Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-07-03
RESULT oF THE CRAZE.

the remarkable development of the free
coinage sentiment in the party is too
palpably plain for denial. Three months
ago the impression that there was not
shadow of chance for democratic sue
cess was well nigh universal At that
time it was claimed that the free coin
age craze was dead and that the party
would indorse the policy of the admins
tration. But there were no applicants
for the democratic nomination. 1t ap-
peared that some patriot would have to
be literally drafted into service in order
to hold the party organization together
until some future time, when a reason
able chance to carry the country might
present itself to the shattered democra-
cy.
The thought of electing a democratic
president did not enter the minds of that
element of the party that came into
leadership Upon the election of Mr..
Cleveland. They had said, If not in
words, by their actions, which always
speaks the louder of the two, let the
election be id, we must have our
chief indorsed
Without a candidate in the field or
any pretense of being able to win in the
November election, the cuckoos came
forth to wheel the people into line with
the administration. The battle opened
in Alabama. The command came rom
Washington that the high priest of gold
bugiSm, who held forth in the White
House, must be Endorsed and the &C.
mocracy of Alabama committed to the
republican doctrine of gold monometal-
lism. When the leaders who had been
kicked out and laid aside by the admin
istration at Washington began to show
fight in the great commonwealth of Ala
bama by calling upon the democrats of
the state to stand by the faith of The
fathers, we were informed from the
stump and through the goldbug press
that, not satisfied with stubbornly op-
posing the policy of the man whom
some had, together with himself, come
to regard greater than the great demo-
cratic party, these 'antiquated" states
men had come to Alabama to organize
a ''hot free silver campaign" and do the
party they had already stabbed near
unto death still further harm. Day after
day the question, what good would 1t do
to have Alabama democracy committed
to the silver lunacy, when every other
state would be standing for Sound
money" a misnomer for a 200-cent gold
dollar, was asked. All chance to carry
the national election and keep the demo-
cratic party in control of the govern
ment, we were informed, had been
thrown away by the opposition offered
the president by men like Morgan, Pugh,
Harris and Jones in the senate, and
Bankhead, Stallings and Wheeler in the
house. Democratic success in Novem-
Der was scarcely limited at, while the
idea that the democratic party as
whole would decline to indorse the effort
of the president to turn it over boot and
baggage to the money power and speak
out for free coinage was hooted at.
But the red hot" campaign inaugu-
rated by Morgan and Pugh in their much
criticised tour of the state called the true
democracy of Alabama to arms, and it
was not long until one not expert in poli-
tics could see that the warriors in Ala
-bama under the yellow flag must go
down in defeat before the legions who
were responding to the bugle call of
Morgan, Pugh, Johnston, Bankhead,
Stallings ct al. and rallying under the
grand old democratic flag calling for BIZ
metallism and refusing to accept Cleve-
landism.
in convention assembled, by a vote of
more than to /, declared for free coin
age at 16 to 1 it could be seen plainly that
there was life in the old land yet, and
from Maine to California and from the
great lakes to the gulf stream true de-
mocracy began to assert itself. The
leaders and the masses everywhere who
had been showed aside by the man,
and the
cuckoos, who were ever ready to chirp
when the White House clock struck, see
ing that Alabama democracy had taken
the lead and proclaimed to the world
that Richard was himself again and
ready for the fray, came to the front, and
one after another the democratic states
began to fall into line. Soon it became
evident that instead of being dead the
free coinage sentiment was very much
alive and was going to sweep Cleveland
ism bodily out of the democratic party.
AS fast as this idea took root in the pub.
lie mind hope of democratic success in
November sprang up, and today the par
ty that three months ago scarcely any
one considered as even a factor in the
coming election stands united and in
vincible. Republican leaders are trem-
bling in their boots.
Six million dollars have been pledged
to be used to buy the election, If such a
thing be possible, of the nominees of the
party that everybody conceded would
have no formidable opposition until 1t
became evident that Cleveland goldbug
ism was going to be repudiated by the
unterrified democracy of the country and
the people once more take charge of the
party that the president appeared to de-
sire to turn over to ]. Pierpont Morgan,
the visible agent in America of the in
ternational gold trust. There is no longer
a probability Of having to conscript some
man, willing to make a personal sacri-
flee, in order to hold the shattered frag
ments of the party Of the people together
long enough to indorse the republican
policy of the democratic president. More
than half dozen men, democrats, good
and true, are contesting for the prize
the democratic nomination for president