Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-04-21
GOVERNOR Oates ADVICE
He Writes a Cordial Letter to
Captain Johnston.
OFFERING HIS SERVICES
TO the Victor Belongs the Spoils" When
Fighting the Enemy
BUT NOT WHEN FIGHTING BRETHREN
The Lee and Pike County Contests Post
poned Until This Morning-The Mont
gomery County Convention
Deadlock Broken.
OFFERING HIS SERVICES
BUT NOT WHEN FIGHTING BRETHREN

Montgomery, April 2O.--(Special.) 1.-THE
lobbies are filed to the brim tonight with
democratic leaders. Practically every
county in the state is represented the
night trains having come from all direc-
tions loaded down with delegates. All
day yesterday and today the delegates
have been drifting in, and the candidates,
most of whom were ON the ground, have
been training in the button-holing bus
iness.
Everybod is, of course, for Johnston
now. 1t is accepted that he will go into
the convention tomorrow with over $50
votes instructed for him out of the 504
votes in the convention. Whether Mr.
Clarke will allow his name to be present
ed to the convention Is not known. 1t Is
thought he will not announce his purpose
as to this until the body is assembled in
the interests of those candidates for state
offices who We're friendly to his canvass
The state executive committee met this
morning to hear the contests from Lee
and Pike counties, but the Clarke dele
gates raised technical point that they
had not been officially served with spe-
cific and written notice of the contest and
therefore declined to appear.
The committee adjourned, therefore,
until tomorrow morning, and the dele
cations contested have been regularly
notified to be present and defend their
seats. The claim of the Clarke delega-
tion from Lee is undoubtedly trivial, and
but little Is known here of the Pike con-
test. me
Besides governor, an auditor, a treas
urer and commissioner of agriculture
are to be selected by the convention and
q platform to be adopted.
For the authorship there are six candi-
,dates-Hon. James b. Simpson of this
pifV Hon Walter w hjte Colbert Hon
Pet Caffee of Lowndes, Mr.. Biggers of
Pike, Mr.. Rankin of Escambia and Mr..
Parker of Tallapoosa.
For the treasuryship there are four ap-
plicants--Hon. G. w. Ellis of Dallas,
Hon. ]. l.. Cobbs of Montgomery Hon.
c. w. Brown of Jackson and Mr.. Boyd
of Dallas.
There are ten candidates for commits
sioner of agriculture--Hons. Hawkins of
Barbour, Ward of Henry, Culver of Bull
lock- Ross of Lee, Thornton of Talladega
Smith of Limestone, Drake of Hale, Cum
ningham of Lauderdale, McLendon and
Key of Montgomery and Wilson of Tai
lapoosa,
There is abundant good material in
these lists of applicants from which to
select competent and worthy officers.
close and spirited contest is promised for
each place, and great deal of good
natured lobbying is already being done.
One thing that is distinctly evident
now is that a free silver 16 to l plank
in the state platform will be insisted
on by the north Alabama delegates
which almost certainly means that such
"a platform will be enacted
The Johnston delegates from the coun-
ties In this section are not disposed 10
insist on the 16 to l plank. They think
that an abstract declaration in favor of
bimetalllsm, something similar to that
adopted by the farmers congress in At
lanta last fall, is sufficient.
The Clarke men would be content with
this, and it is argued by many that it
would be a gracious and magnanimous
thing to trim the financial plank just
fraction in consideration of those "sound
money men who supported Captain
Johnston, and of the vanquished element
of the party Mr.. Clarke insisted so
strenuously on drawing the financial
question into the campaign and made
such determined fight in Captain john
ston's own county ON the issue that it
promises to be impossible to persuad de
the prevailing element of Captain john
stons supporters to compromise in any
way.
1t looks tonight as though a 16 to /
plank will undoubtedly be adopted.
There is no certainty as to who will be
selected to preside over the convention.
One remor says Congressman Bankhead
will Aanother rumor confers the honor
on Pal Pettus. Chairman Knox of
the state executive committee will, of
course, call the convention to order and
will nominate the temporary presiding
officer.
Governor Oates to Captain Johnston.
Governor Oates today sent the follow
ing cordial letter 10 Captain Johnston:
Capt. Joseph F. Johnston, Birmingham.
Ala
Ny Dear SIR: You have won a great
victory. and next Tuesdays state conven-
ton will declare you the nominee of the
democratic party to succeed me in the
Office of governor of this great state You
have been throughout advocate of the
free and unlimited coinage of silver at
the ratio of 16 to l, and although you
have been warmly supported by good
many who do not agree with you in that
theory, but who regard you as good
democrat and believed that your nomina-
tion would strengthen the party by in
ducing many who had left 1t and Joined
the populists to return TO their former
allegiance, yet it is an indisputable fact
that your nomination is triumph within
the state Of the advocates of the free
coinage of silver The issue was clearly
made between you and Mr.. Clarke; and
while that fact does not change my opn-
ions, heretofore expressed, as to the dan
ger and inexpediency or forcing that is
sue at present. l venture to suggest to
you and your convention. for the sake of
party harmony and success, to cautiously
pursue such a conservative course-giv-
ing thoughtful and respectful considera- !
tion to your defeated brethren-as will
heal the wounds received IN the ldte con-
flict and stimulate their party pride and
patriotism. In battles with the enemy
/ hold that ito the victors belong the
spoiIs," but in great athletic game and
manly trial of strength among brethren
neither the successful champion nor any
of his supporters should strike any on
the other side when down. IL IS better
to tell them that they fought bravely and
well. take them by the hand and invite
them to seats at the first table of the
A..~ Ia ia ~~4kI II &IxZ1~
tends TO repair breaches in the. ranks
and give unifed strength against the COM
mon enemy
Two years ago my friends and myself