding it, He was guilty of an appall-
ing piece of mcndacity in the senate
the other day when he said that 800
100000 silver dollars We're lying idle in
the treasury.
Nevertheless the point is not whether
John Sherman is willing to tell the truth.
but whether he has endorsed and sup
ported the financial legislation that has
become Il part of the law since the 4th
of March last. Was he in favor of dem
ocratic legislation to take the place of
the Sherman law? If so. we never heard
of it, On the contrary, he was opposed
to substituting democratic lcgisla ton for
the Sherman act, opposed to all compro-
misses, and in favor Of unconditional re-
peal. Did he stand with the administra-
ton in this?
Did he oppose an issue of gold-bearing
bonds? On the contrary, he made the
first speech in the senate in favor of Il
bond ISSUE and the bonds were issued
accordingly In these matters John
Sherman was as active as any admins
tration leader and it is a notorious fact
that he was in frequent communication
with Mr.. Carlisle.
And yet John Sherman was very quiet
in his maneuvers. He did not 90 around
talking about me and the admniStra-
ton" He simply made the fact known
that he endorsed the schemes that have
resulted in the collapse of the democratic
financial policy. AS a matter of fact he
was playing IL very deep game. If he
could use the democrats as cats paws
to revive the republican act of 1873 de-