Birmingham state herald., 1896-12-17
ARE ALL AVENUES CLOSED?

l Onder the aDOVe caption the Mont
 l gomery Advertiser, of yesterday says:
 The Advertiser has been disposed to
 l let alone, for the present. the question
 | of how the divided democratic party
 1 should get together. It has thought that
 | cooling time should be allowed both
 l wings Tn order that the task might be l approached in the proper spirit
 i But the plan of letting the question
 | alone for awhile does not seem to suit l number of state papers which fought
 | for the Chicago ticket. The Birmingham
 State Herald is the foremost sinner in
 | this respect. It keeps on fighting the lost
 l battle of November, and seems to forget
 that the issues and methods of that cam 1 paign have been condemned by a suffi-
 | ciently large portion of the party to have
 | demonstrated the ineXpedency of con
 tinuing the fight on those lines.
 The State Herald naturally has it's imi-
 | tators Yesterday allusion was made to
 | the comment of the Jasper Mountain
 | Eagle upon the way the Palmer and
 1 Buckner democrats were alleged to want
 | harmony brought about. The Eagle is | one of the most solid and sensible pa
 l pers in the state, and it's mistaken view
 | must have been a thoughtless lapse into
 2 playful trifiing with serious prob l lem. Now however, comes the Opelika 1 News, with a similar view. If the spirit 1 of prescription is to be dominant if the l men who supported the clearest-cut enun- l ciltion of democratic principles and l llCNcl Ol lDe lIutSl u6iHOCTdllC ltducIS, ] are to be treated as political lepers, the l situation should be made clear and un- l mistakable.
 For our part, we do not believe that | this is the sentiment of the majority of l the party in Alabama, or in the country | at large. Still, it may be the judgment 1 and the purpose of a majority of these l who constitute the state organization I created last spring before the split | There have been some signs pointing l 10 xyoy hn Gf hn hnlIca H. GUS was one. The fight made by some of
 l the local leaders of Montgomery upon
 ] the appointment for chief of ordnance 1 by Gov. Johnston appears to be another | sign. Capt Paul Sanguinetti has held 1 the position for years and was indorsed practically by all the militia officers of | the state for reappointment. He was I opposed strenuously and mainly, if not | entirely, on the ground that he voted for Palmer and Buckner. Gov. Johnston ap- pointed another man, and so appears to have sustained the view that Palmer and Buckner democrats are not wanted. ts Such democrats were very useful last | August and are likely to be wanted again in 1898 But such spirit of pro I scripHon that seems to prevail among some of the papers and number Of the leaders is going to put serious obstacles l in the way of the usefulness of that im- portant portion of the party. If the state organization as a whole wants the breach healed and expects to see t healed. 1t begins to look as if some steps should be taken to indicate that desire. IT, on the other hand all avenues towards har- mony are to be closed If the back of the hand is to be turned to every demo- crat who supported the Indianapolis platform, such a programme should be made authoritative and distinct. Now the idea of a dyed-in- the-wool, non -penitent republican paper like the Montgomery Advertiser, being disposed to let alone, for the present, the ques- ton of how the divided democratic party
 should get together CD" Must the dem ocratic press be continually forced to proclaim that men and newspapers who supported the candidacy of the republi- can candidate, MT. Mckinley, directly or indirectly. through the Palmer-Buckner Republican Aid society, have no author ity to speak for the democracy, nor Will they be allowed to participate in party council?
 Does the Advertiser think for mo- ment the democracy of Alabama fears US threats? Does that paper suppose that Gov. Johnston would make any distinc- ton between a Mckinley and a Palmer and Buckner supporter in any appoiE'- ment of a political significance he might be called upon to make? Is the AdVer- tiser's opinion, as an honest repupHcah newspaper, such that it would pretend to make believe that Gov. Johnston would he true to himself, true to his constitu- ents and true to the democratic party were he to take political counsel from the Advertiser or its coterie or haholul of nolitlcal renegades who did their ut most to disrupt the party he heaus Does the Advertiser think Gov. Johnston, who has been recognized by the news naners. the politicians and the voters of America of all political par1es as ieau- or and superior official, is so weak as to cross his hands upon his breast aI tie bidding of few deserting politicians and lay himself down 10 cailiilS ieet i'' his political grave?
 Democracy may go down in defeat Tor the lack of the support of democrats who have seen fit to join the repupllcans' put inc State Herald thinks it voices the sen- timent of the Alabama democracy lh say ino that the pail bearers will not be se- lected from among the Mckinley or Fal- mer and Buckner republicans. Such dar,ocrats may have been "useful" in the l mast: honest men will not deny this thelr l cutting the party may mean the death l of democracy, this is to be tested. Bene- | aiot Arnold was "usefuP' American general vet Maj Andre was courtmar- tiaIad and shot for Arnold's treachery, and washington in passing judgment on tha brave British officer, said he was ,.more unfortunate than criminal" so If aemocracy is to be defeated it prefers misfortune to elimination, and if the old banner must be furled, let the epitaph he written. Its warp was party fealty, | and it's wool was principle
 CEASE AGITATING.