Birmingham state herald., 1896-05-31

you multiply the burden of debt and taxes.
 Decrease the number of dollars and you decrease the value of labor and property.
 Decrease the number of dollars and you arrest progress, retard development and enchain muscle.
 The best money is the money that is best for our own people, not for some other nation.
 Mexico and Japan thrive under the single silver standard but do not think we should adopt it.
 Because England and Germany and Prussia have the single gold standard Is no evidence that it Is the best money any more than their having queens and em- perors prove their form of government to be the best.
 A sound dollar is a dollar worth 100 cents; it makes no difference what it's color.
 An honest dollar is one that was worth 100 cents last year and for years before, and will be worth no moro and no less next year and for the years to come.
 That the dollar has been steadily ap- preciating in its power to command hore and mora of labor and products and property for the past twenty years no fair man will deny; that 1t will continue to appreciate under the single standard must be manifest. Under these circum- stances is it strange that men are 10th to buy land or engage in manufacture or any productive enterprise when they know that by waiting their dollars will buy more and more, or that their prod ucts will constantly decline in value, measured in money? It is the fair level of prices that those of us who favor free coinage are seeking; the steady values that will enable us to unlock our energies and calculate for the future.
 nm mt hPrta tO dpnOunce any Rentle- man who does not agree with me. Thank God, the constitution of our country, the air we breathe, the blood we inherit, the manhood that liberated this country from foreign domination, gives us the right to do our own thinking and the liberty to express those thoughts fear lessly The intolerance that would de- nounee my brother for not being able to see things as I do has no place In the democratic party, the party of free schools free speech, free press and free people. All that we can ask of our brethren is not to surrender their con victions, but that when the majority speaks, If it shall not speak all their sem timents, to fall in line and fight the com mon enemy of democracy.
 It would be difficult for any man to find d political party whose every doc Urine and policy and all the nominees would be entirely to his taste. We must
  thing for the fundamental doctrines and much for the common good.
 Ten Per Cent Tax.
 want also to express my hearty con- currence in the plank declaring in favor of the repeal of the tax on the issue of state banks. I believe it not only an un- constitutional invasion of the rights of the states, but that it's repeal will do much to break down the vicious system hat notes to national banks, and that 1t will do much also to provide local currency that will bring relief to our people in supplying them with a sufficient circulat- ing medium, bring down the rate of in- terest and do much to provide a sufficient money medium for our people,
 The Peoples Party.
 There is a maxim of the law which de- clares that no man suddenly becomes vicious.
 Vice sweeps against man and takes away the foundations of his character grain by grain, as the flood eats the bank of the levee, and not until it has under mined the whole superstructure does he fall 8 victim. This has marked the course of many political parties
 Only four years ago the present leaders of the peoples party in Alabama not only professed unswerving allegiance to the democratic party and its principles, but  honors it had to bestow. Failing to ob tain control of our party, they bolted it's convention and set up an opposition, while taking the name and still profess ing the faith of the great apostle of de- mocracy.
 Two years later these same leaders dis carded the name and repudiated the pro- fessions they had so loudly proclaimed. The rank and file of the party were not consulted, but reluctantly followed, for they desired to stand by their old doc trines and faith. New remedies unknown to the fathers of democracy were brought forward as panacea for every i'll of tho body poltic Land loans, sub-treasurles, the ownership of railroads and telegraph lines were to furnish currency and means to enrich the people without re- gard to enlarging the metallic base upon which it should rest or the experience of nations. Any and all amalgamation with the republican party was hooted at and scorned by the leaders. White suprem- acy was its cornerstone, and the republi- can party was called upon to disfran- chise @ great number of its voters.
 Now the waters have eaten further into the foundation and this same party, be- ginning with such fair protestations of loyalty to democratic doctrine, has de- liberately abandoned every measure of relief that 1t urged before the people. The sub-treasuries have been wrecked, rail-
 
 abandoned to their owners, the Ocala. demands exist not even as fragrant memory, and they now come to the white men of Alabama linked arm in arm with the republican party and clamorous for the colored vote. Yet happily they retain such a memory of other days that they refrain from taking from the old enemy of democracy about all it has left--its name.
 The opposition In this state developed from resistance within our ranks to al- legged machine methods and boss rule. From resistance inside our ranks where all good democrats should find their rem edies, the leaders have artfully led the honest men who followed them to the very gates of radicalism. The descent has been so gradual that many have un- thoughtedly followed, but certainly none can be deceived now
 F'usionl
 This year the leaders, who protested so loudly against 'boss rule," determined in advance to fuse with the party that they had so indignantly scorned in the beginning of the movement, and when their convention met at the same time and place. when and where, by prear- rangement with the leaders on the other side, the republican convention was to meet, many of their delegates, who had defended their country on bloody fields