Birmingham state herald., 1896-02-16

.
 of this state, known for his rugged integ
 rity, now and for more than a year in England, in which he mentions the large number of farms now lying Idle ana abandoned in that densely populated kingdom because men can't earn living on them.
 On the 12th of this month the queen of England in her speech to parliament, said 'I regret to say that the condition of agriculture is disastrous beyond re cent experience. Measures will be laid before you with the object of mitigating the distress of the classes engaged In that industry"
 Were to say such thing would be called a calamity howler; but is it not | marvellous that after eighty years of the gold standard in England this IS the condition of the farmers?
 The silver dollar was worth as much as gold until it was demonetized; why would l it not resume it's place if put back where l it was? I do not see that as governor of Alabama I can do a great deal to estao- fish free coinage I do not see that this | question should necessarily determine 1 the fitness of an. man for state ofnce; but I shall never surrender my honest and long maintained convictions on this l or any other public question to obtain office.
 I think there should be wise tolera- tion of honest differences amongst us. White supremacy rests upon democTal- l ic units. If the issue were presented 10 me whether we should deliver over the state officers and legislature of Alabama l to the republican party and it's allies or l lose the presidency, l would say let the presidency go. It is vastly more inn l portant to the people of Alabama that 1 our party should retain control of their state government than that any man l or administration should be indorsed or 1 condemned or any man nominated to 1 office.
 1 State Committee.
 Direct or covert attacks up the action
 of the constituted authority of the party l by a candidate is somewhat unprece- 1 dented in Alabama, but change seems l to be the fashion now.
 1 The committee is denounced this year l for doing the precise thing that 1t was l commended for doing in August, 1892. l In that year they not only let down all l the bars but declared every man who 1 was in accord with the principles" and proposes to act in harmony with the l party and support the nominees should l not only vote in the primaries, but be
 "eligible for nomination for office" 1 There was no protest then and the action l of the committee was especially com | mended by all organized democratic l leaders who were on the stump, and the | result of the action was that Mr. Cleve- l land carried the state by about 5O,OO0 | majority, or a gain of nearly 40,000 over l the August election. In the present call l the committee adopted the same exact | language used by the national committee
 in it's call this year. l suppose l shall
 now be charged with dominating the na-
 tional committee for partisan advantage. It is said now the committee refused to l confine the primaries in terms to white voters Did the national committee do l so, and will these protestors show one | single call by the state comtnlttee where l it was so confined? The committee this year went farther than even before in | authorizing each county to determine l whether colored democrats should par | ticipate or not The county committees were not given such authority before. | It is insinuated that am hiding behind l the committee and it's distinguished | chairman. If that be so, am in most excellent company. I do not foget that when it was attempted to stick knife | into the back of John T. Morgan, Knox | stepped :. to the front and dealt blows | worthy of the turgid blood of the scotch | martyrs that flows in his viens l would | infinitely rather shield myself behind | John B. Knox than some other John well | known in this country
 The committee acted wisely. It did
 not consider personal advantage. It was l working to the good of the party. It IS | a little singular that any patriotic dem | ocra should fear that there will be too | many men in the primaries who "believe 1 in the principles and will support the | nominees of the party" I want all such l to come in freely Whether they support | MT. Clarke or myself.
 | The committee needs no defense at my
 hands. Without single exception they | are men of the highest character and l have achieved for themselves honorable reputation amongst the democrats of | Alabama
 Fighting for Principle.
 | MT. Clarke appeals only to democrats | who agree with the administration to | support him. He Is not seeking the aid | of any who favor free coinage. He says | it Is a fight for principle and personal | preferences must yield. --
 Men change and times change, | and will be true 1000 years | hence If my honorable friend is fight | ing for principle now what was he fight | ing for from 1873 to 1893, when he was ad- | vocating free coinage? Was 1t interest? | Are those of us who unfortunately do not l agree with him unprincipled?
 If 1t is the right doctrine that every l democrat must yield an unconditional ap- | proval to the administration and follow | 1t blindly I would like my honora be | friend to tell the people what he would | do if MT. Cleveland should dle and MT. | Stevenson should succeed him and there | upon advise congress to pass free coin age bill? Would principle then change ana WOulu II De lHe uuty Oi every ueilo- | crat to at once adopt free coinage at Is | to as the correct doctrine and denouncd | all who did not do so as unworthy of of- flee? I do not think this appeal solely | to democrats who hold drone side or the | other of this money question calculated | to promote harmony orlinsure the success of our ticket. My friend scouts at har- l mony as a thing to be scorned and de- 1 tested by courageous men. If he should | succeed in getting the. nomination he | would shed harmony all arounds him like | pollen from tree in bloom sy1 Y National Issues. -.,4
 | The currency question, must be finally
 settled by congress The states cannot l pass on this by legislative .action. Mr. i Clarke says thrust this question into | the canvass 1 had not used one word on that subject when he issued his mani l festo from Washington saying that he was in the race not because he wanted | the office. but to give the sound money men a candidate they could vote for. l When did this Issue become to him so | important and overwhelming? After his 1 conversion in the fall of 1893 he still ad- 1 vocated the election of that tribune of