Birmingham state herald., 1897-06-18
CONTRARY ADVICE.

Regarding the polltieal situation in this state. and what the bolters should do under existing eireumstahces, the Mobile Register and Mon tgoniery Advertiser seem disposed to give contrary advice. The Mobile Register says that the dem oeratie party is pledged to the policy enunelated in the Chicago platform of 1896. = B That Mr.. Bryan and his views upon public policy will be indorsed again by the democracy of this state. z There is nothing more certain than that the programme for the con- vention is as agreed upon now as upon the day when the conven- tien is to be called to order. There was q slight hope expressed that state contests would be conducted this year on state issues and that the national issue would be allowed to lie dormant until the Dational campaign should begin, but we have not understood what good basis this hope rested upon. A state election this year will certainly be count ed as victory for one or the other of the national parties, whether local issues control or not, and therefore it is to be expected that the effort will be made to make national issues prominent in such contests. In fact, both Iowa and Ken lucky where campaigns on local issues would have been possible, the national is- sue has been made the crucial one, and the people who do not wish to iEdorse . the democratic national issue have con- sidered it wise to meet the issue square 1y with an opposing declaration of prin- clples"
 The Register, therefore, very candidly admits that the democratic party of this state is bound to stand by the platform of the Chicago convention. until charged by the party in national convention again regularly assembled. The Register very frankly admits that this is proper, and candjdly and honestly advises all those who cannot support the nominees and principles of the democratic party as provided in the call of the state executive committee, not to participate in the pri- maries, but to set up a separate organi- zation of their own, with an opposing declaration of principles"
 The Montgomery Advertiser, however, on the other hand, has advised those who failed to support the nominees of our last. national convention to come into the primaries of the democratic party of this state anyway, so as to keep, if pcs sible, the party from standing by the Chicago platform; if not that, to at least remain silent, so as ito influence the result in 19O0' In the very same edito rial in which the Advertiser gave this ad- vice, it stated that if the convention again declared for the free coinage of silver and gold at the ratio of Is to 1, those who participate would again be "absolved'' from supporting the nomi- nees, as they were in the last campaign.
 It makes very little difference, how ever, what these two newspapers think of the situa ton. The democratic party of this state, as the Register well says, is pledged to stand by the principles of the party, declared by the supreme body of the party, that the Chicago platform and the canvass of W. ]. Bryan will be in- dorsed. and those who participate in the primaries must abide by the result Those who feel that they canhot will, of course, remain outside of the party