Birmingham state herald., 1896-07-29
A RINGING APPEAL.
Chairman Russell Calls Upon Democrats to
 Do Their Duty.

auSSell ChilS U pOn D6mOCIbVo pO Do Their Duty. .l Mobile, Ala, July 24, 1898. 2 To the Democratic Voters of Mobile County:
 The members of the democratic execu- | tive committee, at it's last meeting, in- structed me as the chairman of the com mittee to send their greetings to every democrat in the county and urge him, by the sacred memories of the past and his hope for the future, to suspend his work on the Sd day of August next and go to the polls and vote for Capt. Joseph F. Johnston for governor and the other state and county nominees. regret that I am incapable of employing words suf- ficiently strong to convey the message to you with the same earneStness and in
 density of feeling it was conveyed to me-
 by the members of the democratic exec
 utive committee.
 What were the conditions of your state
 prior to 1874? Alabamas debts and lia-
 bilities at the close of the war were $5,-l
 939,654.87; Alabama's debts and liabilf-
 ties January 1, 1872, were $38, ,381, ,967. .37.
 An increase in @ few years of about $33,-
 000,000i What did the people of this state
 have to show for this vast increase of
 public indebtedness? They had con-
 stitution violated and ighored; courts
 that were powerless to protect life, lib-
 erty and property, owing to the ignor-
 ance and corruption of the judges who
 assumed to administer and enforce the
 laws; the public school system of your
 Etate was not only a failure, but a farce,
 and only served to furnish an excuse to
 the then rulers to plunder and rob the
 citizens of the state in the name of edu-
 cation; the homes of our people were
 desolate, and they were without hope;
 the brave hearts of our men were filled
 with gloom and despair; the state and
 county governments were reeking with
 corruption from top to bottom and the
 state presented one vast scene of satur-
 nalia.
 You remember that all of these evils
 and crimes were inspired, protected and fostered under the immediate rule and administration of the republican party. The opponent of the loyal and fearless Joe Johnston is supported in this cam | paign by this same element, and if they | could secure control of our state govern | ment by your aid or by your failing to l discharge your duty as citizens, we would | witness repetition of the same evils l and disorders.
 Since 1874 your state government has l been controlled by the democratic party, l and through its agency it has furnished 1 the people of the state such an economi- | cal and efficient administration of pub | lie affairs as to almost cause you to for | get the past expressions and tortures to | which you were subjected Look at the l condition of your public institutions. | Your charitable institutions are all in ex- | cellent condition, and afford comfort and | solace to the diseased in mind and un- l fortunate in other respects. The suc- -cessful and flourishing condition of the | public school system of your state should | fill the heart of every Alabamian with gratitude and pride. Your taxes have been honestly collected and have been expended as directed by the laws of your state: and remember, the great body of | your laws enacted during the past twen- | ty years have been enacted by legisla- | lures composed of members a majority | of whom were farmers. As whole | the democratic administrations of your | state government have been clean and l free from corruption. They have eff | ficiently enforced the laws protect ca | the lives, liberty and property of the | people, wrongs have been promptly and | vigorously redressed and the rights of l all classes maintained. What more can or ought a citizen to ask of his state | government? The character and qualifications of your candidate for governor are a guar | antee to every voter that the democrauc | standard in the future will not only be | maintained, but under the guidance of his loyal hand, trained intellect and pa- | trotic heart, 1t will be improved and made more effective for the good of ali | the people. | In the name of your country, your | homes, loving wife and children. l. ap- | peal to every democrat to perform his | duty on the third day of August next. | ELL. RUSSELL5 N | Chairman County Democratic Executive | Committed