Birmingham state herald., 1895-11-26
ECHOES OF THE PRESS.

] It now seems that Captain Johnston ] has free field for the goYernorship. ] Now Is the time to put aside factional differences and unite on one man. That will insure a peaceful, quiet time next year.-Alexander City Outlook.
 Johnston is a coming-from every part of the state-from away down where the bay of Mobile crosses the sands-from up among the mountains and the valleys of the Tennessee comes the news that the people are crowding to his support. Alabamians know that Johnston has come for democracys sake, and they are going to stand by him.-Oxford Enter prise.
 The editor of the Courant is making personal canvass of Conecuh county on d mustang pony. His primary object, of course, is to get readers for the CouraRt, since he has not been in the county long enough to be candidate; but his ob- servation as to politics is that Of the voters there are twenty to one in favor of the free coinage of silver; and as to the organized" the silverloons largely outnumber the gold bugs. When he came to the county he thought he was coming to gold bug hot bed, that the odds would be against his position. He had no thought that the organized de- mocracy could be carried for silver or that he Courant's favorite for governor, Joe Johnston, had the shadow of chance to carry a primary election; but John ston, 1t appears, will have but little op- position, whether Oates is his opponent or not. As to congress. the right man advocating free coinage will have a walkover So interested are the people on this subject that but for the distress ing financial condition, nearly all of them would subscribe for the Courant, be- cause 'it is right on the money ques- tion." Yes, you can just put old Con- ecuh down as solid for silver.-Evergreen Courant
 A special to the Advertiser from Clay ton says that Governor Oates, in speech yesterday at that place, said pos itively that he would not be candi- date next year to succeed himself. In this he shows his good sense. For It he were to go back on his repeated declara- ton, made in times past that he would not again be a candidate for governor, he would not only be defeated in the gubernatorial race, but be forever snow ed under as a candidate for the senate. He is also a man of firmness and decl- sion of character, else he would have been lead astray by a few time-serving newspapers.
 And now the exceedingly important question of harmony in the democratic party comes up. The present political status is most suspicious for healing the break Tn the uefDOCTdliC party III HAo bama It looks almost, if not quite, like a, providential opening. With the party split up as it is now the republican party will some day, in the near future, get possession of our state government, and no good democrat would like to see thing like that happen.
 We can now avoid all this without the sacrifice of principle or party discipline Nobody can doubt the democracy Of Capt. Joseph F. Johnston and Gov. Will liam c. Oates. They differ only in one point They are both bimetallists. Cap tain Johnston is in favor of the free coin age of silver at ratio of 16 to l. Govern or Oates voted in favor of the free coin age of silver at a ratio of 20 to l-simply a difference of opinion as to the number of grains of silver that should be put into a dollar.
 Now, we leave 1t to any honest man to say if difference of opinion as to wheth- CT the amount of silver in a silver dollar ought to be at a ratio Of 16 to 1 or 20 to 1-only difference of four grains of sil- ver--should divide the great democratic party?
 Governor Oates has declared unequiv- ocally that he will not be candidate for a second term, but is candidate for tha United States senate.
 Now, we submit this question for pa- triotic men to consider: Governor Oates being out of the race by his own choice, would It not De wise III us to nominate Captain Johnston by unanimous vote?
 All those who failed to support Oates in 1894 and those who voted for Kolb can consistently vote for Johnston. and thus reinstate themselves in the ranks of the party without submitting to any hunil- iating conditions. And the organized democracy will not have to relax party discipline at any point.
 He who willfully refuses to embrace this favorable opportunity to reconcile party differences must have an ax to grind.-Opelka News.