Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-10-04
A TERRIBLE ARRANGEMENT
Is This New Declaration of Amer
ican independence.
THE POWERS OF CORRUPTION
Painted in All Their Hideous Hues as a Warn
ing to the People.
THE GRUEsoMf cLANK OF CHAINS
The Address of the Federated Clubs of De-
mocracy and Silver in Session at st.
Louis, and the Ringing Res
lutions They Adopted.

st. Louis, No. Oct. 3-The permanent
officers Of the National Association of
Democratic clubs convention in session
here today were selected as follows:
Chairman, II. d. Money of Mississippi.
Secretary, John Baker White of West
Virginia.
Assistant secretary, j. NJ. Kane of In
diana.
The following resolutions We're unani-
mously adopted
The National Association of Demo-
cratic clubs and silver clubs Of the
United States in joint and national asso-
citation declare:
First-That we approve and ratify the
platform of principles and declaration of
purposes adopted by the democratic par
ty in national convention at Chicago and
we approve and endorse specifically each
separate plank thereof. assured that
when made the ruling chart of federal
administration legislation it will relieve
the people Of increasing burdens of mono
metallism, low prices and business de-
preston, restore the ancient and natural
condition necessary to return of gem
eral prosperity and exhibit the sovereign
power well as the stern purpose of the
American people to regulate the finances
and all concerns of the public without
waiting for or consent of any other ma
tion on earth.
Seeond-That events since the promul-
cation of that new declaration of Ameri-
can industrial and financial independence
have demonstrated the wisdom of the ac-
ton then taken, and then, as the immed-
late consequence of that justice and
truthful ararignment of plutocracy and
the boldest assertion of the rights of the
common people, hitherto abused and pill
laged under polices devised by the few
for the benefit of the few, at the expense
nf the a ba mt
and open association of every class un-
duly favored by monopliStic laws of
every rapacious combine of every insatia-
BILE trust and of every corporation, which
defies public protection in one mighty
conspiracy, under a single, absolute, sat
isfactory, typical boss, with the aid of
their English and other foreign associates
by the unlimited use of money and the
united power of coercion over a great
mass of citizens in their services, who
are subject to injury more or less directly
at their hands, to defeat the peoples
candidate to overthrow the peoples
cause, and to hold the masses in unre-
served bondage ia the consolidated
money power, and to the continuously
appreciating single standard gold dol
lar, starving its billions to fatten it's fa-
vorites
3. That 1t is a matter of public noto-
riety and common observa tion, the facts
being patent to all, that with few and
honorable exceptions, the managers of
the various railway systems.-some of
them grown enormously wealthy
through opportunities and practices
well understood, regarding only their in
dividual interests and that of the plu-
tocracy to which they personally belong,
ignoring the interest of shareholders,
employees and the people, have united to
exert all the power of their several COR
porations, created by public authority
for the accommodation of public bust
ness to coerce the electors in their SER
vices to support the candidate of the
combined domestic mOnOpOlieS and of
the international gold trust by systemat-
ic Misrepresentation and seductions on
the one hand and intimidation on the
other, so that at this hour many thou
sands of the most intelligent citizens of
this republic, peculiarly and specially in
terested in the restoration of popular
rule, are put to the desperate choice of
surrendering their suffrages to the con-
troll of others, asserting industrial mas
terry in politics, or losing their jobs and
the daily bread of their families; that
they in concert and in execution of CO.
lossal plan of operation, in support of
the single gold standard and the monop-
olistic combination, have entered upon
system of arbitrary, Illegal and shame
fully unjust discrimination in rates of
transportation against three great ma
tional political parties-grantng one
rate to the monopolists and another to
their opponents; one rate to the opulent
dianapolis convention and another to the
delegates and visitors to the great pop
ular gathering assembled here; one rate
to Canton, where unwilling men are
shipped in train loads, and another and
almost prohibitory rate to other gather
ings in the interest of the Chicago plat
form and it's candidates, thus ruling at
least one-half of the people of the United
States off their own highways unless
they choose to travel upon grossly un-
inst and uneuual terms.
We ask the American people to record
their judgment on these corporations at
the approaching national election, and
meanwhile we call upon the proper au-
thoritles of the federal government and
of the state government to note these
notorious and criminal abuses of public
grants in order that the laws which
guarantee equal rights upon the public
highways shall be decently enforced and
the individual offenders prosecuted and
adequately punished
a. That we ratify the nomination of
VILLA m Jennings Bryan and Arthur
Sewall for president and vice president Of
the United States as ideal nominees, and
we pledge them the united and earnest
support of the clubs represented In this
convention As American citizens, aris-
ing above all partisan considerations and
looking only to the gravity of the crisis
now upon us as a people, involving as we
believe the financial liberties of the sons
OF those who scaled the slopes of Bunker
Hill and camped with Washington at
Valley Forge, and those whose sacred
duty 1t Is to transmit to our children and
by the blood of our fathers, we send
greeting to our brethren in the nation
and ask them to join us In pledging the
enforcement of the new declaration OF
independence. now being tested in the
arena OF American judgment. and to
sound with us the final charge upon the
foes Of humanity massed against US.
Z. 3. Collins, Arkansas chairman: w.
/. Lockwood. Pennsylvania; ]. nj. Boone.
Mississippi: +. B. Fuller, Illinois: r. s.
Reaves. Oklahoma: T. Nj. wiIthashym
Kentucky; l.. j. Prather, Kansas: James
=. Norris District of III -