Birmingham state herald., 1895-11-29

which I have not said this year, that I did not agree with him in his civil ser vice views. But said last year and this, and now say, that for such differences I was too good a democrat to strike my leader or refuse to sustain him. 1 stand by my party and defend Cleveland's ad- ministration as a whole.
 Last year the Register and the Ad- vertiser, when they were ably advocating my nomination and election, knew that I differed with MT. Cleveland in some re- spects on the silver question, and that I had voted to pass the seigniorage bill over his Veto They were each then in possession of pamphlet copy of my speech in the fall of 1893, setting forth my views on the financial question and stating specially wherein I differed with the president, and yet they did not call me to account therefor, nor criticise me, but warmly supported me. My position today on all these questions is just what it was then, and in my Clayton speech defended President Cleveland's adminis- tration as whole and told the audience that I stood by it, and that while I was in favor of coining all the silver which the government could maintain at parity with gold yet that I was utterly hostile to fiat money of every kind, and opposed to the free and unlimited coin- age of silver at the present ratio, or any thing substantially short of the commer-
 
 same man I was last year and stand by the argumentsI then advanced, hay ing made no change, and how strange that these good friends of last year should find fault with me for it now. Well, my conscience is clear that I have done right and am going to stand by it. l would rather have the consciousness of doing right and be defeated for the senate. or any other position, than to be a conscienceless trader and schemer, Tor to cowardly smother my honest convic- tions. I must be allowed to decide flor myself what constitutes my duty, and that I follow, regardless of consequences.
 One word more: As to the remark, "We were surprised that the governor should go out of his way to preach har- mony with men who profess what we believe to be wrong principles" Ad vocateS of free coinage may be, sand believe are wrong, but I have no doubt of their honesty in the main. The coin age question does not embody all the principles of the democratic party, but is but one of the policies. If the advo- cates of free coinage be sincere and honest as we who oppose it profess to be, in what way can we compromise un- less by mutual concessions? They are democrats, men and patriots, as we'll as ourselves. Do we expect them to surrender everything and come over to us. or are we to make clean surrender 10 them! l tnlnK d mutudi respect TOT each others opinions and proper conces- sions to a reasonable extent, should be made in order that the party may not lose the state next year. I tell you, my friend, that if this fight continues to grow in bitterness, as indicated in the papers of each faction, which are more hostile toward each other than they are to the common enemy, the success of the party next year may be put down as doubtful, if not hopeless. I am pre- pared to make any concession which can make consistently with honor and self-respect to avoid such a calamity. N
 WILLIAM c. OATES.