Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-09-02
But With the Other Aspirants It's
Rocky and Full Of Fog.
A Deadlock in the First, Something Very Similar the
Fifh-The Outcome in the Eighth Depends Upon
Another Election in Colbert.

Hale, Wilson of Blount and McAdory of
Jefferson.
The chairman then announced the con-
vention open for nominations.
Colonel Altman Nominates Underwood.
Hon. John j. Altman then addressed
the convention in a short speech, saying
that in compliance with the wishes of
his friends and the Jefferson delegation
he had come to ask the nomination of
Hon. o. w. Underwood as the nominee
for this district. He spoke of the candi-
dates high personal character and his
ability to serve this district in congress
and said that with him at this end of the
line and the silver king at the other the
flag of democracy would be safely plant
ed in Washington.
Unanimous by Rising v ote.
The nomination was seconded and upon
motion of Hon. Richard H. Fries it was
made unanimous by a rising vote. Every
member of the convention stood up and a
rousing cheer went up for the nominee.
The nominee was brought into the con-
vention room and after being introduced
by Chairman Waller delivered telling
speech, which was frequently interrupted
by applause.
He said in part:
Mr.. Underwood's Speech.
For a second time 1 have the honor to
receive the nomination for congress from
the democracy of this district Two years
ago when you conferred this distinction
upon me 1 felt that pride and pleasure
which naturally control us when we are
honored by our fellow citizens but this
year as l come before you to again be-
come the standard bearer of our party
1t Is not only with a feeling of pride at
the distinction you have conferred upon
me that accept this nomination at your
hands, but, coming as it does, without
opposition and as the unanimous wish OF
my party, it Is peculiarly gratifying to
me.
This being presidential year, we have
the true democratic faith of our fathers,
tribunal of the party, to guide our course
should the people bestow the control Of
the government upon our party.
In some quarters we hear complaints
from those who do not wish to longer fol-
low our standards that the party has in
some way departed from the faith of the
fathers; that our declaration in favor of
true bimetallism, the free and unlimited
coinage of silver at 16 to /, is not demo-
cratic. At the very beginning of the gov
eminent tine question was raised. wheth-
er we should have bimetallic or mon
ometallic standard, and it was agreed,
without dissent, by our wisest statesmen
that the use of both metals gave a more
uniform and stable currency and BIZ
metallism became the financial policy of
bility of such standard was never
questioned until afters the war. Silver
was finally demonetized at time when
we were on a greenback basis and the
people did not fully realize the injury
that would result until after the resump-
tion of specie payment.
Since that time the democratic party,
through its leaders and in it's platforms,
has repeatedly declared in favor of the
same bimetallism we favor today. .
As to Income Tax.
The platform is in favor of an income
tax, proposition that was sufficiently in
harmony with the great principles of our
party to receive, but few years ago,
the approval of a democratic house, sem
ate and president but today it is pro-
claimed by many of the same men who
supported 1t then that we are attempt
ing to enter the holy of holies the inner
sanctuary of good government; that we
have been actually guilty of criticising
decision of the supreme court of the
United States because we declare "that it
is the duty of congress to use all the con-
stitutional power which remains after
that decision the decision declaring an
income tax unconstitutionaD, or which
may come from its reversal by the court
as it may hereafter be constituted"
The very wording of the sentence linn
its the declaration to the use of constitu-
tional powers; the fact that the court Is
about evenly divided on the question, and
that the death or resignation of one of the
judges may any day so constitute the
court that they would reverse their rul-
ings in the present case as they did those
of other judges who preceded them.
1t is strange that now, for the first time
since Jefferson repealed the ''alien or Sc
dition laws" we find the right of an
American citizens to criticise the official
conduct of any officer or branch of the
government questioned, and this, too,
coming from republicans or their allies,
whose party and whose leaders INDUCED
in unchecked. abuse of the supreme court
of the United States on account of the
decision just before the war in the "Dred-
Scott" cases.
We are in this campaign denounced as
anarchists and traitors to good govern
ment. And why? Have we committed
any overt act of treason? No, but we
have plank in our platform that de-
clares:
Federal Interference.
1--WE denounce arbitrary interference by
federal authorities in local affairs as a
violation Of the constitution of the United
States and crime against free institu-
tions, and we especially object to govern
ment by injunction as new and highly
dangerous form Of oppression, by which
federal judges, In contempt of the laws
of the United States and the rights of
the citizens, become at once legislators
Judges and executioners, and we approve
the bill passed at the last session of the
United States senate, and now pending
in the house of representatives., relative
to contempt In federal courts and pro-
viding trials by jury In certain cases of
contempt"
There was no crsy of anarchy raised last
spring when bill similar in principle to
this declaration passed the senate Of the