Birmingham state herald., 1896-05-31

attempting to misunderstood expressions simple enough for child to comprehend. Had the primary law here recommended
 been in force a few weeks since probably a committee of his own party would not
 have found 1t necessary to set aside an
 election recently held in Butler county for fraud and corruption.
 The democratic party stands for the right of every man to cast his vote for the man of his own choice and to nave effect given that vote. It stands against the herding or controlling or mampula- ton of any voters by any bosses or ma chine and against the coercion of any voters. It believes that every ballot should express the honest, Independent, personal and unbought and uncontrolled or dictated opinion and wishes or the voter himself each one selecting for him- self the men he wishes to vote for, ana that such votes should be counted as cast. That is what I understand the platform to mean, and that is how shall construe it when come to carry out its mandate. Our platform also declares for "a gov ernnent fair and just to all, under the control of the white men," We do not De- leyn in surrendering any section of our state to the control of the negro, for bit ter experience has shown us that 1t would be fatal alike to the peace, progress ana piosperity of both races. We have no hostility to the colored man--noth.ng but kind ess for him--but we do not believe that he Is fitted by birth, education, train ing or experience to engage in making or executing laws for the people of Alabama. At the same time our party stands pledged to give him the fullest protection of tsfe law and to encourage him in eie- vating his race to higher standards in the moral and material world.
 I have no apprehension that the oiil- cials charged with carrying out our cleo tion laws will not comply with them With out regard to their politics.
 The Currency Question. On this question our platform does not leave anything for construction. The free coinage of silver at 16 to 1 is de- manded and the party in Alabama pledged to that policy. We know that there are honest differences in our ranks, but think I can safely say that there are not 1000 democrats in the entire state who would not heartily approve the platform if they did not have honest ap- prehenson that under free coinage the parity of the coins would not be pre- served. There is not democrat on my side of the question who favors unsound money or 50-cent dollar. We want a dollar worth exactly 100 cents, not 50 nor 150 We have seen the purchasing power of money constantly increasing ever since silver was denied free access to the hints, and the value of all prod ucts and labor and land constantly diminishing. We desire to see this parity preserved-the parity between labor on the one hand and money on the other; be- tween property and money.
 In looking at the condition of other na- tions that have tried the experiment of the gold standard, and 1t is certainly only an experiment, do not find single one where the great industrial classes, the classes upon whose sweat and labor the prosperity of every nation must finally l,a EIlhgtantlal perty do not find the manufacturing nor the agricultural classes enjoying any prosperity. Unless these classes can prosper there can be no substantial and | continued progress or contentment in l any nation. The money lenders and middle men, and the men having fixed incomes, may prosper for time; but in the end the paralysis that has seized | the extremities will reach these people, | too, and disa sters and panics and bank ruptcy. and possibly revolution, will fol- l low.
 To confine the nations of the earth to | one money metal when both are insuffi- cient for the never ceasing growth of population and. enterprise; to make the cause of education and religion and de- yeIouu1ent travel upon one financial leg when both are needed; to legislate so as | to enhance the value of one metal and depreciate the value of the other, these | | people fitful advances and declines, unset ting values, promoting strikes, disturbing trade. checking consumption, paralyzing energy and encouraging baleful specula- tion' instead of the steady prices and employment and development where the supply of money keeps pace with all other progress.
 For more than 1000 years all the great nations of the earth used both gold and silver. without discrimination, as the measure of value. It is now suddenly discovered that there can be only one measure-one ,yardstick-and that must be of the most precious metal.
 It is a notable fact that not single nation of the earth ever demonetized either of the metals because at the time it was not preserving its parity with the other. Tn every single instance demone- tization took place when the coin demon etizcd was worth as much as the other. There was then no 50-cent dollar to be stricken down, and the only object that could possibly have been in view was to diminish the number of dollars and thereby increase their value. This has F certainly been the result, whatever the + object
 As money increases in value all labor and products and property must dimin- l jsh: and this truth is not even confined
 to the material world, for as we prize