Birmingham state herald., 1896-05-31

How long it will take a party with an average of one voter in fifteen to accom- plish any reforms will leave to some one more sanguine than myself to tell.
 It seems to lose by fusion, for in Vir- ginia the straight republican vote fin 1892 for their own ticket was over 13000 but in 1893, when they indorsed the populite ticket, the total vote cast by the fusion party was only S1 ,239 or more than 30,000 less than the strength of the republican party. .45.=.t5.4s-
 Republican Party.
 In many states of the union the repub- lican party is a powerful and dominant political organization, having in it's ranks many able and patriotic men. II stands for protection, for strong cen tralized government and for the single standard. In Alabama the party stands for spells and is ever ready to ally itself with any organization that will accept it's fellowship to get office. The great body of it's voters have no conception of the doctrines advocated by the party, and would follow 1t blindly were it to apostatize from every creed that 1t has taught. The leaders have knuckled to this ignorant vote, have bent to Its de- mands, and have ever been ready to sac- rifice political principle to supposed ex- pediency That there can be any future for that party, that 1t can recruit its ranks from the white people, that there can be any hope for the growth of repub- llcdn IHGOFleS III AidDdnd, 50 IeQ ana so followed, no thinking man can believe. We can respect a man who believes in the theory of projections. we can coneede honesty of purpose to those who favor strong, centralized government but when these doctrines are to be thrust down our threats seasoned with civil rights bills, and by trucking to ignorance and passion, we shall resent with all our power and vigor. No party In the south can survive monopoly of the great body of the negro vote, and yet the lead- CTS of the peoples party, with twenty years of testimony to this fact, are att tempting to create a new party with the negro as it's foundation and cornerstone. and it's allies are claiming boastfully that this fusion so to occur is composed of twice as many. negroes as white men.
 To get two or three places on the fu- sion ticket this party this year Is sup porting candidates and theories de- nouneed by their great national leaders from Maine to California, and yet they seem not to understand why they cannot win the confidence of the intelligent class in the south.
 Differences.
 For the past four years we have had differences amongst the people who were so long united as a band of brothers in controlling the destinies of this great state. These differences were not of principle, for all of us professed com mon political faith, common belief in the great underlying doctrines that gov- ernment should rest upon Discord came. Whilst men slept some enemy came and sowed tares amongst the wheat. These differences entered into every relation of life; they invaded schools and churches and families; they retarded progress, in- terfered with education, and have been Q stumbling block in the pathway of re- ligion. They are unworthy a free and a brave and magnanimous people.
 It is hardly profitable to discuss how these differences arose, or whether the one side or fhe other should have Yielded.