Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-04-10
JOHNSTON AND VICTORY.

| war mas SO mucn uepeHueu upon thS
result of an election as now. The party
| has been torn asunder and its irresist-
| ible militancy been destroyed by the UNI
| wise and unpatriotic methods of the
| Montgomery Advertiser and It's school
| of politicians, until an organization
| which a few years ago was absolutely
unconquerable now has to make des-
| perate fight for success. To restore the
| party to its former power and maintain
| it's supremacy 1t is necessary that 1t
| should be led by that man who above
| all others is recognized as the one most
| capable of healing the breaches that
| have been made in its ranks in recent
! years and recruiting it's columns by win
| ming the support of all classes that have
| been arrayed in antagonism to it since
| 1892. This must be done, or democratic
| supremacy in Alabama is greatly imper-
| lied. None but "a mailman will deny that
| it Is necessary to increase the voting
| strength of the party in order to make
| it's hold upon the state government Sc
cure and permanent and to insure sue
| cess in the November elections This can
| be done only by the nomination of gu
| berna torial ticket by the state conven-
| ton that will harmonize and unite the
now divided white voters of the state
| in a supreme effort for an enduring
party triumph at the August election.
Who of the candidates, Mr. Clarke or
| Captain Johnston, will secure this re-
| suit? The former is the pronounced
| and unylelding candidate of a faction of
| the party He seeks support as a vindi-
cation of his advocacy of a monetary
| system that is now and has been since
| its inception the peculiar doctrine of the
| republican party, and which until within
| the past three years has been abhorred
and denounced by the democratic party
as an unmixed evil to the entire country.
| This doctrine is condemned today by the
vast majority of the democrats not only
| in Alabama, but throughout the union,
as an essential tenet of pure republican,
| ism. 1t cannot and will not be accepted
| by democrats who for a lifetime have
| opposed 1t as a part of their political
| faith. 1t is question of principle with
| them, which they will in no wise yield
| at the mandate of anyone, however high
I In party council he may be, or by what
| ever assumed authority he may presume
| to change party doctrines. From these
| men Mr. Clarke has asked no support
| for them he has expressed no TOLERATE ton,
| and it is safe to say that they have nond
| for the new doctrines of democracy
| which he breaches. AS stated before, the
| followers of jefferson and jackson and
Morgan are more numerous by many
thousands among Alabama democrats
| than are the adherents of John Sherman
| and the advocates of his financial the
4 rrin ia
| the voters, regulars and recruits, who
| will elect democratic governor of Ala
bama In August. Without them victory
is by no means certain. 1t Is no secret
that Mr. Clarke If nominated could not
command the support of large number
of this class of voters, and no one we'll
informed in current politics would haz-
| ard wager that he could. The best
that could be said after his nomination
would be that his election would follow
a desperate contest for victory. Those
who desire such an encounter, with re-
suits so uncertain. may cheerfully vote
for his nomination.
On the other hand, Captain Johnston
has not arrayed himself against any ele.
| ment of democracy in the state. He seeks
the support not only of that vast major.
ity of democrats who stand with him ano
the fathers and apostles of democracy
on the monetary question: but he desires
the vote of every white man in Alabame
who believes In the principles of democ.
racy and will uphold and defend them
against the assaults of all enemies. He
knows and appreciates the perils which
the wreckers have brought upon the par.
ty and would avert this peril and save
the organization from further disintegra
ton by a just conservatism and fail
treatment of those who wore its uniform
with honor and helped achieve its victo
ries for twenty years, but who have beer
temporarily driven from it's ranks by tht
foolish and wicked intolerance of self
constituted leaders who have well-nigt
wrecked the party in order to rule it.
| Captain Johnston represents the demo
cratic yeomanry of Alabama, who holo
fast to the ancient doctrines and time
honored principles of the party. They
have faith in his integrity because he
has never deceived them. They desire
the rehabilitation and upbuildng of the
party to its former invincible power ir
Alabama. They will render him, as theii
standard bearer, cheerful and enthusi
astic support, and, with the aid of thou
sands of recruits from the broken ranks
of the late opposition, will win triumph
in August for democracy which will re-
store it's power and secure to the people
good government and democratic SUI
premacy for decades to come.
The prize at stake in this contest is not
simply gubernatorial honors for Richard
H. Clarke or Joseph F. Johnston, but the
continued supremacy of the democratic
party in Alabama ana the peace and hap
piness of our people under democratic
administrations for years.
The result in August will be assured
by the nomination of Joseph F. Johnston
tomorrow.