Birmingham state herald., 1896-01-05
HlSF0RMAL ANNOUNCEMENT
Declares That Harmony Means Fight to the
 Finish.
HE suBoRDINA1Es HIS AMBITION
Winch He Considers the Favorite Policy of Majority of tine
 Democrats of Alabama.

Mobile, Jan. 4.-(Special.) )-Hon. R. H. Clarke issues the following address, which appears in the Register tomor row:
 To the Democrats of Alabama:
 I am a candidate for your nomination to be governor of Alabama. It has been known for some time that I have had under consideration the question whether my name should be presented to you. but l have not for one moment held back my candidacy for a senatorial place. 1 be- lieve that when the occasion demands it personal preference and ambitions must be subordinated to duty, and that if I should fail to recognize that obligation I should not deserve public confidence or favor. l feel that there should be some one in the field who represents what I believe to be the strong and ever increas- ing conviction of majority of the dem ocrats of our state, that the adminstra tion of MT. Cleveland has stood strong and brave for the foundation principles of our party; that it has been honest, wise and true; that it has been fearless to put down anarchy at home, to resist foreign aggression upon established American faith and policy. It has been the steadfast opponent of unequal and unjust taxation and it has been honest and economical in it's expenditure of pub lie moneys. It has saved the country from fiuctuating and depreclated cur rency, always a curse to laboring and business men and the rich opportunity of the speculator It has been surrounded by trying and distressing conditions and has been faced by perils from its outset. It came into office with a financial panic already developed and son eliminating, one that had been gathering for more than two years, which had been brought about by causes long existing and would have occurred had the republican party remained in power; panic of charac- ter which always requires several years to run it's course and from which we are still suffering.
 It is greatly to be regretted that repeat ed bond issues have been necessary to sustain the credit of the country, but it will be borne in mind that this has been largely due to the refusal by a democrat ic congress to make the same wise pro- vision as to the terms of bonds as was lately made by the democratic legislature of Alabama, and to take plain measures to secure permanent relief and financial stability. I assert confidently that prime cause of the defeat of our party is to be found in the fact that many dem ocratic leaders have devoted themselves to assailing the democratic adminstra- tion with a bitterness and activity sur passing the natural warfare of the re- spu ble as it has been ruinous. I do not be- ]ieve that Alabama democrats desire to indorse such a course in their nomination for the highest office within the gift of the people of the state.
 It cannot be doubted that the platform and candidate of our party for the na- tional election now at hand will be an ap proval of MT. Cleveland's administration. The state campaign will cover part of the same time as the national, and will necessarily involve to some extent the same issues, since for more than two years such issues have been injected into state politics and steadily kept in the front by the assailants of the adminis- tration. It Is certainly to be desired that we shall be in harmony with the great body of the democrats of the country. I most earnestly desire harmony in the party in Alabama, but that is only to be by a ready and cheerful acquiescence in the declared principles and policy of a majority of the democrats of Alabama, and it is to obtain that expression take the field. I shall make as vigorous a campaign as other duties will admit of, but it will be conducted on my part in spirit and manner to wound no man and to give no one personal grievance while I shall maintain to the utmost of my strength and ability principles which I regard as eternally right and policy which I believe to be fundamentally wise RICHARD H. CLARKE.
 Washington, Jan. 2, 1S96.