The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1897-12-31

of that platform in Virginia, Georgia, Ala
hama, Arkansas and Texas by defeating
bills in the respective legislatures of these
States which provided for the inhibition
of gold clauses in contracts
Has Not Fulfilled a Pledge
In no state has that party fulfilled any of
the pledges of the Chicago platform. and
no effort has been made to put the party
on record in favor of 1t in congress These
show the insincerbty of its promises and the
certainty of it's refusal to execute any of
these pledges should that party have full
power and control The expressions of joy
and delight by its members over the success
of Tammany in New York, in It's reputation
of the demands of that party as to silver
coinage indicates Its willingness and readt-
ness to return to Its gold standard policy
and to co-partnership with the trusts and
syndicates which rob the people by their
unjust exactions.
1.-THE present state administration has for
feited the respect and confidence even OF
those who supported it by the zeal and ear
nestness with which 1T attempted to secure
a convention to frame a new constitution
which was intended to be made so unpopu-
lar and obnoxious to the present voters of
the state that in the provisions of the act
to call 1t, there was no exaotion that it
should be submitted to the people for rad-
hcation, yet, that party, with the same
purpose, will ask, the people again for power
in order to execute this same unfair and
unjust purpose.
Useless Tax on OIL
at passed and has executed law to tax
oil de or ri
than any that has ever been sold in the
state and the money derived from this tax
goes wholly to the inspectors. thus burden
ing the people with a useless tax which
affords no revenue to the state, in order
to increase the number of officials and af-
ford lucrative employment to partisan
henchmen.
ut has condoned and justified the frauds
on the school fund by failure to execute the
law against ballot box suffers who COM
mitted this fraud, by which white children
in Black Belt county would get from $40
to $50 per capita, while the same fund to
white children in, white counties amounted
to less than 81 per capita.
''Wlth the purpose of affording lucrative
employment to political supporters this adj
ministration has caused an increase in the
number of examiners of public accounts,
so as to create the impression that a 'Ousi-
ness administration was very jealous of
the interests OF the people, while the result
shows the aggregate collections are very lit
tie in access of the aggregate expenses, yet
every official has been subjected to the sus-
picion of beiug a thief, and, in every in
Stance possible, the stigma of disgrace has
been ruthlessly blotted upon his fair
| name.
"Ostensibly to secure the fair and just
taxation of all property in the state, and to
enforce payment of all taxes for five years
which had escaped, this administration has
passed a law, which, in it's execution, has
proven the establishment of an obnoxious
espionage, the useless and unnecessary i'm
position of burdens upon people who had
right to protection from such wrong, and
a summary in results to all the people, of
81 of expense to those liable to be ar
raigned for every dollar that was secured
to the state.
ut has failed and refused to pass an
election law that would secure honest cleo
lions.
1T has failed and refused to prosecute
democratic embezzlers of public monies
at has failed and refused to provide
| proper pensions for blind, INDECENT and dis
abled soldiers.
at has Disseminated in the adminstra-
ton and execution of the law against diff
ferent citizens of the state, for political
reasons.
The Old Election Law Cry
at has failed to repress crime in the
| state by proper administration of the law.
'"By reason of it's unjust system of taxa
ton and corrupt political methods, capital
has been deferred from investment in this
state and gone to other states less favored
| by nature and facilities.
"These, with other crimes of omission
| and commission, have prevented iTnmigra-
ton to the state, retarded it's growth and
| development paralyzed enterprise. driven
capital from investment within it's Dor
| ders, and prevented the richest and most
| favored state in the Union from forging its
way forward to the procession of greatest
wealth and most prosperous people.
"The paramount issue upon which the
success of all good government depends
| is the free and honest expression of the
people at the ballot box and the execution
of their wishes. With dishonest election
methods comes all the evils and crimes of
bad government; and upon this issue de-
ponds all else. We denounce the avowed
purpose of the democratic party of Ala
.bama to disfranchise any class of citizens
by constitutional convention or otherwise,
and insist that upon every principle of
equity and justice, a man who fights the
battles of the country and creates its
wealth, above all others, has the right to
shape the destiny of that country by his
ballot.
1--WE invite the cooperation and support
of every voter of the state who is opposed
to fraudulent and dishonest political and
governmental methods and policies, and
who desires to see the state released from
thraldom of ballot box stuffing and re-
stored to that condition of peace and pros
perity to which our people are justly en-
titled and their marvellous resources should
command"
The address was signed by @. B. Deans,
chairman, and Frank Baltzell, secretary.
COAL OPERATORS.