Birmingham state herald., 1896-01-30
A SOUND MONEY MAN, TOO
If He Cannot < the Nomination Without
 S.rson's Vote,
MIR. clE q OUGHT NOT TO HAVE IT
The S ss of the Party Independent of and Measures the Controlling :~ Motive and Policy of the
 Writer.

Hon. w. H. Lawson, highly respected citizen of Montgomery county and member of the democratic state execu- tive committee and who was a Clarke man at the recent meeting of the execu- tive committee, has written the following open letter to Hon. A. G. Smith of this city also a member of the committed:
 Montgomery, Ala, Jan. 27, 1898. Hon. A. G. Smith, Birmingham Ala
 My Dear Sir: The attempt to take from Captain Johnston the delegation from Jefferson county Is to be deplored by all who desire the success of our party. You and l know as members of the campaign committee that Captain Johnston in the last campaign was in greater demand than any speaker we had and immense crowds greeted him wherever he spoke and this attempt to humiliate him before the democracy of Alabama Is ingratitude to which will not be party; neither do l approve of it. He held the same views on finance then that he does now. His past services to the party entitle him to the delegation from Jefferson county without opposition. If the sound money men of Jefferson want Mr Clarke nom- mated and elected they should not make any opposition to Captain Johnston hay ing the delegation. If Captain Johnston can get the nomination with the support or Jenerson county he ought to have it. If MT. Clarke cannot get the nomination without Jefferson's vote he ought not to have it.
 If the movement is successful and MT. Clarke is nominated, it will lose Jeffer- son county to our ticket in the election by several hundred votes and cost the state ticket 25,000 votes in the August election. We will lose six members of the legislature and senator. The conse- quences certainly have not been consid- cred by those in the movement
 Jenerson county is very close in the election, and it takes a united party with hard work, to hold it in the democratic column. Therefore any policy that tends to divide the democrats of your county, that begets bitterness and strife, is not only hurtful to the democracy of Jeffer- son, but of the state. As you know, I am opposed to making the financial ques, ton an issue In the nomination for state offices. It can result in nothing but fur ther divisions among democrats and im- peril the success of the party in the AuA gust election. It matters not which fac- ton controls the state convention, nei- ther will dare to put into the platform It's views upon finance and hope to elect the ticket. Then, why make the issue? Why create divisions and strife in our ranks? I feel sure that the state conven- tion will adopt a platform upon which every democrat in Alabama can stand. The national democracy has not the S1lduOW Ol d cHdHct Dl tlecllUB d cratic president, I care not what the plat form may be. Then why should we raise issues upon which we are divided, and imperil the success of our party? It seems to me to be the wisest policy to avoid issues upon which we are divided and stand together and retain the govern ment of Alabama in the hands of the democratic party and await develop ments.
 The success of the party here Is the first and highest consideration. The great majority of the democrats of Ala bama are opposed to having the financial question being made an issue, and to force 1t and have it defeated, 1t will be heralded all over the country that the goldbugs have been cleaned up bag and baggage in Alabama So you observe how unfortunate for the sound money cause that the issue has been made. The democrats of Alabama have an oppor- tunity to express themselves upon the financial question in the nominations for the legislature and congress. The nomi- ground of being a democrat. qualification and availability. The democrat that is qualified and most available should be nominated. Let him lead that can get the most votes for our ticket in the Au- gust election. l stand for the success of the party independent of men and meas ures, and shall oppose any policy in my opinion that is harmful to the success of the party. Your friend.
 w IT LAWSON