Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-03-11
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sought to teach. At first glance, when
we saw its expressed desire for harmony,
it struck us that it had recognized the
inevitable, and was about to make the
nomination of Captain Johnston unani-
nous. That would have been the proper
thing, in the face of the vote of Morgan
county, where the people outside of the
towns were practically unanimous for
Johnston. The country people being a
unit, it follows that the state is over
whelmingly in favor Of the red-headed
son of destiny. His nomination is just
as certain as that the country, and not
The towns, controls the decision. Even
in the towns, however, which derive their
trade and sustenance from the country
the star of Johnston is in the ascendaney
There is no escape from the conclusion
that the people of Morgan county, in
voting two to one for Johnston. represent
the voice and wishes of the people of Ala
bama. Their verdict will be repeated
next week in Perry, and will roll up in
thunder tones from. every quarter of the
state on the 18th day of April.
The Advertiser, with an affected de-
sire for harmony, reveals it's true pur-
pose very clearly towards the close of its
article. 1t charges Captain Johnston and
his friends with unscrupneus conduct
1t hints at frauds in Morgan county. 1t
proposes to turn on electric lights 1t de-
cares that it will get at the truth. In
other words, it charges the executive
committee of Morgan county and the
managers of the election with fraudu-
lent return. There is not scintila of
evidence to substantiate such a charge.
The white people of Morgan are free
men. They are not in the habit of cheat
ing each other No people in the state
stand higher in moral character. 1t is an
atrocious calumny to charge them with
conspiracy and fraud. The Advertiser
knows that the election was fairly con-
Quoted, and that the returns represent
the true voice of the people.
All of this clamor and clatter and kick
ing at the result can be explained only in,
one way and the sensational double-lead-
ed editorial can mean but one thing, and
that is thatthe Advertiser and its follow
ing do not intend to abide by the result
of the democratic primaries. 1t proposes
to raise the cry of fraud and to lay
predicate for boiling from the state con-
Venton and sending to Chicago bolt
ing delegation to represent its peculiar
views In other words, it proposes to Gre
ate pretext for a disruption of the dem
ocratic party. Rather than see a man
nominated who is not its own favorte, it
is ready to smash to pieces the only party
that has stood between the people of the
south and the horrors of republican rule.
If the election in Morgan was in any re-
spect irregular there Is court to try the
case--the state executive committee. But.
the Advertiser proposes to send It's "staff
correspondent" to investigate that cleo
ton and determine whether it was hon
estly conducted. Upon the verdict of
Mr.. McIver is to depend the
harmony and unity of the dem
ocratlc party. This is the height
of impudence. 1t passes impudence. 1t
is the quintescence of insolence. "Chief
Justice" McIver is to decide that Captain
Johnston, who was not in Morgan county
on the day of election, cheated Mr..
Clarke, who was present watching the
result Any one who knows Mr.. Clarke
will be slow to believe that anybody could
get ahead of his machinery in grinding
out returns. He Is an active and alert
politician, and it was impossible for the
advocates of Johnston to get any advan-
tage of him except through fair election.
The verdict of "Chief Justice" McIver
is known in advance, and 1t is denounc-
ed in advance as a calumny upon the
honest and brave people of Morgan
county. The following dispatch to this
journal will be embarrassing to the
chief justice" but the truth of history
demands its publications:
Decatur, Ala. March s.
To the State Herald:
The statement of Mr. McTver, reporter
Montgomery Advertiser relative to pri-
mary election had in Decatur March 7
and my actions therein is al infamous lie
w. b. WALLACE.
Upon the verdict of this itinerant news
paper peddler of sensational and fractional
>balderdash is to depend the harmony and
unity of the great democratic party. If
McIver says that Clarke was cheated
the state convention is to break to pieces
and the gold standard delegates are to
initiate Mr. Kolb and get upon the head
of hogshead and proclaim new party
and new republic. The Advertiser Is
talking through its hat. The people of
Alabama will respect the voice of Nor
gan county. They will respect and obey
the voice of the convention and no mat
ter whether they are single standard
men or double standard, they do not in
tend to make a fractional contest and
break the party to pieces. They surely
will not do so upon this puerile cry of
fraud in an election which the Advertiser
and all the papers )of its class conceded
to Johnston in advance of the fact. 1t Is
the old story of the wolf and the lamb
The wolf intends to have it's breakfast.
JOANSTON'S NOMIN ATTON CERTAIN
In 1894 IL was a tie between Oates and
Johnston in Morgan county, each getting
four votes in the convention, but this
time Johnston carried sixteen out of the
nineteen beats. and would have carried
two others but for the interference of a
railroad. Johnston only liked seventeen
votes of the nomination in 1894. The gain
OF four votes in Morgan, by such an over
whelming vote, shows conclusively that
all the north Alabama counties carried
by Oates in 1874 will go for Johnston this
time. IT would only take two or three of
them to make the other thirteen votes
which would nominate him. Then look