Birmingham state herald., 1896-01-12
A QUESTION OF ANARCHY.

A A1S LINN OE AlN 1AAbOAL'
 In his address announcing himself as a candidate for governor and the propo- sitions for which he should contend, Mr. Clarke said of the administration that it has been fearless to put down anarchy at home." This, in his opinion is one of the foremost claims of the administra- ton upon the sympathy and support of the democracy of Alabama The State Herald deplored the thrusting of this question upon the democratic party of Alabama, and because we expressed our regret that an issue has been brought forward by MT. Clarke which may se- rlously alienate those who are of a diff ferent opinion from him on this question, we lind several papers charging us with attacking the president for his action in suppressing the Chicago riots. The State Herald has madeSno such attack It eX- pressed no opinion on the merits of that question. It has not even examined the authorities which sustain the one posi- ton or the other. The. incident has passed into history, and we see no reason why MT. Clarke should revive it.
 The constitution of the United States, article 1, section 4, reads:
 The United States shall guarantee to every state in this union a republican form or government, and shall protect each Of them against invasion, and on application of the legislature or of the executive (when the legislature cannot be convened against domestic violence"
 This is the only authority under which the administration can interfere in the affairs of state. It is not already forgot ten that when President Grant sur rounded our capital at Montgomery with federal soldiers and imposed legislature upon Alabama at the point of the bayo- net the democracy of Alabama and of the entire country denied his right with out a call from the governor or the legis- lature. When a similar invasion of the state Of Louisiana was made under color or a decree from Judge Durelrs court the whole country, irrespective of par ties, declared indignantly that it was fla grant usurpaton. The only southern man of prominence who defended Presi- dent Grants action as legal was, strange to say, Hon. Alexander H. Stephens, who was then in congress.
 The people acquiesced in the action of the president in the Chicago matter for many reasons of convenience the chief reason being that the governor of Illinois showed no disposition to use his state forces effectively. The commerce of the country was suffering, and interstate traffic and the mails were being inter- rupted. In such a condition the people seldom stop to think whether the remedy is authorized by law, just as they have never questioned MT. Jeffersons purchase of Louisiana, an act which had no war rant in the constitution. At this late day NUicbac to ton to debate it's constitutional features except MT. Clarke. Should he carry out his defense of the administration for the use of federal troops at Chicago he will be compelled to enter broad field cover ing the use of federal troops at the polls. their aid to set up or pull down a state government, and even the question of se- cession and the right of MT. Lincoln to use federal troops without the call of state therefor to put down the domestic instruction which took place thirty-five years ago. We are sure that MT. Clarke VIII be doing rash thing to open up question which fairly bristles with bay onets' and upon which the people are necessarily very divided. Every labor organization in the United States denied the right of the president of the United States to interfere at Chicago. Shall we now make an issue with them and pre- sent them candidate for whom they will not vote?
 |" In alluding to this matter it is hardly necessary for us to notice the silly charge made by the Advertiser that the conduct of Governor Jones in Alabama was sim liar to that of the president at Chicago. The distinction between the two cases is that the governor is authorized to exc cute the laws of the state. whereas the presidents interference is qualified. To those papers which have copied the false construction put upon the State Herald by the Advertiser we will simply say in the eloquent language of the president.
 Il am amazed at the intolerance that leads even excited partisanship to adopt as basis of attack the unfounded accu- sations and assertions of a maliciouslv mendacious and sensational newspaper"