Birmingham state herald., 1896-02-08
MAIN POINTS OF ATTACK
Seem to Be the Executive Committee and State
 Herald.
FEELS GRATIFlED AT HIS RECEPTION
Synopsis of Address Delivered at the Thea ter Last Night Under Auspices of the Clarke Club-The Money Ques-
 ton Discussed.

Hon. Richard H. Clarke. democratic candidate for governor of Alabama, made the initial address of his campaign at OBriens opera house last night.
 The parquet and dress circle of the the ater were comfortably filled with those who desired to hear the speaker in his discussion of the issues before the peo- pie.
 Among those who occupied seats upon the rostrum were Messrs. Mac Drennen, R. E. Jones, Lee c. Bradley, John M. Martin, Maj. Willis J. Milner, Col. b. E. c. Caldwell of Anniston, Col. Harvey E. Jones of Montgomery, Hon. l.. Y. Lips comb of Bessemer, B. J. Dryer, M. l.. Potter of New York, A. J. Krebs of Bes- semer, J. P. Carpenter, J. B. Airdt or Pratt City, Hugh McNutt of Bessemer, Ross c. Smith, Thomas Sanders of Lime stone, Alex T. London, Frank F. Glass of Montgomery James Weatherly, B. F. Moore, w. H. kettig, George Huddleston, M. E. Barker and J. B. Cobbs.
 MT. w. H.. Kettg introduced MT. Clarke in substance as follows:
 When future historians shall write of this country they will record three names as the greatest statesmen or tnelr time. These names will be Andrew Jack
 
 land The latter of these represent the ideal of American honor, courage and statesmanship. Cleveland is the only man who in forty years has led his party to victory, and yet he is denounced py many of our people and our antiquated and out-of-date senators from the south. But I am glad to say none of these are more able than the gentleman have the pleasure of introducing to you tonight He is brave, honorable and true. He Is a,t1a hpltf fc a n 6iScuGS AI questions at all times with all people, He is a candidate for governor of Ala bama for the interest of the people of this state, and not through personal ambi- tion. He is a man of no prejudices.
 II have the honor, fellow citizens, of introducing to you gentleman, a sol dier, a statesman and the next governor of Alabama, Mr. Richard H. Clarke.
 Mr. Clarke was literally applauded up- on his approach, and opened his address with these words:
 "Mr. President of the Club, Ladies,
 Gentlemen of the Club and Citizens of
 Jefferson county:
 T command no expression for the kind words used by the gentleman in this in troduction, nor for the cordial manner m which I have been received by the people of Jefferson county. It makes me reel that am not here like a robber trying to lay hands upon the thirty votes of this county, which, it has been claimed by
 
 On the other hand feel that find here a field where argument can be addressed to the people of Birmingham and Jefffr- son county without wrecking the demo- cratic party" Here the speaker eulogized Mir Cleveland and said he did not believe the people of this county would continue to make war upon him. My candidacy is not brought about by any personal am- bition. I believe that Jefferson county should be given an opportunity to place -l.A a m be allowed to hear fair discussion of the issues of this campaign. l ask no mans vote upon any personal grounds. It has been said that have no right 10 come into your midst. Some claim that democratic precedent always grants county to it's home candidate. In the last campaign Captain Johnstons friends made fight in Mobile county when MT. Rich was a candidate for governor That is worse than hiding behind the chair man of an executive committee. respect Captain Johnston as a man. but there are many things in this campaign upon which I would not be willing to rest my oars
 My course is manly. Jefferson county Is interested in this candidacy and l do not think what I have to say will wreck the democratic party.
 II do not intend to criticise the action of the state executive committee, because it is the committee of my party. T ex- 
 ] want to call your attention to few facts. No sooner than that committee had acted it set the earliest possible time for the convention to be held, thereby barring me from making canvass of the state. Besides this, they did what they call throwing down the bars thereby letting in.o the primaries men whom Captain Johnston imagined were lying awake at night trying to decide how they could vote for his nomination. When kos~ T41,x e frio de imagined for day or two that the thing was settled. I do net say that Captain Johnston advised the committee to act as 1t did. buu I say that if he had advised them believe they would have acted as they did,
 Here the speaker drew forth a copy of the State Herald containing a report of the executive committees action and proceeded to criticse the course of the paper in that instance, which he found occasion to repeat many times before the close of his address. He stated that cer- tain editorials were letters of Captain Johnston in newspaper guise. He said that he had met Captain Johnston twice in debate some time ago and learned at that time that the captain did not ap- prove of such joint discussions. Here the speaker added that he was not Haunting any personal superiority over the dstin- guished gentleman from Jefferson.
 T believe that such discussions strengthen the side of the question where justice lies. Who injected the money question into Alabama politics? When I began studying the money ques- tion came to the conclusion that the free coinage of silver would bring disas- ter to our people, At first thought majority of my constituents wanted 1t, but found after careful inquiry that they did not.
 "Captain Johnston believes that dis russion of the money question will dis rupt the democratic party. When spoke with him at Clayton he discussed noth- ing else. He did the same at Dothan. If he should discuss if then why not now? In ali his speeches for the past three