Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-04-03
SOME oLARKR1rE DEMAaoeY.

the battle of their lives in Morgan eoun-
ty, imported outside speakers and their
anointed leader made two speeches to
one by Captain Johnston. Prominent
Clarke men of that county say over their
signatures the election was fair. Clarke
was first beaten in the primary election
in Morgan county, and then he was beat
enion the fraud issue.
Now, after alternate whining and
bluffing, with their candidate dragging
his coat tail up and down the state dar-
ing somebod/ to step upon it in order to
be soundly licked by the sound money,
blue-eyed something or other of the in
evitable something else, they are trying
to brighten and stampede voters by the
contemplate suggestion that the defeat
of Mr.. Clarke will prevent the erection
of a steel plant in Jefferson county
1t is even stated in some quarters that
representatives of corporations have cir
culated reports to this effect. In the
name of decency. what do the Clarke
manipulators take the people of Jeffer-
son county and Alabama for? How
many are so simple and credulous as to
be influenced by so little and miserable
a campaign trick? Rre Alabamians
SHStp anu lCIch 1ldihe the pOo9 lam
that all must go headlong over the fence
every time he makes a break for the
other side? We hardly think So
But we do know that as the day for
the primary election draws nearer and
evidences of a ground swell for Captain
Johnston multiply the chagrin and des-
peration of Mr.. Clarke and his short
sighted campaigners grow more palpable
and notorius.
We do not believe any considerable
number of voters are 50 scary and stupid
as to abandon Captain Johnston because
of this characteristic goldbug bugaboo.
Mr.. Clarke himself having been assured
that the steel plant was indeed going
to be built, told crowd listening to HIM
only Wednesday night at East Lake that
the steel plant was going to be built in
Birmingham in spite of Captain Johnston
and free silver.
Everybody who knows anything at all
about Birmingham knows that for the
last dozen years or more we have been
talking about making steel in Birming-
ham, and there's hardly a person old
enough to make guess but has tried
his prentice hand at prophesying that
some day we would make steel. And we
did make some excellent steel here seven
or eight years ago but along comes Mr..
Clarke with the air of Sir Oracle, and
tells our simple people: 1.-TWO years ago
I predicted steel making in this district.
| rejoice that the time has come" To
| this absurd posing as prophet he adds
| the would-be comforting assurance that
| this "auspicious time has come not be-
Of daGnifa f.
cry for it,
The people who are deluded into sup
porting Mr.. Clarke need no longer fear,
at least on the steel making score, for
that gentleman says we are going to
have it anyhow, Johnston or no john
ston, free silver or no free silver.
But before we drop the subject, isn't
Mr.. Clarke a little late joining the great
host of prophets of making steel in Biz
mingham? Or did he really think he
| was the only grand and peculiar prophet.
| just as some of his cratic friends regard
| him as the sole surviving child of des-
| tiny?
| Really, an it please you, gentle sound
| money" reader, a s faras concerns the mon
| ey question affecting steel manufacture
here there are other things to be taken
into consideration. 1t required some
time, many experiments and no little ex-
pense to prove that steel manufacture in
| Birmingham was practicable. This out
| lay of talent, time and money, which was
carried on notwithstanding the money
question, has accomplished the object
| sought. 1t has been most Enthusiastically
| determined that the manufacture of steel
| here is feasible and practicable. Then
| it only remains to get the money to put
| up plant that should be something more
| than an experiment shop. Financial
| conditions, which had no connection
whatever with the matter of process nor
with local politics, were such that the
money for the plant could not for long
| time be had. The only question on earth
| then was the money, the wherewithal.
/ That 1t would have been forthcoming
| last year but for the Venezuelan war
| scare and the government having to
| borrow more money, every one knows
| who has kept posted on the situation.
| We have had silver agitation in this
country and in Alabama ever since 1t
| was a question anywhere. 1t was agi-
| tated in conventions and in platforms.
| 1t was the slogan of a united democracy
| In the state at the period of the greatest
| Industrial activity and development in
| Alabama. That, too was when 1t was
| proved Birmingham could beat the world
making cheap pig iron. Did cap
| ital keep away, or run Off at
| ter it had come, because of a
| free silver coinage governor or free sill
| yer delegation in congress from this
| state? Not at all. We went ahead,
| everybody prophesying that we
would some day be manufacturing
| steel cheaper than any other metal max
| ing district in the world just as'we were
excelling in the manufacture of iron. We
| got better prices for our iron and had
more money in our banks when we were
getting silver coinage under the Bland
| Allison act than we ever had before, and
were altogether far more prosperous than
we have ever been at any time since.
| This was at a period when Mr.. Clarke
and the entire coterie of democratic lead
| ers in Alabama were telling wouldbe
populists that the only hope for free sill
| yer was through the democratic party.