Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-03-31
AN OVATION TO JOHNSTON
4ssss
Bessemer Greets the Captain
With Great Enthusiasm.
WON MANY DEMOCRATS
Time for White People TO Get Together and
Save the State From Black Republi-
can Rule.

An audience of 400 voters greeted Capt
Joseph F. Johnston at Bessemer last
night. There were present also quite
number of lovely matrons and beautiful
maidens. The speaking took place in the
city hall. A large number of the friends
of Captain Johnston met him at the train
1t was a royal welcome all along the line.
Promptly at o'clock Mr.. j. T. Corn
well, president of the Bessemer Savings
bank. called the meeting to order and in
the following remarks introduced Cap
tain Johnston to the audience;
Fellow Citizens, Ladies and Gentlemen:
There is a political contest waging in
our state deviating from the general rule,
and it is not unlike a house divided
against itself. The grand old democratic
party, founded upon the rights of men
upon the interest of the masses, whose
mornings to truth to justice, to princi-
pie, have hardly ever before been ques-
| tioned-seems to be fast drifting upon
| breakers. Aspirants for it's highest hon
ors, as we'll as its rank and file radically
differ upon its most vital and cardinal
| principles. tt
Some of you heard not long since dis
| tinguished citizen of this state seeking
the democratic nomination for governor
upon this rostrum declaim in favor of
gold recommendation of the single gold
standard, InaC SO1u coin alone SHOulu De
our primary money
Tonight a distinguished citizen of our
state and our county-and I might say,
our neighbor-an aspirant for the same
| high position, will address you in advo-
cacy of the money prescribed in the con-
stitution of our country--gold and silver,
without favoritism to or discrimination
against either metal
The rehabilitation of silver, its restora-
| ton to its place in the financial system
| of our country, is, in my Judgment, es-
sential to the recovery of prosperity,-to
| the return of better times, to the stop
page of shrinking values and the contin-
ued depreciation of all our property and
| effects, checking the constant fall in
wages and giving employment to the
| thousands of idle unable to find work;
and. above all, as far as we are con-
| cerned, it is essential to any permanent
| advancement and development of the
| material and vital interests of Bessemer.
But Judge between them, and ponder
upon the position and promises OF the
| two aspirants to your favor, and when.
on April IL, the decision is made, let all
rally as one man to the support OF the
democratic ticket for its success Is of
| the greatest Importance to the welfare
| and interest of our state.
Ladies and gentlemen, 1t gives me
much pleasure to present to you capt.
Joseph F. Johnston, who, L believe. will
be our next governor
Captain Crook ex-mayor of Bessemer;
J. T. Cornwell, president of the Bessemer
Savings bank; w. I. Kennedy, lessee OF
the Birmingham Powderly and Besse-
mer railroad, and Colonel Gere. post
master at Bessemer.
The speaker was received amid loud
and prolonged applause. Captain john
ston was at his best and after few pre-
liminary remarks went right into the
discussion of the live issues of the cam
paign. He took up In turn the numerous
objections that have been interposed
against him by Mr.. Clarke and answered
them to the entire satisfaction of his
hearers, which they fully demonstrated
by their liberal applause of his answers.
Getting through with those. he came
to the money question, and after stating
and proving conclusively from the ac-
tions of Mr.. Clarke and his expressions
that 1t was Clarke and not himself that
really forced into this campaign for
state Office the financial question, he as
sured his hearers that he was by no
means averse to meeting the issue, now
that 1t had been brought in. He devoted
the greater portion of his speech to the
discussion of the financial question, and
an ADLER exposition of the Injustice and
unsoundness of the single gold standard
policy has not been presented on the
stump in Alabama and as he scored
point after point known by those who
listened to be absolutely unanswerable,
the applause that greeted him was be-
yond question conclusive that his words
were going home to the hearts of his
hearers The last twenty minutes of his
speech he devoted to the proposition that
ii Is best for all parties concerned that
the white people of Alabama who once
constituted an unbroken phalanx of dem
ocrats to come together again and stand
shoulder to shoulder for the best inter-
ests of this country and state by keep
ing the government of Alabama and ev-
cry county In Alabama in the hands of
the white men who bore arms for their
country's sake from 81 to IS, and who
stood up in 1874 and since that time and
fought back the vampires who were de-
vastating our country.
The speaker made 1t plain that the
white men of Alabama owed 1t to them
selves, their families and to their pos
terity to come together again, and that
under the old democratic flag.
1t was one of the most Intensely in
terested and pleased audiences that has
assembled in this vicinity in many day
At the close of the speech round after
round of applause rent. the air. and IL
the fellows who have been intimatinB
that they thought Clarke would carry
have gone away and hired some fellow
to chase them out Of town. $685.:
There were a number of men in the au-
dience who went of with the Jeffer-
sonian faction who went home last night
with something on their minds TO ponder
over.
The speech of Captain Johnston last
night at Bessemer will bear rich. ripe