Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-08-30
the provender in the well filled barn of

D
ers. bulkers and boilers on his native
hearth, you are here tonight, fellow dem
ocrats, under the most suspicious cir
cumstances. You hear the inspiring word
victory whispered at first, but in the tone
of conviction now, as it passes from lip
to lip of every democrat, where three
months ago was predicted disaster and
defeat. Then a pail of impenentrable
darkness hung over the democracy OF the
United States, and not ray or nope
could be seen that gave even promise
of success. Now everything has changed;
with a united party, full of courage and
aggressiveness, every sign points to
sweeping victory in November. | do not
desire even to conceal the fact that there
were a few traitors in the camp, few
deserters from the line of battle, but
their places have been filled from the
ranks of our former opponents. Those
who have deserted the party in Alabama
to keep company with the "oderiferous
sons of Ham" must keenly feel their un-
enViable position. They took part in the
April primaries and truly pledged their
honor to abide the results of the conYen-
tion both state and national. They cam
not, before an honest, honorable people,
like the electors of Alabama, justify
their position. But why this change in
public sentiment among democrats. this
reversal of public opinion, this enthusi-
asm all over the union, sure forerunner
of sweeping victory? From every
quarter of this great nation the dis
patches bring the glad tidings that
The Plain People
everywhere are rallying around the old
standard raised by Jefferson, regardless
of past party affiliations, and the camp
fires of the democratic hosts are blazing
on every hill top from the cotton fields of
Ala bama to the great harvest fields of the
Dakotas. Our matchless leader, too, is
not idle. He has invaded the impregna-
hle fOT'f Df tbn thpU have
thrown down their arms and are fleeing
from the wrath to come" The answer
is easy. The party leaders in the east
had practically controlled the party poll
cy for a quarter of a century on the idea
that New York was necessary for sue
cess, and under their guidance the party
had drifted away from the principles up
on which it had been builded by JefTer-
son and made invincfble by the iron will
and patriotism of Jackson. Among the
masses of farmers and laborers, where its
main strength was to be found, there was
a lethargy, a want of interest, portend-
ing no good results for the future. They
had failed while in power to keep faith
with the people, and they had lost con-
fidence in their promises for relief
Many of the most trusted leaders had
drlfted away from the time-honored prin-
ciples of the party, and were advocating
republican doctrines, faVorlng class leg
islation, unfolding trusts and monopo-
lies, duN0thIlnR secret
under tine filmsy pretenSe of upbuilding
the credit of the government and honor
of the nation, agreeing, at least to the
sale of interest-bearing bonds in times
of peace without the consent of the leg
islatiVe branch of the government.
These tendencies of the party and par
ty leaders had caused loss of conf
dence, not only in them, but in the power
of the organization thus disciplined to
properly guard and protect the interests
of the masses.
During the early spring of the present
year there was strong concerted move
ment among the democratic masses,
which continued to gather strength until,
like cyclone, at Chicago 1t swept before
it these anti-democratic tendencies and
hurled from party control these undem-
ocrutic leaders and enunciated plat
form of principles in full accord with the
teachings of the fathers. The delegates
to this great gathering of democracy
with unhinching courage, with convic-
lions above the price that corporate pow
er and wealth could command, gave us
Declaration OF Principles
reafflrming the doctrine that the people
were capable of self-government, and
that the constitution, with its limitations
of power, should be observed. But there
are those possessed of an audacity as
false a s it is reckless" asserting that the
platform is a departure from the long
communistc in it's tendencies and sub
versive of social order and good govern
ment, threatening the nations honor and
credit and the interests and rights of pri-
waite individuals. They do not even
deem it necessary to point out wherein
the platform differs in principle from
former party law and precedent and
what plank conceals the bomb of the
dynamiter or shields the hideous face of
the socialist or anarchist. Let me tell
lnf ic hoe
panks which propose to take the mailed
hand of corporate power, syndicates and
trusts from the throat of labor.
But permit me to refer such as these
to the inaugural address of Jefferson,
where they will find every essential feat
ure of the Chicago platform, besides ev-
cry plank of this platform demanding
legislative action is contained within the
express grant of power to congress by
the constitution. Jefferson says: "A
wise and frugal government, which still
restraints men from injuring one another
which shall leave them otherwise free to
regulate their own pursuits of industry
and Improvement and shall not take
from the mouth of labor the bread 1t has
earned" This is the sum of good gov
eminent, and this is necessary to close
the circle of our facilities. Equal and
exact Justice to all men; the preservation
of the general government in its whole
institutional vigor; the supremacy of
the CIVIL over tne
economy in the public expenses, that la
Dor may be lightly -burdened; the honest
payment of our debts and sacred preser-
walton of the public faith; encouragement
of agriculture and commerce as it's hand
maiden; the diffusion of information and
the arraignment Of ali abuses at the bar
of public reason; freedom of religion;
freedom of the press. These principles
form the bright constellation which has
gone before and guided our steps through
an age of revolution and reformation. l
reproduce this for
The Especial Benefit
of our branded mustangs now out of the
pasture feeding on republican mesquite
They charge that the democratic plat
form is communistic in it's tendencies
and heavily charged with socialism and
anarchy and other un-American doc
trines. If these assertions are true. JEFF
ferson was red-handed anarchist and
Jackson the promoter of socialism, for
they each favored the doctrine laid down
in the platform SO seriously objected to
by our boiling friends, viz: Opposition
to the issue of notes to circulate as
money by banks; they favored the free,
Independent and limited coinage of both
gold and silver at ratio of 16 to l. When