Birmingham age-herald., 1895-05-30
rHE TWO WHITE WINGS.


 Of course there will be spontaneous gathering of the free-and-unconditiona silver people at the approaching Mem phis free silver convention, and those of us who are outside the pale of the white winged forces are going to watch with eager interest the manner of selecting delegates to this much-talked-of meet at Memphis.
 For instance, right here in Birming- ham the sixteen-to-ones have two very distinct wings both white, of course, and just how they will look together in a public conference and how they are to agree as to how to divide the honors it is difficult to foretell.
 Some weeks ago there was organized in Birmingham a silver league, over which no less a parsonage than Col. A K. Shepherd presided. Colonel Shep- herd, be it remembered, is not in the strictest sense of the term a modern Democrat. He is probably entitled to be called an Independent" He is, how ever, free silver man, and so declared himself a year ago, when he was so ardently supporting Capt. Joe Johnston for Governor. Among the originators, members and spolSesmen at this silver | league gathering we distinctly remember the name of MT. W. II. Skaggs, who de- nounced President Cleveland and is much given to the custom of abusing | Senator Morgan, in fact, the Democratic | party. Then there was Dr. Greene, MT. | Sharit, the editor of the Peoples Tri- | bune, and several others of that pur- | suasion. These were the silver leaguers, who not only declare their love for the white metal, but swear they are going l to vote that way.
 Of course these leaguers will send rep resentatives to Memphis, because they have been invited to do so.
 And of all people in the world none are' more entitled to participate in It to l free silver convention than the outspoken Populists, for they have declared them selves, as a party and as individuals, to be on that line.
 Then there is the "Alabama Silver Club" just resurrected.. and reinforced | by a new crop. This club is composed, we believe, of organized Democrats, whose views are in accord with those l of Capt. Joe Johnston, and as Capt Joe Johnston is the most prominent of all free-silver Democrats in this section of | the State, we must designate this the Johnston silver wing. The feathers of this wing. are quite pliable on the sub | ject of free silver at 16 to 1, but some Of them will ruf1e as sure as fate when the | time comes for conferring, mixing or monkeying in any manner, shape or | form with the leaguers.
 The two wings may work very well. a1 long as they are allowed to flop on op- posite sides of the body-politic.
 Rumors are rife of the holding of pri- vate conferences recently by some mem bers of each faction, and it has reached | the ear of the Age-Herald that one was held yesterday of a very serious nature, | and that some disgruntlement is apt to | follow Just what the nature of the con- | ference was and who the conferees were are facts best known to those who con- | ferred, and the public may become more | interested as matters develop.
 Those of our citizens who oppose the 16 to l idea are not forming clubs polit- ical or clubs social, and will not do so, but will pursue the even tenor of their way, urging at all times the great truth l that the Successful administration of the affairs of this government by any polit- ical party rests upon that party's pro- nouneed, determined and active purpose to uphold and defend the credit of the na- tion and of the people thereof
 But we digress. What the anti-free sil- yer people are interested to know is just how the Shepherd -Skaggs and the John | ston wings of our free silver contingency | can afford to mix and divide honors for representation at the Memphis meet. It | puzzles us to know.