The age-herald., 1898-06-05
ABOUT POLITICS
 IN ALABAMA

Montgomery In April last, did the noblest and best work that any former convention has performed in many years.
 Our present faithful governor, his excel- lency, Joseph F. Johnston, was without op- position renominated by exclamation. Gov ernor Johnston has made for us the best business executive we have had since the days of Governor Geo. s. Houston: and then the beauty of his nomination is that it gives universal satisfaction to the rank and file of the great democratic party in Alabama from the Tennessee to the Florida line, and from the Georgia to the Mississip- pi line. The balance of the state democratic ticket Is composed of the best material to be found in the limits of our state. For instance, that noble character and distin- guished judge, that high-toned Christian gentleman, and model man, that man whose general makeup is composed of an immense quantity of the very best quality of genuine manhood and true citizenship; alude to Judge J. R. Dodwell, of Cham bers county, our nominee for associate jus tice of the supreme court. His equal can not be found elsewhere. Democrats love, admire and adore him, and will cast solid vote for him. Republicans and populilsts know him to be a great man, a shining light in both church and state; they, too, love and honor him, and many thousand votes will be added to our ticket in East Alabama on account of the personal make up and elevated character and high stand- ing of the men composing the ticket.
 I now propose to speak of another man whose name Is to be found on our demo- cratic ticket Judge N. D. Denson, who has faithfully served as judge of our judicial circuit during the last six years. Like Governor Johnston, he was. too, tendersd his renomination for, circuit judge by ac- clamation and by thesunanimous vote of all the delegates from all the counties com- posing his judicial circuit. Judge Denson is a man of superior character, a model Christian gentleman, an impartial Jurist. an eminent, distinguished fellow-citizen, and a good and true democrat; he Is man of fine discriminating powers, firm con- victions and acknowledged ability; he Is a man that cannot be influenced when on the bench by friends or party; he will hold the balance of justice blind alike to the persona al interests of friends or foes. It seems he was specially created and adapted for the circuit judgeship. regret that time, and space will not permit me to say something of the history and character of the others on our ticket; will, however, say that the remainder of the state ticket Is made up of the same sort of sound material, and the people will elect 1t by majority rarg- ing from 30 900 to 75,000 votes
 A token of what is to be was at Mont gomery by the personal action of Hon. R. F. Kolb, who led the popullst party in 1892 and 1891, but in 1896 he returned with a great many other leaders to his first love and voted the democratic ticket. This year he was on the floor of the democratic convention at Montgomery happy anu heartily welcomed.
 Hon. Tom Watson, of Ceo~g'a. who is perhaps the best posted, most artful poll tician in that state, is considered the most polished orator, the greatest ct1minai law yer, the brainiest man In the ropulls- party today and only a few weeks ago he abso- lutely refused the unanimous nomination by exclamation by lis party in conveation assembled the governorship of his native state mention this to show you the dl- rect'on the straws point. Again, Heh. Marion Butler United States senator from the state of North Carolina, and chairman of the populist national campaign comm t. tee in 1S96 the most astute politician In the country today, sees that the bcst hlng for the nopulist party to do tnis year IS to join hands with the democrats. TO mat end ten days ago he induced the popuiis's S of his state to pursue this course. though only last year they had fused with the re- publicans and carried the state iooay MT Butler the national head of the popu- list party leads his own state populst con- vention back to their natural home among the democrats Thus the ropulists of Ram dolph county and the balance of the coun- ties of the state have fer th.ir exampe in going back to the democratic 1oid anu fellowship. not only their state leader, Hon. R F. Kolb but their national leader H h. Marion Butler. as well. The action or these leaders who are in position to knew the situation. should have an lntiuehce on the minds of our Randolph county pr lists as well as every county Tn the state. T am a regular weekly reader of the La Favette Sun During the last six or eght issues of the Sun have no iced that rom one to three letters appear in each issue' signed by leading and influential peft 'o- for populists in Chambers county <seVer ng their connection with the populst and pledging their influence and support to our state and county democratic ticket. oulo this state of affairs continue longer ln old Chambers. it will take wise man to guess within 1 900 votes of what the democratic majority will be in August. I also find the same state of affairs to exist in many oth-r counties of the state of Alabama
 Why have the populist leaders, state and nafonal acted thus? Read the signs of the times and you will see. The wheel or po- litical revolution never turned so fast ana so unexpectedly before. The fact is the developments of this unexpected war have changd the political situation from what lt was two years ago, when the popullsts had some fnancal reasons for their position. Now we have SIS wheat The whole wheat growing west is rapidly changing inc political attitude. Original republl- cans in the west and from all parts or the union are going back to the republican fold and original democrats, populists, are going back where they belong. In less than one year we will be lined up on old democratic and republican lines again. This is the only political and financial so- lution for democrats and populists alike. fact we should be together, for 'in union there is strength" The war is on with it's million per day extra expense and the re- publicans in power, the republicans are going to seize their political and finan- cial opportunity to legislate' republican bonds and war taxes for their personal and party advantage. This powerful hand is already seen in congress These repub- lican financial measures, equally opposed fD 1an, fc nd nylU O met and resisted by populsts and democrats uniting from the county up to the nation. As see it, the cause of the democrats and populists is now common cause.
 Let us reform our political lines of bat tle and instead of fighting each other let both sides cease firing at each other and all unite for ever and turn our attention to the defeat of the republican party. If we do not do it. the northern republicans, en- trenched in power gained by the war, will use their financial opportunity to oppress the life out of the south. We might snap our fingers in their faces if we were corn