Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-08-23

cussed, in essence and spirit, is an effort
to WELD and mould into one compact
force all the scattered elements of oppo-
sition to the future rule of democracy.
That there are great and needed reforms
demanded in the interest of the people
in financial and economic questions has
long and sturdily been maintained by the
democracy throughout the length and
breadth of this union. That they have
failed of accomplishment is not the fault
of democracy, but the work of it's enc
mics. for the party has not had the
power to legislate in the last quarter Of
a century. So far as these reforms de-
pend upon federal legislation, our only
hope lies in the triumphant and aggres-
sive democracy. A democrat who seeks
the road to these reforms by joining g.
third party or promoting division In his
own party is only firing into the back of
his friends in the hour of battle. Parti-
san rhetoric and defamation may assert
in glittering generalities that the party
has not met the just expectation of the
people, but, like breath upon the pane of
glass, their aspersions pass quietly away
in the light of the truth. Political, like
other errors, can always invent pretexts
to excuse wrong, and the people will
judge of the sincerity and truth of the
causes alleged to justify divisions and
excuse for the refusal to submit to the
fairly expressed will Of the majority"
4NOW Iedu anu compare Ills SpecCH uS-
livered at Lakeview on the 10th of this
month, and you will cry out with one ac-
cord that Judas Iscariot still lives, the
only difference being that the former Ju-
das accepted silver, while the latter pre-
ferred gold.
But perhaps a majority of the men
composing this new element think they
are honest in their declarations. The
trouble lies in the cause which produces
the effect. The lashing of corporate infiu-
ence and the unsolicited admonitions of
jealous administration serve as sharp in
centives for the POSITION they have TAX
en-. The measures adopted to breathe life
into this new republican acquisition are
harsh in the extreme, and must be met
with measures equally firm and deter
mined
1t is no time for mounting or proclaim
ing in muff1ed tones the results of the
Chicago convention 1t Is my humble
judgment that the most effective check
for this new movement-this detection
from the democratic party-is for all 10y
al party men, whether they entertain in
dividually sound money views or free sill
yer views, to speak out ON any and all
occasions in terms not uncertain, de-
nouncing and branding tie movement as
undemocratic and unpatrotic. Let US
make bold, aggressive fight. 1t ds un-
safe to unite with a cause which has for
it's leader and chief advocate a man who
four years ago recognized and advocated
the democratic principle of the majority
rule and who said: "A democrat who
seeks the road 20 these reforms by join
ing a third party or promoting division
in his own party is only firing into the
back of his friends In the hour of battle;"
but who now, when the cold steel of dis
appointment pierces his overabundance
of egotism and personal ambition, like
the ungame cock, squawks and walks
away.
Fellow citizens, we need not mince
words with this class of people-we can
hope for nothing in this campaign from
them. The democracy of this district
has duty to perform, which is to per-
petuate the principles of the democratic
party by living up to and carrying into
effect the promulgations of the Chicago
convention.
LIE US return our gallant Underwood by
an overwhelming majority, and let us
commission our delegates to the district
convention to act in accordance with
this view. Having chosen him as our
standard-bearer, let US rally around the
old flag that has never yet known de-
feat. You will not allow its standard to
be lowered and by the eternal its folds
shall never trail in the dust.
Burying every grievance, subordnat-
ing all personal views, being guided only
by high and patriotic motives, constantly
bearing in mind that the democratic
party has weathered all the political
storms of the past, remembering that by
one mighty effort all opposition can be