Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-07-08

quest that they vote the ticket. We do
not think however, he knows what he
says he knows. He may, however, be en-
tirely honest in his conviction, his
opinion on the subject. Equally honest
men differ from him in this view But
the striking utteranee of Mr.. Flower is
that ruin will be brought upon them (his
farmer constituents and the better
class. Who are "the better class?"
When the Declaration of Independence
was penned by jefferson and adopted
by his compatriots 1t contained a state
ment that certain truths were self-evi-
dent. Among those enumerated, and the
first to be mentioned, was this: THAT
all men are created equal" But by
some sort of conditions we are now told
by Mr.. Flower that there are at least
two kinds of people, namely, farmers
and "the better class" If we accept Mr..
JeffersOn's statement that all men are
created equal as true now, it is clear that
''the better class than the farmers have
attained their superiority since their Gre
alton. 1t is certainly true that in the
matter Of spiritual life, religion or moral
ity there is no better class than farmers.
separated from the temptations of a
more crowded life, removed from many
or the things that lead mems thoughts
away from their Creator, the farmers, as
a body, are God-fearng people. The
very simplicity of their life contributes
to the development of a spiritual and
religious manner of living. Then,
wherein is to be found the distinction
between the farmers and Mr.. Flower s.
better CLASP" We think the answer is
plain. Mr.. Flower believes that the mon
eyed men are the better class. Already
then there is caste in American citizen
ship. The men who toll in the ground
that it may produce the staff of life, and
who earn their bread by the sweat of
their brows compose one class accord
ing to the representative gold man.
They are honest men, church goers.
church members, Bible readers. debt
payers, hard toilers, earnest men, with
simple habits of dress and simple man.
ners. They are not spectators or gam
blers, they do not own railroads or cor
porations. They are plain people, but
honest How there can exist in repub-
lie better class than these people we
cannot conceive. We undertake to say
there is no better class, despite Mr..
Flower and his rich associates and null
ti-millionaires. If the distinction is
made to exist In wealth only, it calls for
profound thought on the part of the low
ers of liberty, for history proves that
the greatest menace to republican in
stitutions is a condition composed of the
moneyed class arrayed against the COM
mon people. The representative of the
former seems to have no fears as to his
side, because, he adds, capital will al
ways take care of itself" Then must
those whom capital opposes take care
of themselves. Capital will always take
care of itself-not of them-is the infer
ence Not by anarchy and not by
communism but by just laws framed
to protect the rich and the poor alike,
enacted in no mans, or set of mems, in
terest, by placing in charge of the gov
eminent men who are imbued with love
for the republic and it's institutions, who
believe that all men are equal before the
law and that in this government there
is no better class than the honest yeo-
many of our land. The farmers will
get along without Mr.. Flowers advice
He has insulted their manhood and i'm
pugned their integrity, and his better
class"-a little coterie at best-if they
count themselves, purely because of
their wealth, better than other men
cannot be trusted to control a govern
ment of the people, for the people and
by the people.