Birmingham state herald., 1895-11-16
TIE ADVERTISER REBUKED
Because lt Impresses the Idea That Gold Bug Democrats Would Not Support John
 ston If Nominated.

weeks issue of the Demopolis Express:
 'The Montgomery Advertiser in re- cent editorial claims that Governor oates
 will be a candidate for a renomination.
 Governor Oates in subsequent interview
 says he is candidate to succeed Sena- tor Pughj that he announced in his last
 canvass that he would be a candidate for
 governor but one term; that he prefers
 that the nomination next time be not off, fered him, but that if it is he will have to accept.
 "The Advertiser further claims that 1t
 has nothing personal against Captain
 Johnston, but does not believe he can be
 elected if nominated; but that oates can be elected and should by all means be the
 nominee of the party.
 Now, we are aware of the fact that party Trecedent would entitle Governor Oates to a renomination if he so desired 1t, although he said in the past that he would not be @ candidate again, as he
 has right to change his mind but we
 know of no party rule requiring the nom- nation of a man unless he wishes it, or for making such a thing the least bit plausible unless conditions required it. If Governor Oates desires renomination we are for him, because he has made good governor and has given us a clean
 administration; besides, he is entitled to it If he wishes 1t. If he is nominated he will and ought to be elected, for he will be the democratic nominee, and this is a democratic state and any nominee can be elected who polls the full party vote. Now,while we are for Oates for second term if he wants it, we are not of the opin- ion that his nomination is essential to the success of the party, and the Express does not belong in that list of papers de- string to force the nomination on oates SimnlV tn keen (fapfain Johnston other good man from getting 1t, The Ad- VertiSer argues that Oates can be elected but that Johnston cannot be- and the only inference that can be drawn from such argument is that Oates can be elected because the Johnston men and silver democrats are loyal enough party men to elect Oates, while Johnston cannot be- because the sound money democrats and Oates men would cause his defeat by act ing as the Clay men did in Kentucky. We are for Oates if he wishes the nomination
 and we are for sound money and we de- nounce such an imputation of diSloyalty to the administration democrats in Ala bama. The Advertiser doubtless did not intend to charge the administration dem ocratS with being unfaithful or diSloyal, but such is the only conclusion that can be drawn from the assertion that Oates can be elected, but Johnston cannot for this is a democratic state. Oates will be elected because he will get the full party
 
 he will fail to get the party vote. The silver democrats and Johnston's friends will support him if he is nominated; so if he is to be defeated it will be because the democrats are opposed to his nomi- nation, but favorable to Oates. Either vote for a republican or decline to turn out
 Such an argument is an insinuation and reflection upon those whom the Ad- vertiser holds out as the simon pure de- and fc qdn1icGtnn fhaf the men who oppose the nomination of Johnston are wealx-kneed party men and
 will not support the nominee else it is waging personal warfare on Captain Johnston. We do not agree with Captain Johnston on the financial question and this is an administration paper neither do we at this stage of the game commit
 this paper to the nomination Of Captain Johnston; but we do wish to say and in unmistakable terms, that we do not think the renomination of Oates essential to the success of the party and we are not in favor of advancing false logic and argu- ment, as is the case with certain papers, just for the sake of defeating Johnston for a. nomination that was conceded him while canvassing for Jones in 1890 and 1892 and for Oates in 1894.
 Captain Johnston does not express our views on the financial question; while we are bimetallist, we do not favor the basis advocated by Johnston, Morgan, ct als.,
  financial views of the governor of Ala bama amounts to but little in determin- ing his fitness for the office and that it Is much more important that he be sound on the questions within the province of his powers, which are of vital importance to the whole people of Alabama, and as Captain Johnston Is admitted to possess the qualifications to make us good gov- ernor, we are disposed to call a halt when 1t looks like anything to beat him; and hn 1ic1oua1fu nf tba SOnO6 money democrats in this neck of the woods when the Advertiser insinuates that they will vote for Oates in the gen.
 eral election but not Johnston"
 "It was 'treachery' in '92 to partici-
 pate in the primaries and then vote for
 Kolb in August against Jones, and those
 men have been denied a voice in the
 counsels of the party. Then if that was treachery what term should be applied to those in Kentucky who were disap-
 pointed because Hardin beat Clay for the nomination and who refused to support the former? Would not the administra- ton men in this state be in the same fix next year according to the prediction of the Advertiser. that those men in this
 state were in '92 who went into the pri-
 maries but who voted for Kolb in Au- gust? We think the argument of the Advertiser unjust and severe on those
 good democrats in Alabama who are un- favorable to the nomination of Captain
 
 think they will come to time, who ever
 Is nominated but if they are as uncertain
 as the Advertiser insinuates, would 1t
 not be a good idea to purge them before
 they participate in the democratic pri-
 maries?
 In order that our position may not be
 misunderstood, we repeat. we are for bi-
 metallism upon sound basis, but not aS
 advocated by Johnston, Morgan ct aI
 We are for Oates for the renomination if
 he wishes it, but not in favor of forcing
 1t on him against his wishes just to de-
 feat Captain Johnston. We do not be- lieve that the great democratic party owes it's life and success to any one man
 and do not therefore think the nomina- ton of Oates essential to party success next August We believe that Johnston or any ether man will be elected If he Is the nominee of the party irrespective of his individual views. We propose to sup
 port with our main and might the nomi-
 nee of the party be he gold bug or silver ite, and we pity the democracy of any man calling himself democrat who will