Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-03-13

fail to be impressed with the radical in
version OF the old journals attitude. 81
1t is the Advertiser which has changed.
The principles 1t used so eloquently to
advocate remain upright, while the Adj
Vertiser's position is sadly oblique. Take
the old and the new. Look upon that
picture and then on this
Here, for instance is an utterance in
1875 by the same old Advertiser, con-
trolled by the same editor, who is now
postmaster at Montgomery. 1t was said
IN resentment of a reflection by the
Mobile Register upon the Advertisers ar
dent espousal of the Gauge of the green
hackers in Ohio. Said the latter journal:
I'VE take occasion to repeat, what we
nave substantially said before, that the
Advertiser prefers immolation with the
SUFFERING, taX-burthened people of this
country, rather than success and proud
triumph with their enemies-the gam
blers and stock jobbers of Wall street
These men live and grow fat upon popu-
lar suffering and misery and as a matter
of course. will always oppose any meas
ure or policy that gives promise of bene-
mt to the people. And just as long as a
subservient press bows to their mandates
or accepts opinions ready made at their
hands, Just so long will the people, and
more especially the people of the SOUTH
remain hewers of wood and drawers of
water for them. Those may bend their
necks to Wall street who will; for our
part we go with our people-first, last
and all the time
That was admirably said 1t was a
wise and timely utterance, and although
more than twenty years have passed,
with innumerable changes of men along
with changes of administration, this
thoughtful deliverance of the Advertiser
of December 16, 1875, has lost none of it's
truth and wisdom. 1t breathes the i'm
mortal principle of devotion to the well
fare of the masses of the people, which is
the soul of democracy.
The Advertiser would not dare to say
such things now. The friends of Mr.
Clarke would at once say it had weak
ened upon his cause, it would make a
profound sensation in postoffice circles,
and every little administration cuckoo
in the state would be on the verge of
nervous prostration.
Read it again, Alabamians, while you
ponder also upon the manifesto of the
New York chamber of commerce, the
counsel chamber of Wall street, calling
upon all similar bodies to persuade DEM
ocratic conventions to abandon for all
time its adherence to true bimetallism
"AND JUST SO LONG AS SUBSER-
WENT PRESS BOWS TO THE MAN
DATES OR ACCEPTS OPINIONS
READY MADE AT THEIR HANDS,
JUST so LONG WILL THE PEOPLE,
AND MORE ESPECIALLY THE PEG
PIE OF THE SOUTH, REMAIN TIEW-
ERS OF WOOD AND DRAWERS OF
WATER FOR THEM"
These were the peoples enemies, apt
ly characterized by the Advertiser in
1875 as the gamblers and stock jobbers
of Wall street" They are the same
scamps now they were then, except that
they are bolder. In those days
their operations were confined mainly to
fleeing the lambs of the street; now they
don't hesitate to beat the government
out of millions every time the admins
tration wants to borrow little money to
sustain the credit of the treasury de-
partment.
The Advertiser of today is fond of go
ing into history, but it does not repeat
the old democratic principles which it
avowed so Enthusiastically in the days
when the postoffices and the other fed
eral offices were persimmons beyond the
longest democratic pole. sss
Can you imagine what it is that has
caused this change, dear reader?