Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-08-12
A FACER FOR BOLTERS
EleCtor E. [. Russell Strikes F rom
the Shoulder.
BETWEEN THE EYES
OF Deserving Goldbugs Who Pledged Demo-
cratic Support in April.
HE SUPPORTED HON. R. H. CLARKE
But Says That He Pledged Support to the
Primary Result and Now Proposes
to Stand by That Party
Oath.
He SUPPORTED HON. R. H. CLARKE

Mobile, Aug. 11.-(Special.)-At the re-
quest of the State Herald have today
interviewed Hon. e. L. Russell, the bril-
liant chairman of our Mobile democratic
executive committee and elector for the
first district of Alabama. Not desiring
to deal in glittering generalities, as will
be noted, asked Colonel Russell but
three questions. His answers to them
were direct, impulsive and evidently born
Of long and careful thought upon those
important points. They were given with
that ring and emphasis which show that
the elector means what he says. More
fully to appreciate his emphasis, it must
be borne in mind that Colonel Russell
was a gold standard fighter in the late
contest. He was a Clarke man and used
his influence and his strong oratorical
powers for the cause he considered the
right one. The more honor to him than
that, having seen the trend of party
need, he now pledges his faith and his
powers to the needs of that party, to
which he is bound "for better or worse"
1 asked him:
Colonel Russell, l would like to have
your view of the effect of the recent eiec-
tion upon the November contest" His
answer was immediate and direct:
MIR. DeLeon, in reply to your query
will say that in my opinion (and l base
this opinion upon my experience in Ala
bama politics. the democratic vote for
Capt. Joseph +. Johnston on the Sd day
of August absolutely insures the triumph
of Bryan and Sewall in the state of Ala
bama at the November election. The
populists, republicans and goldbugs,
even If there is not a third ticket in the
field, cannot, in my judgment, make any
combination that will appreciably dlmln-
ish the democratic vote polled on the Sd
day of August. l believe there are
great many men who favor the gold
standard, and who voted for Captain
Johnston, who will not vote for the DEM
ocratic electors selected by the state DEM
focratic convention in Montgomery last
: April, but there are also great many
voters in the state of Alabama who voted
fer GOODWIN on the Sd day of August
who will not vote for the republican
electors in November. They are not poi
iticians; they have not held any office In
the past and do not propose or expect to
hold any in the future; they left the
democratic party on account of the pre-
yailing conditionS--they bcneved there
was something wrong in national legis-
lation and administration that depressed
the price of their farm products. They
were honestly seeking relief and were
persuaded to bslieve that relief could be
found in and through the populite move
ment, but as soon as they see that their
leaders are willing to make an alliance.
with the republicans in order to beat the
democrats they will abandon such an al
lance and support the regular democrat
ic electoral ticket in this state and in
other states. They are honest and pa
triotic and simply desire to promote
their own interest and the public welfare
generally. In other words, they are not
Off ~ fnr hn
of promoting any selfish personal ambi-
tion at the expense of the public good"
: next asked: do you believe that the
detection of so-called democrats will in
any material way affect that result?"
I'm reply to that query will say: 1 do
not believe that the detection of the gold
democrats in this state will appreciably
affect the general result in November.
I arrive at this conclusion for the reason
that almost all of the gold democrats
participated in our April primary elec-
tions in this state. do not believe that
they can be induced to repudiate the re-
suit of the April primaries. Ny further
reasons are fully set forth in reply to
your first query"
DO you believe" 1 then asked, that
these boiling gold democrats nave any
logical ground to stand upon In their
treason to party?"
'.In reply to that would say that the
gold democrats In a conference at Mont
gomery decided to present the issue
sauarely in the April primary by pre-
senting Mr.. Clarke as the representativ
of the sound money cause. In taking this
action they deliberately committed them
selves to the result of the primary, Whiie
I was not consulted about making the
fight. being in favor of what Is known as
the sound money cause, did all couid
to secure Mr.. Clarke's nomination, ana
wnen / participated In this primary cleo
ton l implicitly agreed to abide by the
result. / speak only for myself. I can
NOT conceive of how any man who partic-
ipated in the April primary In the state OF
Alabama, where the issue was fairiy ana
squarely presented and honestly deter
mined against the sound money cause,
ca now honorably refuse to abide by the
result / notice that several Distinguish
ed citizens of Alabama, who have been
honored in the past by the democratlc- or
Ranization and democratic votes, nave oe-
cided not to support the democratic NOM
fnees. but to support another electoral
ticket. to be hereafter selected. In my
f,pirion the only way to have honoraply
avoided being bound by the result OF the
April primary would have been to refuse
Fl uarticipate in it. do not believe there
fs q n honest man in the state of Alabama
but who will admit that, II the gold demo-
Gratis had won in the primary election,
they would have adopted in the state con-
vention a gold platform, and they would
nave sent solid gold delegation to the
Chicago convention. If the gold demo-
Gratis had won in this fight 1 have no
doubt that 1 would have been delegate
a large from the state; but as 1t was
had to remain at home, the sound money
cause having been honestly and fairly
defeated. have not changed my views
on the money question, and there are
some propositions contained in the Chi
ga go platform that I do not approve OF;
but. as party man, did not agree that
would be bound by the result at Mont
gomery and at Chicago?
7 "If the democrats of this state who
agreed with me upon the financial ques-
ton did not intend to honorably abide by
the result of the primary election In
April they should have abstalned from
taking any part in it. In the absence of
fraud, cannot understand how any man
governed by sense Of right and honor
who narticipated in the primary election