Birmingham age-herald., 1895-03-31

Governor Oates ia sound money man, and is refunding the state debt under the provisions of sound money law passed in the last session of the legislature of bis state. The attack on the governor and the credit of their state has aroused Alabamians Of all political parties to expressions of deep indignation. One citizen of that state, who has fought for sound money bUth in the legislature and through the columns of the able paper he owns and edits, Capt. Frank P. 0'Brien of the Bir- mingham AGE HERALD is visiting this city at present, and was seen at the Hotel Im- perial yesterday in relation to the subject. The captain, usually very amiable man, was angry all the way through when he talked about the subject. He said:
 t'The manifesto by M. W. Howard, Jr., and'J. c. Manning relative to Governor Oates effort to fund the state debt of Ala bama is a base slander upon the tax paying people of Alabama without regard to poli- tics. It goes far beyond the pale of politi- cal warfare, as it is an attempt to stab both friend and foe, and to do a most serious injustice to every citizen and tax payer of our state, whether he be popuiist, repub. lican or democrat. The burden~of our state government rests not alone upon the should CTS of Governor Oates, nor of the mem bers that party which is responsible for his in- duction into office, but upon every tax payer and laborer in the state. Cripple the credit of Alabama by base slander and the masses bear the brunt of it.
 ueI6 lSSDFe66QDeQ QuebblOH IOT buo serious consideration of every man in the state. The governor of Alabama, whether he be governor de facto orlgovernOr de jure, one or both, Acknowledgements tative head of the slate, in obedience to the de- mands of his people made upon him seeks to relieve them from further burden of overtaxation by applying in the markets for funds at a less rate of interest than tue present obligations of the state bear-not for his own benefit, but for tbe relief of .1a lAx.t tha of hnr al pfn two citizens of Alabama, the one a mem- Der of congress, the other representative in the state legislature, slandering the peo- pie by impeaching their honesty, attempt. ing to strangle their credit and maliciousy belying their peaceable status as true citi- Zens.
 .sNeither Governor Oates nor the people of Alabama entertain for moment the idea that the money lenders of the east are fools. They know that when they go into the markets with Alabama securities they must give full and accurate account Of all conditions which surround these securi- ties; that they must show sources of in come, amount of debt, for what created, and the ability of the state to redeem her every pledge, else they find no market.
 Ut is not, therefore. the damage that these two slanderers have perpetrated upon the people that is entitled to consideration, for to business men their tomfoolery will appear only as an effort to gain notoriety- hence they do no damage in that particular but the filthy part Of the work is the spirit manifested by them in attempting to iDjure the fair name of the state by inalign- ing her people and seeking to prevent oth- CTS from casting their lot with us.
 ''To show to the Sun readers that these are not the sentiments expressed alone by me and my political friends, here Is au arti- cle from the AGE HERALD containing the views ofdemocrats, republicans and popu- lists:
 sttDr. R. A. Moseley, iJr., chairman of the state republican executive committee, in conversation with an AdE-HERALD re- porter, said it was a disgraceful thing for two men occupying the prominent posi-. tions held by Howard and Manning to send out such an article.
 t'No man, said he, 'has the right to attack the credit of his own state. The statement is an egregious blunder, to say the least of it, and seems to seek to drive men and money away frem Alabama.
 t sWhateyer be the true conditions of the state, continued the republican leader, mo man should attack its credit. We all want to see Alabama prosperous, and the people industrious, and to bring capital to us and not drive it away.
 .t'Whether Alabama's financial ccnd- ton is good or bad, continued the doctor, Sis not the question. Were it even worse than described by the gentlemen it is blunder on their part to send out such a statement, and can possibly do no good, but may do harm.'
 "Other republicans and populists seen by an AGE HERALD reporter held the same view as that expressed by Dr. Moseley. Not one approved the action of Messrs. Howard and Mapning in sending out the article in question.
 IA number of democrats were also seen by the reporter, and every one felt that the state had been outraged by the authors of the article furnished the press Monday night.''