Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-10-18
DUTY is THE WATCHW0RD
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shown themselves incapable to conduct
1t without disaster at home and dlshonor
abroad"
l Now, the American people have reached
d period in their civiliza zion that they de-
anand a discussion of the facts Are Mr.
Cleveland and his admirers trying in this
champaign to refllte the charges made in
this dark and damning indictment? NO
MIR. Cleveland and the national democrats
are doing everything within their power
NO elect Mr.. Mckinley on the republican
platform. Therefore, we are confronted
with the amazing spectacle that he and
his friends have entered the plea of guilty
to the charges made in the republican in
dctment. The position that he and his
friends occupy in this contest places them
in the attitude of admitting that Mr..
Cleveland pawned American credit to
alien syndieates and has conducted his
administra ton so as to bring disaster up
on the country at home and dishonor
abroad.
The claim is daily put forth that the
supporters of Mr. Bryan are anarchists
and fatally bent upon mischief This is
serious and grave charge. Is 1t true? Let
us examine the facts. This question, like
all other questions, can only be settled by
the facts and not by suspicious ana IN
famed magination Is it not true that
your city, county and state are today in
the possession and control of those sup
porting Mr.. Bryan and his cause? DO
you believe that those who are charged
with preserving the peace, protecting life,
liberty and property in this city, county
and state, are anarchists. or that they
even sympathiZe with anarchists? our
supreme judges, as well as the judges or
our inferior courts are loyalty support
ing Mr. Bryan and his cause. Have not
our courts for the past twenty years Wig
orously punished crime, protected the
weak from the strong, enforced energet-
acnlN the law maintained the rights OF
all and upheld the dignity and honor OF
our state? The same thing applies to
Mississippi Tennessee and, in fact all
the southern states. The great railroad
systems of the south, industrial enter
prises and every species of property IN
terests and the homes of our people are
dependent for protection and preserVa-
ton upon those who support Mr.. Bryan
and his cause. 1t is fact that nine
tenths of the ex-Confederate soldiers who
fought battles that will command the ad-
mira ton of mankind as long as the world
stands are supporting Mr.. Bryan and his
cause. Are not these the men who, when
they returned from the army, found their
homes desolate, property destroyed ana
the slaves that represented the toll OF 200
years emancipated? These men, by their
courage and patriotism, afterwards res
cued their states from the hands OF aliens
and traitorous sons and converted chaos
anto law and order and made these south
ern states to blossom as thesrose.
Since the nomination of Mr. Bryan as
the democratic candidate for president
all of the great daily newspapers of the
country have carefully examined all OF
his public utterances. They failed to hnG
a single sentiment that he ever spoke or
wrote that went to support the PROPOSE
tion that he favored violation OF law, a
disturbance of the peace. or thar even
tended to uphold lawlessness. On the
contrary. it was found that he was an ar
dent advocate of reasonable governmental
reforms for elevating the moral tone or
the public mind land favored vigorous
enforcement of the law, securing 10 all
the possession of liberty, properly ana
happiness.
The republicans and the national demo-
Gratis take great offense at the declaration
contained in the Chicago platform Wnlcn
denounces the arbitrary interference by
federal authority in local affairs. You
will take note that this clause only con-
dennis arbitrary interference, and not le-
gal and constitutional interference. Mr..
Webster defines arbitrary to mean: De-
pending on will: not governed by any
fixed rule; despotic; absolute In power;
outside of the bounds of law, as an arbi-
trary prince"
. Now every man who condemns this
clause of the platform announces to the
world that he is in favor of arbitrary IN
reference by the federal authority In To-
cal affairs. They insist that this clause
is a direct condemnation of Mr. Cleye-
lands action in suppressing the riots of
1894. You will note that this clause does
not mention Mr.. Cleveland's name, and
when his friends and admirers insist that
this clause condemns Mr.. Cleveland they
logically admit that he was guilty of arbi-
trary interference by federal authority
fin the local affairs of the state of Illinois.
Now, the national" democratic party, so
called, claim that they present candl-
date In the person of General Palmer VINO
is sound on this question and opposed to
this clause of the Chicago platform. In
the latter part of 1871 the city of Chicago
was absolutely destroyed by fire. At that
time General Palmer was governor OF the
great state of Illinois. The thieves and
thugs of the United States collected at
Chicago and were plundering and robbing
the homeless and helpless people. Cen
eral Palmer, as governor of Illinois, was
powerless to give adequate protection to
these suffering people. General Grant, at
that time president of the United States,
ordered General Sheridan to interfere
and protect these people by the use of the
federal troops. General Palmer stood
among the ashes of the city, with its ruins
still smoking, in the midst of the cries Of
homeless people going up for protection
and denied the right of the federal gov
eminent to interfere. Now, turn from
Senator Palmer of 1896 to Governor Pal
mer of 1871 and we shall find what he said
in his message to the Illinois legislature
on this subject. Here it is. taken from
the public documents Of Illinois:
ut seems to me to be clear that our
free Institutions rest upon the principle
that the power and duty of the state to
preserve order and maintain the laws
within its own boundaries are complete
and perfect and are not subject to the
control or interference Of the authorities
of the United States in any case what
ever, nor can the authorities of any city
or county relieve the state from such di1-
ties. I am not forgetful Of the fact that
by the provision of the fourth article Of
the constitution Of the United states that
government is bound under certain cir
cumstances to protect the state from do
nestic violence; but this constitutional
provision and the laws enacted In pur-
suance thereof are not in opposition, but
in accord with the perfect independence
of the state. The language of the con-
Btitution is: The United States shall pro-
Aect each of them (the states) on applica-
tion of the Legislature or OF the executive
(when the legislature cannot be conven-
ed) against domestic violence. Under
hhe constitution 1t Is left to the state au-