Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-07-09
A LIBEL ON DEMooRArs.


1t is reported away from Birmingham
and Jefferson county that great fight
is being made here against a certain
nominee on the democratic county tick
ct because of his religious convictions.
Often visitors to the city make inquiries
about the report and display some de-
gree of anxiety for the safety of the
county ticket on that account. The
State Herald has taken occasion to make
some inquiries into the matter and finds
that, q matter of fact, the fusion
howlers are actually trying to infuse life
and vigor into their rapidly dying cause
in other parts of the state by sending
out assurances that they are going to
win in Jefferson, the greatest and most
important county of the state. They
claim that secret organization known
as the A. p. AS is very greatly aiding
them in their contest in Jefferson coun-
ty 1t is even asserted that democrats
are members of the organization and,
therefore, pledged to vote against one of
the county nominees. The fusion peo-
pie are responsible for the impression
that has gone out from Birmingham that
democrats are going to vote against a
democratic nominee because he chooses
to worship God according to the dictates
of his own conscience. No other class of
people are sufficiently reckless in their
statements to put into circulation such
a report. That the whoopers up of the
nominees of the "piebald" party would
circulate such a report is not to be Won
dered at. They are following forlorn
hope, and are resorting to any and all
sorts of methods in their desperate eff
fort to keep their shattered fragments in
line The strangest thing is that any
body should give any credence whatever
to a report that democrats were joining
a secret organization which has for its
object the defeat of the political aspira-
lions of any man because of his religious
conviction.
Democrats do not do that way.
Democrats are not members of Sc
cret political organizations There is
not democrat in Birmingham or Jeffer-
son county who will fail to vote for the
state and county nominees, each and eV-
cry one of them, provided he is not prov
identially prevented. Democrats always
vote for their party nominees. Demo-
Gratis never inquire about mans reli-#
gious convictions when he becomes
candidate. The question with them is
this: Is the candidate competent to fill
the office; is he a. democrat; is he honest!
1t is a libel on the democracy of Jeffer-
son county 20 say that man who took up
arms for his country in his boyhood days
and spent four years of mis- young man.
hood in defense of his adopted home, re-
turning after the cause for which he
fought and shed his blood had gone
down, began anew the battle of life in
the capital city of the state, forged his
way from obscurity to the front, man
who has spent seventeen years as citi-
zen of Birmingham and Jefferson county,
contributing literally Of his time, talent
and means to the upbuilding of this
great city, a man who has been twice
elected to the Legislature by the demo-
Gratis of this county, q man VINO talrly
obtained the Endorsement of the demo-
Gratis of the county in their recent prl-
mary as their nominee for an important
county office, will run behind his ticket
or cause the ticket to go down in defeat.
The report has been put in circulation
by the followers of the 'piebald' party
headed by GOODWIN. 1t is, we repeat a
libel on the democracy of this county
The returns in August, we have not the
least doubt, will brand it as such.