Birmingham state herald., 1895-12-08
PARTY HARMONY.

to seriously consider the dangers ahead, and to discuss men and measures dispas-
 sionately. It is much more important to
 the welfare of the people, and to the de-
 velopment of Alabama's immense re-
 sources, to calmly look at the situation
 and save our state than to become eX-
 cited and turn our batteries upon friends and call each other SilYerloonS, gold-bugs,
 etc., thereby endangering the future sue
 cess of the party An army without cop
 cert of action is sure to meet defeat in
 battle. A party with it's leaders fighting
 each other and the rank and file taking
 up the quarrel will certainly meet with
 disaster. No more can party succeed
 without the rank and file marching shoul-
 der to shoulder in a fight than can a
 great army in battle. If this be true, then
 why should our leaders keep up this fight
 against each other instead of turning
 their guns upon the enemy? It does look
 as if some would exhaust all their energy
 and ammunition upon each other before
 the battle with the enemy began. There
 seems, however, to be men in the demo-
 cratic party in Alabama who have so
 much combatativeness in their nature, and who are so determined to carry point, that they would rather wreck the
 party and ruin a great state than yield one iota or be defeated in their plans. It is time for the democra tic party to say to all such, your advice is not wanted, and your services are not needed. Many men who have been honored, and whose advice has been needed in the past, seem to have lost their reason, and are no longer capable of directing the course of the party or grasping the fact that break CTS are just ahead, which may wreck and bring disaster upon the party. Instead or trying to reconcile differences, they are pouring hot shot into each other through the columns of their newspapers or upon the musings. strange spectacle Is pre- Sented. Our honored senators are canvass ing the state when there is no election pending, fighting democrats instead of the enemy. Two years ago when there was a hard fight they were as silent as the tomb. The Advertiser turns loose its powerful guns day after day upon this democrat or that democrat, because, for sooth, he antagoniZes the views enter tained by that paper, all seeming to for get that every democrat has d right to his individual views upon questions of finance. and public policy until his party
 meets in national convention and speaks with no uncertain sound. Here comes
 the trouble; the last national convention adopted a platform susceptible of two constructions, and each faction is now claiming that its interpretation is right. Platforms are too often made to catch
 votes, so that they may be constructed to suit a mans ideas upon particular question. We see those who are called
 
 called silver men all claiming that they
 are standing upon the last national dem ocratic platform and accusing each oth-
 CT of advocating republican doctrine or
 populistic ideas. In truth, each have good grounds to stand upon as the f1nan-
 cial plank is susceptible to either con
 struction. We see those who advocate
 gold standard almost exhausting the
 vocabulary of the English language in
 trying to prove that they are the only
 and true btmetallists. and that all oth- CTS are silver monometallists, and those
 who advocate the free and unlimited
 coinage Of silver at the ratio of 16 to 1,
 with equal pertinacity, trying to prove
 that they are the only true bimetallists.
 and that all others are gold monometal-
 lists. each saying that the policy of the other will contract the currency, one by
 driving out gold, the other by eiminat-
 ing silver, at the same time all claiming that they are in favor of using both gold and silver as money
 Every democrat In Alabama will no doubt say that he Is in favor of the larg- est use of both gold and silver as money. and will further say that he is in favor of keeping them on parity with each other and that he is opposed to the depreci- ated dollar. Then why all this contention among democrats? The anti-free silver men argue that with free coinage this government cannot maintain the parity
 
 that it can; so herein lies the difference the amount of silver this government can circulate. It is not whether this man or that man Is opposed to silver for all ad- vocate silver, but as stated in its last analysis, our people only differ as to the amount of silver this government can
 safely float. Governor Oates will say that he is in favor of all the silver that the government can safely coin; Captain Johnston will say the same thing. The governor will further say he don't believe the government would be safe in adopt- ing the free and unlimited coinage of silver at 16 to 1. Captain Johnston will say he does So the only difference is one of opinion as neither knows the result So it is with the rank and file, differing in opinion, and each one following in the footsteps of some favorite leader. Our monetary system is out of joint. but whatever is done will have to be more or less in the nature of an experiment. Not done, however, by the state of Ala bama. but by the national government; ; though it seems that some are deter mined to settle this whole vexed ques- ton at our state election next August. It is being injected into our state politics, and this man or that man is opposed or advocated because he is a silver or anti silver man. The governor of Alabama has no more to do with 1t than a consta- hle in the most remote precinct. The time has come when democrats must cease quarreling and settle upon the strongest and best man for governor no matter whether he believes this govern ment can sustain free coinage or not | If his name is J. F. Johnston, though our opinion may differ with him. for it | is merely an opinion. let every democrat | throw up his hat close up the ranks and march on to victory Certainly Captain | Johnston is a good democrat His past | record speaks for itself Away back in | the dark days when democrats were in | dicted for opinions sake, the captain spent his time and money in defending | these men when the position of some | who now abuse him was at least ques- | tionable In every campaign since then | he has been in the thickest of the fight | The silverites placed their opinions upon | the partys altar two years ago and loy- ally supported Governor Oates; now. if needs be, let the anti-silver men do the same thing.
 | Much is being said in regard to the l powers of an executive committee and | the advisability of the state committee prescribing rules governing the prma- ries. State committees, like the national | government. sometimes assume too much power and may cause revolution. The | loss mowers an executive committee as-