The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-07-29
KNOX AND CUNNINGHAM SPEAK
 FOR JELKS AND CONSTITUTION
tcontlnued from Fifth Pase.)

AOOHliHuSo liOHl UNI 09SsJ
 --~---------~--~~---~-~-- ---,->-->-~ pared for such change of front upon the greatest issue of the hour, and by this course he not only separated himself from these friends who had held up his hands during his long political contests, and had aided materially in his success, con- tributed to destroy the confidence of the people in the sincerity of his purpose, and in the integrity of his motives in the ser vice of the state.
 Continued in the Wrong.
 Having started in the wrong, he has persistently and consistently continued in the wrong. His opposition to the rati- fcation of the constitution was prompt ed by no other purpose. In this move ment he allied himself with the populists, the republicans and the negroes, to pre- vent and defeat suffrage reform and the establishment of white supremacy and honest elections throughout the state. And now, his only hope of success is in the accomplishment of his old. well defin- ed purpose of absorbing the populist par ty through their support, and by their votes, to re-establish himself again in power in Alabama, and pave the way to | General Pettus' seat in the senate of the United States. In his contest with Senator Morgan he failed, because the populists refused, notwithstanding the efforts of some of their leaders, to aban- don their principles and return to the democratic party, and, of those who did return, many refused to follow his lead ership. In this contest he will fail again, because there is no honest populist who is willing to surrender the principles in which he believes, and stultify himself by pretending allegiance to the party which he has long opposed, in order that hp ma (InUarn0r TohnctoYa in, fba gratification of his selfish ambition.
 Is Johnston a Candidate?
 'I see a statement in the press to the effect that Governor Johnston denies that he is at this time candidate to succeed Senator Pettus, or that he has any inten- tion of opposing the reelection of Sem ator Pettus. But, fellow citizens, he may in this respect, occupy somewhat of the attitude which his friend and supporter MT. Stallings. defines as his own In a | joint discussion which I had with MT. | Stallings at Opelika during the canvass | for the ratification of the constitution, he | declared with great emphasis that he | was not a candidate for any office-in | fact. he said that he never intended as | long as he lived, to become candidate l for any office in the gift of the people | of Alabama, but. he said, with an ex- pression peculiarly his own, "I reserve the right, fellow citizens, to change my mind if a real good thing comes along"
 Now l put it to you, fellow citizens if Governor Johnston can be raped by his friends and induced, against his will, to accept an office which he does not want is 1t difficult to conceive if the way be open. that he might be raped by his friends and induced to accept an office which he does want
 Let me, in passing, say a word as to his statement that the issue in this cleo tion Is the right of the people to gov ern themselves. and the maintenance of honest elections and fair primaries. of all of which he claims to be the sole exemplar Fellow citizens. 1t is true that there has been and still is being waged in this state a great contest over the right of the people to govern them selves. and to establish and maintain honest elections in this state. So long as the ballet was being manipulated, and elections were conducted by managers who. in effect, appointed the officers in- stead of declaring correctly the result upon a count of the ballots actually cast the right of the people to govern them selves was fiction and did not exist in truth or in fact.
 ITO correct this great evil, and to remove a blot from the fair name of our state, the friends of the new constitu- tion have waged a contest that must be memoral in the history of this state; but in that contest Joseph F. Johnston did not appear as an advocate of the move ment but as Its most determined and implacable opponent.
 Evils of Old System.
 Fellow citizens, when I speak with fervor and with felling upon the evils which afflicted this state under the old system, let no man accredit me with a disposition to criticise the action of our friends in the Black Belt. Through all those troublous hours, when the dark cloud and menace of negro rule hovered