Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-04-02
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JOHNSTON WILL WIN.

JOHNSTON WILL WIN.
At the risk of being tedious and APP
pearng to thrash old straw anew, we
revert to the argument of the Advertiser
of Sunday, if its bold assertions may be
dignified with the term argument. The
State Herald had said that in the con-
vention of 1894 the vote for Governor
oates was 26S 1-20. and that for Captain
Johnston was 235 1920. Such is the
record before us, although we find it as
serted in other quarters that the vote
was 271 for Oates and 232 for Johnston.
Taking the last figures as bearing most
heavily against the latter gentleman, we
find that he was beaten by majority of
from the Oates column would give Cap
tain Johnston the nomination. Morgan
county divided her vote in 1894 Now she
goes solid for Johnston, giving him four
new votes. He needs only sixteen new
votes from the Oates column. OF the
counties which prorated In 1894, but
which gave Johnston a majority of the
delegates to correspond with his majority
as represented by the primary vote, we
find Chiffon, which gave one vote for
Oates; Fayette, which gave Oates ~;
Lamar, which gave Oates 2 Is; Lowndes,
which gave Oates So; Randolph. which
gave Oates 24-5; Walker, which gave
oates making total of 10 votes,
which will certainly go to the Johnston
column. There are only three more votes
needed to give Johnston a clear major
ity, and he has the enufe Third Congress
lowing are the counties of that district,
and which naturally rallied to him from
personal considerations and because of
his well-known opposition to the single
gold standard Their votes in conven-
ton are also given:
Barbour ....p,.ss... .a...s.4as.. IL
Bullock .................... .................. 9
Coffee .................... Observation-Disclosures.
Daie .....s.,........ OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. 49,.
Geneva ................ ......,..... ..........
Henry NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. ............s...... q
Lee ..........s ........................ ......l0
Russell .............. OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. y
Total 49,. .............. ...................6 1
Can any sane man believe that Captain
Johnston will not get more than three
votes out of these siXty-one? Does any
sensible man believe that the considera-
tons which led them to support Oates in
1894 will now induce those counties to
rally as a unit to the support of Mr..
Clarke, who is an opponent of Governor
Oates for the United States senate? To
ask the question is to answer it. Captain
Johnston will not only carry the three
needed votes in that district, but he will
likely carry over forty of those votes.
Apart from the snap judgment taken by
Geneva, our reports from reliable sources
indicate that every county of that dis
trict, with but one exception. will go for
Johnston.
If Johnston simply holds his own he is
a sure winner. but he will do more than
hold his own. He will carry every coun-
ty In north Alabama, not excepting
Cherokee The sturdy yeomen of these
counties are the same character of men
as those of Morgan and they will vote
Just as Morgan has done In that coun-
ty Oates and Johnston were equally
strong in 1894. but in 1896 the people
srand 3 to for Johnston. Instead of an
equal prorating in Cullman and Jackson,
we will find the eleven votes OF these
counties cast for Johnston.
Johnston, with only three votes need
trict and eleven votes in Cullman and
Jackson from which to draw whereas
Mr.. Clarke has no reserve to draw from
and is threatened with the loss of Mont
gomery and Mobile In desperate fright
he rushed back to Montgomery to keep
his lamp trimmed and a-burning," and
now a wall comes from Mobile that not
only majority of the city wards, but
almost all of the county precincts are
against him.
The Advertiser idea that Clarke will
carry those counties which gave Oates
a majority. but which prorated, casting
in all thirty-one prorated votes for john
ston, is entirely fanciful OF that list
Autauga, Cherokee, Cullman, Lamar and
Iowndes, with their twelve prorated
votes, and, indeed, with their entire vote.
are safe for Johnston, while our friends
believe that Wilcox and Sumter are
equally safe. But we could give to
the Advertiser everything it claims in
exchange for our certain votes in the
Third district and still win the field at a
walkover.
The reason why Johnston will carry all
the counties that were close in 1894 and
will not lose any that he carried then is
very manifest He has not changed his
views or turned his coat. He wants to
be governor for the honor it brings. and
not to spite half of his party. He wants
to heal the breach in the democratic
ranks. and not outrage those who do not
agree with him He favors opening the
door to all white voters who oppose re-
publican rule and who favor a white
mans government for Alabama. For
these reasons the old rank and file will
stand by him and he will gain recruits,