The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-04-29
BACKWARD,
TURN BACKWARD

C. II. Greer, in Marion Standard.
Doubtless no editor in Alabama regrets
more than the editor of the Standard TO
change fronts in the support of the adj
ministration of Joseph Forney Johnston.
For nearly ten years we followed wher-
ever he has lead and supported him in his
every political ambition.
As editor of the Chambers County Dem
ocrat some ten years ago we selected him
as our standard bearer in preference to
Thos. C. Jones, William Richardson Jas.
Crook and Reuben F. Kolb. We introduced
him to the people of our childhood home
when the only knowledge they had of the
man was that he at one time had been
chairman of the democratic state execu-
tive committee
In 1884, as one of the editors and pub
fishers of the Opeika Industrial News, We
again took up his battle in the face of the
strongest popuist opposition that ever con-
fronted a newspaper in Alabama, and
opened our naked breast to the foe when
threats were made to sink our enterprise
into oblivion and cover the sepulcher with
a wool hat.
In 1896 we Joined hands and fortunes with
Editor Joseph Dodgson, Hon. John W.
Tomlinson, General Louis " Clark, Colonel
Mountjoy, Secretary of State Democratic
Executive Committee Nathan L. Miller,
Hon. Hugh M. Wilson and the then Cap
tain Joseph Forney Johnston in establish
ing the old Daily State, afterwards the
State-Herald.
What influence this journal welded In
putting Governor Johnston in the execu-
tive chair we leave to the discriminating
reader to decide.
But we bet our money, our time and
our talent on making Joe Johnston gov
ernor of Alabama, and to see that the
dear people were freed from the shackles of
political bosses, as he then termed those
in power, and that free silver, free trade,
free ballot and an honest count" should
be the shiboleth in Alabama, and 'popd.
lism become an unknown quantity"
II ever a single member of the above
named courterie of adventurous business
politicians enjoyed crumb from the kings
official table the writer has never heard
of it. But unlike Jepthah, he swore not to
Stay the first of his household when vic
tory was won, but to ever esteem and
honor 1t.
Others have received recognition as tho
result of this victory, but the daughter of
Jepthah was slain like the lamb.
But now our old friend and leader wants
them to follow him after he has bolted tho
party, and to stand true and firm to him
contrary to the principles he advocated and
which he so strenuously upheld.
Be it said, however, his present action is
not the first time his intimate friends have
had occasion to question the sincerity of
his political course.
He didn't fool the boys but once on his
free silver procivities. His first letter pro-
claiming his fealty to the white metal was
received with much enthusiasm by every
one who read it, as few could believe at
that time bank president would favor the
measure; but his intimate friends never
again vouchsafed his honesty of purpose
when after urgent entreating he refused to
attend the first free silver meeting held In
Memphis.
They discussed this action privately, but
in words that were expressive; but they
had marked the winner and put up the
stakes and the race had to be run.
They were again much impressed, but
more chagrined over the falsity of the gov
errors position when he bucked and beg
ged, suffered and stared, fiounced and fut-
tered when his friends actually made him
go to the first national free silver confer
ence held in Washington.
The public learned to suspect that 1t Is
not all silver that shines in political can
speeches in the campaign of last year, and
If he ever referred to the silver question
that part of his speech was too meagre to
be quoted.
The governors early friends, while they
acknowledged his ability as a financier,
never bet their money on his statesman
ship.
Hence, his recent action was no surprise
to his old friends. They feared that he
would make breaks during his first term,
and were actually feeling good over the
escape and had begun to believe that he
himself had discovered his weakness and
was guarding himself by appearing Wise
and not acting foolish.
For real craftsmanship, we dare say
there is not a man who has been intimately
associated with the governor VINO would
conscientiously question the assertion that
he cannot measure up with the real bralny
men of Alabama. But he can give them all
cards and spades in a business deal, from
the buying of a bull pup to the opening up
of a coal mine, and win every trick.
And right here we will state you may
down the governor politically, but enan-
cially, never! He has more financial lives
than the time-honored cat. He can make
money rolling paper through his fingers
and never leave his chair.
Even in the present aspect OF affairs tho
governor is entitled to some consideration
at the hands of his friends. When his old
advisory board turned over its books to
Colonel Brandon and Major Kyle, "Chap'
Cory should have taught the new board
how to manage him. eChap' would like to
be governor himself some day, but the
dismal future is like the fog days in Eng
land he some times speaks of.
Chap is good fellow, and we all like
him, but he has fought one too many bat
ties for his master.
4.
HAS SEVEN WIVES