Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-04-23


| talk to us about yielding and surrender
| ing and compromising and considering
this, that and the other. Gentlemen, dem
| oerats who supported the Hon. Richard
| II. Clarke. good democrat himself, a
man OF brains and will and energy, come
UP here now to the confessional and sup
pose that you had two majority in the
convention, what sort of money would
we have had today? Now, come to the
| confessional like men. You know in the
bottom of your hearts, every one of you
that you would not have had any silver
in our platform at all, gentlemen. Look
around you, and | say that the man don't
live that desires to get up here and tell
this convention that the democrats who
supported Hon. f. IL. Clarke that if they
had control here that they would require
us to take gold and gold alone; that man
don't have credit for truth and veracity
that would dare to risk it by standing in
this audience and telling us they would
not have demanded all that they claimed
in the canvass. Why, then, gentlemen,
Is this family council to tell us that we
ought not to express our views
fairly and squarely? We are con-
sulting for the good of the
whole people, that is what we are doing.
The people where | live did not give
us any instructions in positive words,
but the people of Alabama have instruct
ed this convention to demand the free
coinage of silver. That is what they have
done, and it our duty to obey the Will OF
our constituents, and l tell you l obey
1t with the utmost pleasure, because
no, l must not say any hard words; |
am nightly opposed to hard words just
now. We want the votes of all demo-
Gratis, no matter what their faith may
be ON this particular point, and we know
that we are going to get the votes of all
true democrats when we come to the Au-
gust election. Let us stand up like men
since the democratic party of Alabama
has decided. We, for the democrats of
Alabama, say that free coinage of silver
is the true old democratic faith we say
1t was established long years ago, away
back Just after the revolution, and 1t has
come down and has not been changed at
all. / don't want to say any hard words
of even those away off yonder who wish
to take charge of the government of the
United States and legislate on a plat
form put down there for the benefit of
the creditor class and against the mass
of the people, That is what they have
done. They have legislated for the ben
eft of the few. l tell you as democrats
we will all get together in August. We
are Alabamians whatever we are. For
Gods sake Mr.. President, don't let us for
get we live here, and our first duty Is to
this state. Our first duty is to the people
all over the state-that is our first duty
and let us discharge it. The people have
instructed us what to do and let us do
1t like men, no matter what ii may cost.
The chairma of the con-
ventlon: 1t gives me pleasure to present
to you as true democrat, Is brave
man as Ala bama has produced in a quar-
fer of a century the Hon. Richard H.
Clarke.
Hon. r. H. Clarke-Gentlemen of the
convention: Time out of mind 1t has been
the habit of a democratic convention of
Alabama to summon before 1t the defeat
al
nation, to have him renew 1t the altar of
his party his pledge of loyalty to 1t. AS
| owe and give an obedience that has no
measure to the eternal principles of the
democratic party which are the very bed
rock of humanity, believe in conformity
to it's established customs and traditions,
therefore / feel that no man in the state
of Alabama needs the assurance that |
shall give to the nominee of this conven-
ton loyal unhestating support.
yield a cordial response to your demand
AS | look back upon my past / feel that
no one here will suspect that | feel today
anything of chagrdn or humiliation. No
one can do so who knows a. l know how
large number of those democrats of AL
ALBANIA, who have never faltered in their
allegiance who nominated and elected
Thomas G. Jones and w. C. Oates. and
who must largely be relied on, and who
may be relied on, to elect the nominee of
this convention, gave to me their gener-
Gus support in the primaries. If any
thing has been said or written or printed
or done in the canvass just closed that
savored in any respect of injustice to the
cause that. L represent and to
myself personally 1 have put II
behind me in the interest
of a party that must be united. | do not
need to forgive it. / forget 1t. Gentle
men of the convention, | have no apollo
gies to make for the canvass | have
made. Without INDUCING in spirit CT
defiance, l can say that were the whole
thing mapped out again before me with
the experience of the past three months
and the incidents which have resulted, l
should not hesitate for one moment to
enter upon it again, because ! felt then,
and feel now, that duty called me to doI
it. | have no apologies to make for my
defense of the great democrat who today
stands nearer the hearts of the demo-
Gratis of Alabama than any other living
man, who today illustrates devotion to
duty and high regard for the right ana
the faithful courage that pertains to no
other man in the United States as it does
ito Grover Cleveland. | have no apollo
gies to make for my opposition to the
free coinage of silver, founded upon
conscientious belief that 1t would work
vast injury to the great body of the
people of the country. | believe II now
as l believed it then. / stand today be
fore an assembage large majority of
whom are committed to the policy of that
belief and some by act. / feel that can
still conscientiously and without any in
jury to democratic unity and democratic
harmony stand and continue to stand
where l had stood; but, my fellow citi-
zens and gentlemen of the convention, |
accord to those democrats who, as |
know, honestly believe the free coinage
of silver essential to the best interests
of the country, / accord to them the full
est respect for the honesty of their be
lief. / not only have no complaint. but
| have no criticism of their action
But there are principles which l place
high above any question of money.
They are the eternal principles, not pol
icy, not line of policy, but principles of
the democratic party. 1t Is the party of
human liberty, the party of the rights
of the people and standing upon the
foundation stone of self-government,
the right to regulate our own affairs,
to control our own fresides as far as Is
consistent with the general welfare. The
free silver men and sound money men
may today join hands in the state of
Alabama and march together to victory
in August. 1t may be that l have some
influence with the democrats of Alaba-
ma l feel that possibly, not possibly,