Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-11-19
OUR LETTER BOX.

Geneva, Ala, Nov. 16, 1896.
Editor State Herald:
The election is over, and there is very
little to talk about in this part of the
country The newspapers, however, are
still keeping up the fight, and it may be
| that you would like to open your Letter
| Box again to the public contribution of
| those who are the silent voters of the
state. A public journal should be the
| exponent of the thought and wishes of
| the people. An editor, though honest
| and fearless he may be, is hedged around
with associations and influences that
| color his writings to great extent. He
| Is prone to forget at times that his writ
| ings are scanned by thousands of eyes
| eager for information. His editorials
| are often written hurTied1y, and in con-
| sequence the questions which engage the
| attention of the journals readers are
not sufficiently touched upon and dis
| sected. During the late campaign the
| New York World called for contributions
| from the people, and these columns of
| the paper were by many eagerly read.
| There was in the mind of your CORE
| spondent, more information to be derived
| from those letters than from the other
| forty-six columns of the peaper Now, 1
| do not hope to say anything but what has
already been often discussed by the
newspapers, but what / have said Is
merely to ask you to throw open your
| columns again to contributors who may
| debate the issues now before the people
| in a manner to inform us of our duties as
| citizens q,
| AS for myself I will say that I have
| fought for the democratic party through
| every campaign that has come upon US
| since L have reached my majority. In
| the contest for Governor in the last few
| years have supported Jones, Oates and
IsI- L.. ~ Ill.
| more bitterly than l have, and no one
was more Jealous for the election of
| Capt. Johnston after he received the
nomination. | was told then that it was
the duty of all democrats to support the
| nominee, and did so. Now, from read
| ing the morning paper published at
| Montgomery, it seems that l did wrong
| and that it would have been the height
| of patriotism to have gone into the party
| primaries, and then If the majority of
| the party decided the other way to have
| gone over to the enemy and violated my
| party pledges. Why, Mr. Editor, in our
sister county of Henry, some of the gold
| democrats exacted promise from every
| voter to support the nominees, county,
state and national, before they would al
| low him to vote. Think what sorry
| spectacle these same men cut in the eyes
of their countrymen when they them
selves bolted the national nominees. I'M
agine, II you can. the disgust of the men
whom they called anarchists" and del
| egated to themselves all the patriotism
and honesty in the country There is
| no good in giving the Montgomery Nc
| Kinley organ any free advertising, but
| 1t seems that 1t Is time to stop calling
| five-sixths of the white people of Ala
| bama such names as Socialists" ere
| pudiators," anarchists "silverites,"
| etc.
One who has no better arguments to
| offer than such unreasoning epethets had
| better remain silent. 1t convinces no one,
! but drives men further away. To apply
| such names to the followers Of Bryan
| shows an exceedingly narrow view of
| the situation. 1 have yet to learn that 1t
is undemocratic to believe In bimetal-
| lism. And II can not be disputed but that
| contracting and contracted currency
adds to the burden of the poor. AS to
| whether the United States could main
! tain the parity, no one can possibly tell
until 1t be tried. Because we wish to try
| 1t are we dishonest? If that be so why
not stop the coinage of gold also. Hasn't
| the silver mine owner as much right 20
be benefited by the mint as the gold
| mine owner? Some cry out for interna-
| tional agreement and at the same time
| have curses loud and deep for "the sill
| yer trust" We have been under the I'M
| preston that a trust was a combination
| of monied men that bought up a COM
| modify to enhance its value by keeping
| the people from getting to use that COM
| modify. Now what kind of an arrange
ment the silver men have among them
selves do not know, but they certainly
! have no trust as they seem to be anx-
| ious to get chance to SELL About
| honesty I will say that IL all the hon
| esty in Alabama is possessed by the few
white men who voted for Mckinley or the
| Balmoral ticket we certainly need more
| preaching. We should recall our mis-
| sionaries at once. l know some whose
| consciences were too tender for them
l to support Bryan, whom cloak of pat
| riotism fits about as the clothes of "the
| artful dodger'' is said to have hung upon
| that noted gentleman. But Mr.. Editor,
the biggest joke of the season is the cry
/ of widening the breach on the part3of
| those who made the breach! The men
| who voted for the Balmoral ticket, now
/ pretend to speak for the party and think
| 1t hard that they are barred out of the
party councils They have no more right
to seat In the caucus of the party than
| Oscar Hunley has, and their threats re-
| mind me of the story that Benjamin
Franklin told to illustrate the then po-
| sition of the United States among the ma
horses were eating quietly in a stable
| when up came cackling young cock say
| ing, Now gentlemen, we must not tread
upon one another" The silly preten-
| tons Of the few men who deserted the
i party are laughable in the extreme !
am glad the legislative caucus shut
| them out. 1t may sometimes be good
| policy in the time of battle to place
| one apt to desert in such position that
| the eyes OF his comrades will be upon him
and hold him to his duty, but one who has
| been known to'desert or betray his trust
should never be intrusted with the COM