Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-03-11

gan's eight votes, Limestone's seven and
five of Lawrence'S seven were against
Johnston, total of sixteen for Oates.
All of them this year will be for john
ston. Clarke stands no sort of show in
any of these counties. Moreover, the
nine votes of Jackson, in their neighbor-
hood, which were divided between Oates
and Johnston, will be solid for Johnston
this year. 1 talked quite as much with
Clarke as with Johnston men on my lit
tie trip, and did not find one who had
any other opinion than that Johnston
would sweep these counties.
Stopping a few hours at Old Decatur,
close scrutiny discovered no signs of ex-
element or bitterness. 1t Is true that
never In the history of old Morgan was
50 much outside influence of a subtle and
powerful sort brought to carry an elec-
tfon as was exerted there, particularly
at New Decatur. A Johnston man told
me that but for outside interference and
species of intimidation Morgan would
have gone for the Jefferson county candi-
date by over 1000 majority. AS 1t was, it
was glorious victory for the unterrified
unconverted, unbought democracy of
Morgan.
Going up to Huntsville there were on
the train number of Limestone and
Madison county democrats, some of them
Clarke men, too. The talk was all John
ston-ward, the luckless followers of the
Mobile man giving 1t up. Madison will
go overwhelmingly for Johnston so 1
was assured, and the result in Morgan
means decided Johnston triumph in
Limestone.
The Clarke men expected that the tre-
menElGtIS fight and the incisive influences
broLshteto bear in Morgan would accom-
plish great things for their man. They
1t was a desperate effort to make a
breach in the Johnston phalanx with the
feeling it would be fatal to their adver-
saries. The effect of the crushing Clarke
defeat in Morgan is unmistakable The
Jefferson county buffers for him and
Mr.. Clarke himself had actually led some
Sound money men to believe that they
might look for a victory in Morgan;
they had told that Jefferson was going
to repudiate Johnston, and never walked
to the absurdity of the blow and buster
until they heard the news from Morgan,
where Clarke had tried his most elo-
quent pro-administration periods, to say
nothing of the hypnotic spell of his illus
trious blue eyes.
Mr. Clarke is booked to try his mouth
and eyes on Colbert this week. The un-
converted democracy of that grand old
county will give the misguided gentleman
a hospitable reception, but If he does not
close those cerulean-hued orbs of his to
proper scrutiny of the faces that will look
at him he will leave Colbert sadder, If
not wiser, man. Colbert Is overwhelm-
ing1y for Johnston and is going to stay
that way.
A lively effort was made in Colbert last
week to commit voters to Clarke by
means of a paper taken around for sigma
lures of sound money" men. About
sixty names were secured In this way In
Tuscumbia. When / was there Monday
a considerable number of these had de-
clared themselves for Johnston. In addi-
tion to these, lists for Johnston that day
had over 200 Tuscumbians, with sixty
more at Sheffield.
Sheffield, by the way, is regarded as the
leading Clarke-sound money stronghold
of the Tennessee valley But there seems
to be something sadly the matter with
them on this occasion. Whether 1t is the
news from Morgan may be surmsed At
all events. 1t was my pleasure on Monday
night to attend one of the most melan-
chOly demonstrators for Mr.. Clarke and
sound money" that could possibly occur
in this vale of tears. 1t was one of the
most pathetic-looking gatherings of men
ever gazed upon. There were eleven
Clarke men present. 1t was the response
to call to organize Clarke club At
one time there were thirteen, but upon
view of the Inflated number they'd better
fire some body or send out and get anoth-
er man, after some considerable hustling
and waiting, the silence being broken
now and then by kindly and charitable
remark of Johnston observer about the
beauty of the weather, or a hysterical
laugh of a grief-stricken Clarke man at
the heroic effort of another afflicted
Clarke man to divert the solemnlty of the
occasion with jest. The pain and pity
of it were so great that withdrew in the
direction of the telegraph office, but
found it had been closed. I afterwards
learned that the Clarkeites organized
with Mr.. McTyere, very handsome
young "sound money" gentleman, as
president, having announced that there
would be another meeting on Wednes-
day night. 1t was as pitifuf as joke in
the Clarke Column. / have heard the
impressive words, "earth to earth" and
dust to dust" and clods fall In measured
cadence upon the coffin of many deeply
mourned deceased, and furtiyely looked
at tear-stained faces gazing upon new
graves, but that meeting of eleven Clarke
men at Sheffield Monday night was the
saddest thing I ever witnessed.