Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-04-05
PARTY NOTES AND NOTIONS.

1t has been somewhat fashion of po-
litical gossip, for reasons not worth
while to enumerate, for republicans to
claim that they are going to have land
slide this year, and for democrats sadly
to refrain from any sort of assertion of
confidence Well, let it be admitted that,
judging by conditions, there is ground
for this state of things. Circumstances
have undoubtedly seemed propitious for
the republicans and correspondingly
gloomy for democrats. But a glance at
party history is not without balm of con-
ISOLATION for the democrat at this juno
ture Didn't his party so overwhelming
1y sweep the country in 1892 that 1t SEEM
ed natural to wonder IL the republicans
could ever recover? Democrats won the
presidency and both branches of con-
gress. A party never assumed power
under brighter auspices than did the
democratic party in 1893 What did they
do. the democrats in high executive
places and in congress? The people who
put them there were fooled and betrayed?
/ shah not say by whom. My policy Just
now is mot to say anything that would
grieveH e devoted friends of the admin
istratio n to ruff1e the feather of a sim
gle euci in some other birds last
years nest History, If you knock, will
be opened unto you. 1t will tell you that
we won that great fight in 1892 with the
publican party as the paramount issues.
They were the overthrow of the McKin-
ley robber tariff and the Sherman make
shift for the restoration of silver to terms
of equality with gold.
Between the presidential election of
'92 and the congressional election of '94
what had occurred? How had the
pledges to the democratic masses been
kept? What had been done with those
paramount issues? The Mckinley act,
it is true, was wiped out, but the time
honored policy of the party, which de-
mands a tariff sufficient for the neces-
sary expenses of the government, was so
badly practiced that from the tariff
measure which was passed to replace
the republican outrage we are given con-
stantly recurring deficits. We cannot es-
cape the conclusion that the Imperfect
ton of our revenue laws has aggravated
the bad condition of the finances of the
country.
What of that other pledge to smash
that miserable makeshift'' for silver
coinage? 1t provided for the purchase of
silver and its coinage. The Sherman
makeshift was destroyed, and not even a
makeshift for a makeshift provided. All
silver coinage was stopped. The silver
bullion placed in the treasury vaults to
be converted into money of the constitu-
ton remained bullion, against whose val
ne for use as money mighty conspiracy
was formed early in this century, culmi-
mating with the atrocious crime against
humanity of 1873. While the silver has
remained unconverted, the same cannot
be said Of some of the silver cranks, Such
silver advocates as Hilary Herbert, Hoke
Smith. Josiah Patterson and Dick Clarke
did not remain unconverted. They were
all rampant silver men until Groverius
Imperstor said: Nay, nay; 1t will not
do. I give no Office in my dominion to
any silver)oon. Not IL know IT," Was
this the cause Of the conversion of these
gentlemen? Say 1t not; but you may say
that they were all converted together
Just about the time 1t became an open
secret that no silverloon need apply for
office to Mr. Cleveland, and that they got
office and Offices We should not forget
these condolences of history. They are
full of meat.
Herbert Smith, Patterson and Clarke
have proved most Jealous converts Her
bert and Smith were given cabinet places,
and Patterson and Clarke having volun-
teered with commemorate eagerness to
go forth for sound money, and, II need
be. to the sacrifctal altar for the sake Of