Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-04-01
JOHNSTON AT GOODWATER
Four Hundred Voters-A Mag
nificent Speech.
COoSA CONCEDED TO HIM
Clarke's Forces Dlsband, Declaring for the
Available Man.
IT IS A LANDSLIDE TO JOHNSTON
After Taking in the Situation Sound Money
Men in Coosa Prefer to Help the
Party Rather Than a Dis
gruntled Newspaper.


has been a glorious day for Johnston
and democracy in Goodwater. For some
days it has been advertised that Captain
Johnston would address his fellow clti-
zens at this point today. He arrived
here on the IL o'clock train from Bir-
mingham and was met at the depot by
large number of enthusiastic admirers
and escorted to the hotel, where a splen-
did dinner was waiting.
Early in the day the town filled up with
people from the surrounding country.
AT l o'clock the Hon. Felix L. Smith of
Rockford, this county, in few ringing
and well chosen remarks introduced Ala
bama's next governor to an audience of
no less than 400 voters ana some seventy
five ladies. The speaking took place in
the school house. The speaker was re-
ceived with round after round of ap-
plause.
In this same hall Mr. Clarke spoke
some days ago to less than 200 volers.
After thanking the ladies for honoring
him with their presence, and expressing
the firm conviction that no cause could
fail which has the sympathy of the fair
women of the land, Captain Johnston be-
gan to talk straight from the shoulder
of the issues now before the people of
Alabama. He took up in regular order
the objections made by Clarke and the
Montgomery Advertiser to his becoming
the, democratic nominee for governor,
and In his mastery style shattered each
and very one of them. He evidently an
swered them to the entire satisfaction
of his hearers, as they were in no wise
sparing with their applause.
Passing ON from this subject the speak
er took up the question which Clarke,
from away up at Washington, by way of
his formal announcement, succeeded in
thrusting into this campagn--the finan-
cial question. His arguments in opposi-
tion to the single gold standard and in
favor of true bimetallism were, as they
always are as presented by him, utterly
unanswerable. 1t was clearly evident
from the beginning that the crowd was in
sympathy with the speaker and his
views on the questions discussed; SO also
was 1t evident that the audience was
composed of men who are and have been
doing deal of thinking for themselves
on the important question of finances
and the different financial policies put
forth. This fact was clearly evidenced
by the promptness with which they gave
of the arguments put forth.
Captain Johnston spoke Just two hours,
and from start to finish interest in the
speech never at any time in the least
abated. He now and then, by way of IL
lustration, made use of an anecdote,
which never failed to bring down the
house. The audience was at all times in
the very best of humor, and when the
time came for the speaker to close in or
der to catch the train they showed un-
mistakable evidences of desire to hear
the speaker longer. The trip of Captain
Johnston to this place and his speech
here were entirely Unnecessary so far
as concerns the procuring of the delega-
tion from this county to the state con-
vention for himself. He had the county
hnfn In an hrat hi cran xxytn n
many votes to the democratic party in
this county.
That part of the speech directed to
former democrats who have strayed
away from the party was pronounced by
many who heard it to be the grandest
appeal ever heard in these parts for the
reuniting of the white men of Alabama,
and numerous expressions heard here
since the speaking leaves no doubt but
that 1t fell on needing ears. The old
time democrats in this county who went
off after Kolb are coming back into the
party, and they are coming by the score.
Ten days ago there was in this county
a formidable opposition to Captain John
ston, but it has disappeared. With but
few exceptions the leaders of what Is
known as the sound money element of
the democratic party a few days ago,
after thoroughly canvassing the situa-
ton, came to a final realization of the
fact that Johnston Is the available man
for the nomination and they have re-
solved in the interest of the democratic
party in Coosa county and of the state
to no longer oppose his nomination, but
to work in earnest to bring about that re-
suit and to do all they can to get men tof
come back into the party, where they
were up to 1892. A prominent sound
money democrat and a leader in Rock
ford beat met Captain Johnston here to-
day and informed him frankly of the
way he and numbers of others had come
to see and appreciate the situation and
that they had with one accord gone to
work In the Johnston ranks
Capt. G. M. Simpson, editor of the
Rockford Advocate, strong Clarke pa
per, a fair man, man who will
not claim what he has not, frankly adj
mitted today that this the strongest
Clarke beat in this county, would go for
Johnston. There is no longer any ques-
ton about Coosa county. 1t is as certain
for Johnston as Morgan. The Clarke
lines are broken in Coosa; they have
given away In Gilmore; they are shatter-
ed in Tallapoosa. and from this on 1t is
predicted here that there will he q stam-
pede to Johnston. nff