Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-04-01
CAN'T AFFORD 1T.


should vote in accordance with their
principles. To do otherwise Will be TO
act in the face of their own convictions
and bring about a result they do not de-
SIRE Montgomery Advertiser.
In one breath the Advertiser says
Cleveland and sound money democrats
can't afford to vote for Captain Johnston.
In the next breath 1t exclaims that
cleveland, sound money democrats
should vote in accordance with their
principles" Now, let's look at things for
a moment just as they are. In this cam
psign we have two candidates for the
democratic nomination for governor. One
of them, Mr.. Clarke. Is appealing only
to the advocates of the single gold stand
ard for his nomination. His newspaper,
the Advertiser, is urging that class
or school of democrats to die by their
principles" even if 1t be in the last
ditch. The other candidate, Captain
Johnston, is running for the office of gov
ernor as a democrat. He is appealing
to all democrats of whatever shade of
opinion to support him. He asks the
nomination for governor at the hands of
the democrats of Alabama, while Clarke
asks 1t at the hands of the cleveland,
sound money democrats"
Mr.. Clarke and his newspaper, the Adj
vertiser, also scorn the idea of getting
men who have all their lives up to 1892
voted and worked for the democratic
ticket to come back into the democratic
party while Captain Johnston Is urg
ing these men to come back into the par
ty, whether they vote for him or Clarke.
He wants them to come back and help
fill up the shattered ranks of the once
united party. Now, If Captain Johnston
becomes the nominee he will be the NOM
inee of the democratic party, because he
is asking the party to nominate him, and
1t is a we'll known fact that men on both
sides of the financial question are his
earnest supporters. If Mr.. Clarke should
become the nominee he will he the nom
inee of only a faction of the party, be-
cause he is only asking the support of a
faction, and is not receiving the solid
support of that faction. He is not ask
ing the support of free coinage demo-
Gratis, and none of them are supporting
him. 1t is sometimes hard to get men
to vote for candidate with whom they
disagree when they are appealed to do
so, and when they do not agree with a
candidate and are invited not to vote for
him they can be relied on to vote against
him. Now to the point. In the last two
state elections Alabama has been very
close The majorities have been very
slim and both times they have been seri-
ously questioned In neither election has
the party polled a majority of the votes
In, A Iah Inv nd ha
Advertiser. the representative of Mr..
Clarke, says to sound money, Cleveland
men that it can't see how those men can
vote for Johnston. That is saying to
the free coinage men that they must sac
riflce their principles to vote for Clarke.
The same paper insists on those who are
out of the party staying out, and virtu-
ally invites all others who do not favor
the single gold standard to retire. These
are plain statements of plain facts, and
the question addresses itself to every
man in Alabama who prefers to the
empty Endorsement of Mr.. Cleveland and
the gold standard by the nomination and
defeat of Mr.. Clarke the continuance of
democratic rule in Alabama. Can the
men who want to see the state remain
man who only asks the support of fac
tion In the party; man who opposes
the proposition to recruit the shattered
ranks of the party; man who is the ac-
Bnowledged candidate of newspaper
that says to everybody who is out of the
party, d--n you, remain out, and to all
who are in the party who do not agree
with It, d--n you, get out?
There is but one question and that is,
are there enough single gold standard
men in the party, together with those
who WILL NOT be driven out, to carry
the state over those against whom we
have had to contend in the last two cleo
tions, reinforced by those WIZ rs1ll take
the Advertisers advice ana vote their
convictions or stay at home? That's the
question, and 1t is one of vital impor-
lance. Truly it is momentous question.
.