Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-03-24
MR. cI,ARKR,s supPI,EMFNT.

We have read very attentiyely the adj
dress of Mr.. Clarke at Gadsden, which is
being sent out as a supplement to papers
of his way of thinking. 1t contains no
new argument in support of the gold
standard. 1t is hardly up to the delive-
ries of Mr. Patterson and Mr.. Hoke
Smith. At this late day it is not worth
while to review 1t. 1t runs counter to
the history of the world and to the none
tary history of this country from its
foundation. Mr.. Clarke comes to Ala
bama to plant the banner of a new pol
icy heretofore unknown to the democratic
party. He did not want the governor
ship. He is simply doing what he con-.
ceives to be a. missionary duty to convert
our people from the faith of the fathers
to those new doctrines which he has re-
Gently learned at the feet of Mr.. CleVe-
land Warming up with his work, he
refuses to recognize as true democracy
any other line of policy than that which
he proposes. He makes the battle a
Foutrance and he proposes to give no
quarter Abiding to the strange spec
tacle offorded by this battle for the sim
gle gold standard, the Washing ton Post
very wisely observes:
DO the democrats really intend to
make a fight? And If they do, how can
they make 1t with any prospect of sue
cess except by coming together, sinking
their quarrels, resentments and hatreds
and returning to the e-honored tenets
and observances of the party? They can
not afford to prescribe and perSecute
each other because of gold and silver or
because OF differences as to the tariff.
In MARYLAND they murdered their party
tn 70 doh ~ or haX
ing made it compact and triumphant.
In Kentucky they murdered their party
because a handful of monometallists
were willing to turn the state over to the
republicans rather than see Blackburn,
the choice of seven-tenths of the democ-
racy, return to the United States senate
In Alabama they are barking at the
heels of Morgan and imperiling the in
tegrty of the organization because lot
of cuckoo officeholders oppose his finan-
cial views. They no longer fight within
the party and stand Loyalty by it's DELHI
crate and honest verdict If they cannot
rule they ruin. The opposing party is
nearer and dearer to them than the hos
tile factions of their own. Has this mis-
cradle madness gone too far to be arrest
ed? Is it impossible for democrats to
recover themselves, to vote together for
the party's choice without reference to
his views on silver or the tariff, to leave
to the democratic convention the Selec-
ton of candidate and the formulation
of a platform, and then to support the
chosen leaders and the authoritative ut
teranceS of the party In good faith, loyal
ly with honest devotion and enthusiasm?
If not then is the democratic party dead
indeed"
Every one knows and admits that the
state of Alabama cannot be saved to the
democratic party if our state convention
should adopt Mr.. Clarke's platform.
Then why should he press its adoption
and wage battle simply because Captain
Johnston entertains different views? The
great mass of people, especially those in
the country, are undoubtedly for Captain
Johnston. Mr. Clarke has practically no
following in the rural districts, and it is
there that we must make converts and
gain recruits if we would win the victory
in August.