The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-11-23

me.
AS soon as the governor found that I
was back In Washington and supposed that.
on account of my health could not return
to the state he announced his candidacy.
for the senate. l telegraphed him asking IL
he was candidate. He did not reply. His
sheet kept firing at me from behind the
bush with smokeless powder"
why do you keep referring to 1t as my
sheet" asked the governor.
because l know 1t is
Il say it is not and demand the proof"
replied the governor.
Il can furnish the proof from a hundred
thousand men in Alabama" replied the
senator.
1.-The pony mails of this state are loaded
down with them. The attacks of the gov
ernor through his sheet were wanton, I'M
grateful, unjust to be made by any gentle
man, and | denounce 1t as an outrage.
81 came here to see If he would repeat
what he has written, and he has had four
opportunities to do so, and has not dared TO
do it. In my fondness for this young man
I called him Josephus Orange Blossom. l
have had three joint discussions with Gov
ernor Johnston in Limestone county, IN
each of which he has kept the same pro-
gramme and represented himself in the
same language so nearly that l could al
most recite what he has said from memory.
scores the Governor
'His first point is a laudation of mis- ad-
ministra ton as governor. In TINS ne was
very happy q mean that he felt very nap
py) and re-sta ted the remarkable number
of his achievements as governor, which
was so vivid in its eolorlng that 1t made
those of his predecessors, especially those
of Governor Oates, turn very pale :,
at is the first political show window
ever saw where the proprietor of the pa
zaar made his own picture the chief attrac-
ton, and | have faneied how 1t would suit
the senate when the governor should open
his show in that body. But have not peeh
able to understand in what way his extra
ordinary choice of tax collector, or That I'M
pea chment of a sheriff, the detection
and capture of some 'nubbn' stealers' and
some hungry democrats who were found
drinking I'D the small leabages from the
treasury of the state, qualified him, or py
contrast disqualified me, for a seat IN the
senate.
ct don't know what I have had to do
with his office of governor except that
have earnetly hoped that it would be sue
cessful'
Next, he said I differed with him about
constitutional convention called under an
act which he approved and signed and then
begged the legislature to repeal. agreed
with him in approving the bill and could
not agree with him when he changed ms
mind But suppose We did not agree ana
disagree about calling that convention
that ds not a living question. The phi was
a child of his own loins, fashioned in a
democratic caucus in which he participated
and when it was born, after much travail
he looked upon it and pronounced II ms
The proud father had no right TO paptiNe
this baby In his own official name and an
noint it with his approval, for the eoastitu-
ton said it was none of his official busl-
ness. But he wanted to place it in his po-
litical show window as a relic of his official
glory He broke down the barriers OF the
constitution and rushed to the baptismai
fount and eonsecrated 1t with MS oath Oh
office and Amounted 1t with ms oHlciai ap
prevail.
81 followed him with pleasure but with
some surprise, at the innocent liberty he
was taking with the constitution Wheh
a democratic state convention, by two
thirds vote adopted this foster child and
said that adj Alabama democrats ought 70
approve it. the governor became alarmed
lest 1T might be turned against his political
aspira tons: in that convention he dlscoV-
cred some horrld boilers, SUCH as MI
Clarke General Harrison, Judge Coleman
and General Oates, who had beaten him for
governor and who had, as he says, no ear
marks of democrat, and several corpora
ton lawyers, gold-bugs and other disrepu-
table characters and he resolved to XIII MS
child rather tan to have such men nurse
it, 1 objected to the destruction of that
child of the governors and begged that he
offer 1t I'D as burnt offering on the altar
of his ambition, but take some of the white
rams whose horns were enaangied In the
thiclxet near by and sacrifice them instead.
He gave no heed to my request, but slew
the child and garnished 1t with many IN
yertiyes against the democratic convention,
and barbecued it to suit the palates OF their
enemies who fell to in haste to devour the
governors baby. I refused to attend the
feast and was outcast from the BOSOM Oh
the governor. He relies greatly on TINS de-
linquency of mine to defeat me for the SEN
ate.
Bran the Democratic Moses
Then he charges me with being too old,
and not a loyal supporter of Mr.. Bryan for
fine presidency could not think him Sc
rious in this accusation until neard him
saw in Athens that Mr.. Bryan had been
preslestfned and foreordained in the high
councils of heaven to lead the democratic
PARTY in 1900 to a glorious victory ana at
Salem he added that Mr.. Bryan was our
democratic Moses to lead us to victory, and
at Elk River Mills and everywhere, he IN
sisted that Mr.. Bryan was the greatest,
truest wsest and most honest of all living
democrats. OF course, such enthusiasm Is
not expected of a man of my age, yet 1
am very proud and fond of Mr.. Bryan. But
I decline to accede to the theory of pre-
destinat ton or coordination in the high
councils of heaven. If, after all, he should
be beaten again, the catastrophe would
leave Mr.. Bryan and the Most High in a
sorry attitude and would feel like fool.
There Are other Good Democrats
"I am ready to concur in the other
grounds of ths governors devotion to Mr..
Bryan, except that l think that there are
several other democrats who are in all
respects the equals of Mr. Bryan. AS the
Good Book says: Let your love be with
out dissimulation.' l don't want TO drive
Mr. Bryan into the belief that l love him
as did Allen G. Thurman and James G.
Beck.
1.-THE governor also said at Salem that If
Mr. Bryan were here he would tell you to
vote for him for senator. He did not state
this as a conjecture, but as a fact. If it
is a fact, Mr.. Bryan is not true to a man
who has always been true to him. SO If III
is fact, l am sorry that he supposes 1T
to be his right 20 dictate to the democrats
off Alabama, or ITO advise them to vote
against a democrat who has served The
party for more than fifty years in tbs
highest state offices, and who is too proud
to wear any mans livery as his slave, in
the senate or elsewhere / believe that
Mr.. Bryan is both a democrat and a gen.