Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-03-12
EDITORS LETTER BOX.
Birmingham, March 10, 1896

birmingham, March 10, 1895. =
To the State Herald:
L have voted the straight democratic
ticket for more than thirty years-never
scratched one, not even Horace Greeley. l
belive in justice to all men; l believe in
the greatest good to the greatest number;
l believe man can be true democrat
and not think as l do on some questions,
and 1 do not think have a right to ques-
ton his democracy because he honestly
diSagreeS with me on some point
The doctrine of not questioning any ac-
ton of those who are put in power is
new one to me. The autocrat of Russia is
not more absolute. When 1t comes to
that and submitting to it this country
will no longer be republic believe in
the bimetallc standard. We had it for
forty years or more, and the country
f1ourished and grew richer all the time.
When silver was demonetized we had no
so cent silver dollars. If / am correctly
Informed the silver dollar when demon
etized was worth 102 cents. Now, l do
not ostraciZe a man and say he is no DEM
ocrat because he believes in the single
gold standard, but when he refuses to
abide by the wishes of the majority and
their action by their constituted authori-
ties then do question his democracy
Now, one of the most absurd things to
me is the gold standard men attributing
the condition of things in Kentucky to
the bjmetallic men. The usual democrat
have not been less than 10000 or 10000
when all the democrats voted Hardin,
silver man, was beaten Tor governor
when he was the nominee of the demo-
cratic convention. / never heard even
gold standard man say he did not get
majority of the votes in the democratic
convention. No one will be absurd enough
to say the silver men did not vote for
him. What beat him, then, in demo-
cratic state? The gold men not only did
not refrain from voting. but they voted
for a republican. That is the only solu-
ton 1 can make out of it. And then to
cap the climax, four or five gold demo-
Gratis refuse to support the democratic
nominee for United States senator, and
no doubt they were in the caucus that,
nominated him. But no matter whether
they were or not. if I judged them by
their actions I would say they do not be-
long to the simon pure democracy and
ought to seek some other fold.
/ would say the same thing If silver
democrat refused to support a gold stand
ard democrat when he was legitimate1y
nominated.
think a man who has fought and
-bled for his country, and who has always
been true to his party and never fiinched
when called upon, is entitled to some lit
tie consIdera ton At any rate that has
been my idea about the democratic party;
that 1t appreciated those things and
would not relegate such men to- back
seats. And l am going on believing that
the Drawn and muscle of the democratic
party will do what is right and just and
what will rebound to the benefit of the
people at large. 1t is & time when DEM
ocrat should be found following the old
democratic banner; when the gold and
silver men should march shoulder to
shoulder to meet the common enemy. Set
tie your differences among yourselves
after you have routed the common en-
envy. In my own family we brothers
fought, but when an outsider hit one you
bet he caught it. JUSTICE.