Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-04-12
PERVERTED HISTORY.

The devil can cite Scripture for his pur-
pose, and the Montgomery Advertiser can
use history and pervert it. In that jour
nal there has just appeared the following
editorial expression:
In his magnificent speech at the OPP
era house last night Colonel Tompkins
referred with thrilling effect to the plat
form of the Alabama democracy in 1892,
which he had the honor of drafting and
presenting to the convention, and which
was unanimously adopted. The plank
he quoted was in these words: I'VE in
dorse the administra ton of Grover
Cleveland and recognize in him one of
the ablest living opponents Of the demo-
cratic party 1t Is a well known fact
that Grover Cleveland stands now just
where he stood then on the financial
question and everybody in the world
knows it. Capt. Joseph + Johnston. the
free silver candidate for governor, is al
ways boasting that he never changes
his views, and is now where he was
twenty years ago, Ii that be so how
happens it that he was a member of the
committee which reported the above res
olution? Not only that, he was a men,
Der of the subcommittee which drafted
the resolution"
Yes; Captain Johnston was a member
of the committee which drafted the res
olution and he remembers all about it.
The resolution which the Advertiser says
was drafted by Colonel Tompkins and
presented by him to the convention as
far as concerns that part of it commend
ing Mr.. Cleveland was not prepared by
Colonel Tompkins, but by the late Gov
ernor Watts.
There is another part of the platform
which the Advertiser has always care
fully and painfully refrained from quot
ing That was a clause of the money
plank which was prepared by Captain
Johnston. Here 1t is:
THAT THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY
OF ALABAMA EXPRESSES IT'S CON-
DOMINATION OF THE REPUBLICAN
PARTY FOR THEIR ADMINISTRA-
TION OF THE FINANCES OF THE
COUNTRY, UNDER WHICH THE DE-
MAND OF THE PEOPLE FOR A SUI
FICIENT CIRCULATING MEDIUM
HAS BEEN IGNORED, AND SILVER
HAS BEEN DRIVEN FROM IT'S TIME
HONORED AND RIGHTFUL PLACE
AND USES UNDER THE CONSTITU-
TION OF THE UNITED ST/TES,
WHERE 1T WAS MAINTAINED SO
LONG AS OUR PARTY HAD CON-
troll OF THE NATIONAL LEGISLA-
TON"
Herald to make the assertion herein. He
IOlu MS COlledBueS Oh the occasion OF the
drafting of the platform that they might
make the rest if they would leave the
money plank to him.
The democratic party of Alabama
made no mistake 1t 1892. 1t was all right.
1t had the record of the first Cleveland
administration. 1t was an administra-
ton, which, while it was not in all
respects satisfactory to the masses of
the party had enough merit in 1t to evoke
the loyalty and generosity of a demo-
cratic convention. 1t was quite differ
ent from the present administration in
it's treatment of the financial question.
AS was shown this morning by the fig
ures of the treasury department.
monthly summary of finance and COM
merce,' the first Cleveland administra-
ton was comparatively prosperous. 1t
practiced bimetallsm as well as it could
under the laws 1t coined millions of sill
yer every month, as provided by the
Bland-Allison act The excess of re-
cepts over expenditures was 1929 900 OO0
whereas, under the present administra-
ton, to date, the excess of expenditures
over all revenues was $140. 900, 900.
Captain Johnston has not changed his
Views as they were embodied in the DEM
ocratic platform of Alabama in 1892
which is the platform of the party until
it this year exercises its sovereign right
to speak for the democrats of the state
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The city of Greensboro and Hale coun-