Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-04-17
CONGRESSMAN HARRIsoN's oPIN
ION


Congressman Harrison of the Third
Alabama district, who was a delegate to
the national democratic convention in
1892 from Alabama, and who opposed the
nomination of Mr.. cleveland in that con-
vention because he thought Mr. Cleve-
land unfriendly to silver and who was
elected to congress as a free coinage adj
vocate from the Third Alabama district
in 1894, and who, upon the opening of the
campaign in Alabe ma after the nominal
ton of Colonel Oates in 1894, took occa-
sion at Union Springs, in Bullock coun-
ty, then and there, as he said, to declare
for Captain Johnston for governor in
1895, so that nothing could turn up to pre-
vent his giving Johnston his support in
1885, and who came to Alabama some
days before the recent primaries and took
part in his county Nee) for Clarke
against Johnston, headed the ticket for
the Clarke delegation and got defeated
by something like 100 votes in that coun-
ty on the 18th, and whose district gives
Johnston five out of eight counties and
As out of 81 delegates in the state con-
vention, under date of Washington, d.
c., April IA, through the Washington corr
respondent of the Baltimore Sun, fires
the following broadside at the readers of
the Sun on the status of affairs political
i'm Alabama, which, of course, to vast
majority of the Suns readers will likely
be of interest, as they will not know so
well as AlabamianS how far the con-
gresham misses the mark in everything
except in his Judgment as to what kind
of a delegation Alabama will send to the
national democratic convention at Chi
cago:
II do not believe the primary meetings
reflected the sentiment of the democratic
party of Alabama. The populists in many
districts took part in the meetings and
voted with the silver democrats. There
were no means of preventing them, and
many who voted declared after the meet
ings that they were endeavoring to de-
stroy the democratic organization by
widening the division between the fac
| lions. Then, in addition to this, there
were a number of sound money men Wild
! voted for Johnston because of their
| friendship for him individually. These
gentlemen favor a compromise in order
to unite the party, and they thought the
best way to accomplish their purpose
would be to make concessions in the fight
for the local offices.
Altogether, the situation in the state
| is badly mixed and 1T is hard to deter
| mine the exact significance of Saturday
| results. l still believe the state will elect
| a sound money legisla ture and that a
| sound money man will be elected to suc-
| coed Senator Pugh. The outlook, how
| ever, is that a silver delegation will be
| sent to the national convention. The
| participation of the populists in the DEM
ocratic promaries and the eagerness of
| the free silver democrats to declare for
| free coinage has been most unfortunate
| for the party. Together they have de-
! clared the policy of the party without
| waiting to see what the national conven-
| ton is going to do with regard to the
money question. and they have decided
| In favor of theory of finance which, In
my opinion. is favored by only a minority
| of the party in the state.
"It is difficult to see at the present time
| just how the matter will end or what
| effect the course adopted will have upon
| the elections in the state next fall"