Birmingham age-herald., 1894-10-23
AT ERSW ELL HALL


 AT ERSWELL HALL
 HON. RICHARD H. CLARKE OF THE FIRST
 DISTRICT ADDRESSES AN IMMENSE AUDI
 ENcB.
 Congressman Richard H. Clarke of Mo. bile addressed large audience at ErwelPs hall last night.
 At o'clock Young Democracy, 100 strong, marched into the hall, bearing in. front of them the clubs handsome bau-s nev. They wore badges. as did the Avon. daie Democratic club, large number of whose members were present. A few minutes later the distinguished l speaker of the evening, escorted by unl-s | Der of prominent democrats, came in and. l was introduced by MT. A. G. Smith, ex- l chairman of the state democratic executive | committee.
 number of gentlemen had seats on the | stage.
 Mr. Clarke presented an able and forci- ble argument in support of democracy, l and held the stricIest attention of bis 1 audience throughout his discourse. He said:
 l4 feel that if have in any way con- l tributed to the success of democracy in the l past l have been many times repaid. l l feel that am among friends hers. The section of the stats from which come has contributed much to the prosperity Of BIr- l mingham. l have Alabamian's g warm l interest in your section and hope that your expectations may be realized. Here in Alabama we have the same old l party to contend with that we fought when we came back from tEe war to a devastated I home to again build up our fortunes. The | same two parties that confronted each l other in those days are arrayed against each 1 today.
 Those who have strayed off from us pay | democracy grand tribute in trying to
 keep its pane while trying to tear down its 1 institutions.
 shall try to discuss these issues in a oA- x.yft tnuA A1y inx fIae m. 1 pleasant memories of the past. will not l invoke the memories of those six years of l oppression we had to undergo just after the l war. That was done Saturday evening by | that grand old leader, who was a great 1 leader in those dark days. This reference 1 to Senator Morgan was greeted with great 1 applause.
 | I can see the mighty host of democrats 1 that came down from north Alabama and I placed Houston iu the executive chair, and l l see them again comiug down to drive l away the same old enemy. Is there man 1 in this district who was then trying to | place that crowd in power in Alabama who 1 is not now supporting Mir. Aldrich? At this point Gov. -elect w. C. Oates | came upon the stage and was greeted with | great applause.
 Let us judge the work of the late ses- | sion of congress temperately and justly. Was President Cleveland not right in de- | clining to call congress together earlier | than he did3 An incoming president l should have time to organize his adm1nis- l tration
 phe republicans claim that the business l depression commenced at the time 1t be- | anne known that a democratic president l and congress had been elected. hat is | what they are trying to preach to the busi- ness men of Birming ham,, Is it not fact l that the nosS prosperous period sof this | country was the four years of Ceveland's first administration When Cleveland re- tired he left large surplus in the treasury. The great problem had been to get rid of this. MT. Cleveland had been applying n part of it to the purchase of bonds and thus decreasing the country's indebtedness. < When President Harrison came In he got rid of the surplus. The republicans being in power seated enough of their own par tisans to have full control of the congress, and then began to enact laws in the in terest of the man ufacturers. Cotton tie manu- lecturers were allowed to name the tariff on cotton ties. Other manu ufacturers did the same. The republicans appropriated over S1 1000, ,000, ,000 a year, and then taunted the democrats for making the same appropria- tions the first year of their administration, when they well knew it was the legislation of republican congress that compelled us to make the appropriation. The treasury presented large deficit when the democratic administration began, and many countries were undergoing financial panics. The failure of Barring Bros. created @ panic through the old WOrlu anu Caluo utdT CadcAnE Ouo hOiC, oub 1t was happily averted by our bankers com binjng. During MT. Cieveland's first ad- minisrration we gained over $22, 900 900, while there was not year during MT. Har- rison's administration that we did not lose, the imports for the four years exceeding the exports by $157 ,989, ,803. Then came the closing of Iudia's hints and the consequent panic. Can it be said after all these things that fear of tariff leg islation produced this business stagnation?' Had not the people by large majorittes in 1890 and 1892 demanded reductions in the tariff?
 For over an hour MT. Clarke discussed the silver question, presenting one of the most logical, lucid and forcible arguments on that issue that a Birmingham audience has listened to. The frequent applause was evidence that his remarks were appre-s ciated.
 He said there were few men in Birming ham who claimed they would support MT. Aldrich on business principles. Mir. AL drich was for high tariff. The Mckinley. bill had fair trial. Was Birming ham prosperous under il? Were your furnaces doing a prosperous business? Was their output kept up during it's existencef The speaker cited few strikes and suspen siOnss that had been inaugurated in this district. Some time was devoted to the duty on coal and to other features of the Mckinley bill so far as it applies to coal and iron, the two great products of this district. MT. Clarke spoke for nearly three hours. Dr. Price's Baking Powder is as justly celebrated for it's perfect purity as for it's