The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1902-08-19
Mr.. Heflln's Speech.

state. spoke to a large crowd here to-
night
Mr.. Heflin's Speech.
Mr.. Hehin said In part:
In the county CT Randolph, thirty
years ago, first saw the light. 1t was
in a happy home down by the ITALIA
poosa river that my mother taught me
that prayer so familiar to you all, that
little prayer that will go up tonight from
a thousand hearthstones while childhood
in its innocence kneels-"Now 1 lay me
down to sleep" etc. 1t was In this coun-
ty, in the old schoolhouse on the hill just
beyond Louina that / learned my A, r.
C's and was taught to read and write. 1t
was In this county that l first heard the
story of the Son of Man and Savior of
the world. and united with the Methodist
church 1t was in this county along the
Tallapoosa river that the grandeur of
happy everyday life spelled itself out
IN my boyhood It was at the old-fash-
Toned schoolnouse in the good old-fash-
toned way that / was very switchingly
impressed with the Importance of Gull
tivating my mind and preparing for the
duties and responsibilities of life, and
oftimes 1 danced to the music of o we'll
seasoned hickory switch. It was there in
old Randolph that learned to dance in
the old-fashioned breakdown, and there
on my rough old fiddle. 1t was through
the fields and forests of Randolph in thu
| happy glad days that are gone that I
| chased the swift-footed red fox, and from
| these ;ields and forests I have carried
home in boyish triumph the choicest
gobler of the turkey tribe. It was in that
county on my fathers rarm that rs
taught nee the art OF honest toll, and
told me of the blessings that would come
to those who lapored earnestly and faith
fully. And 1t was there during my con-
tact with the furrowed fields that grew
to be healthy and physically strong. II
was there that l grew to MANHOOD ana
assumed the duties of citizenship.
Voted for Jones First.
There standing at the altar of my
country took the oath prescribed by the
! constitution, and cast my first vote for
your own distinguished fellow townsman,
Judge Thomas G. Jones, then the demo-
cratic nominee for governor. 1t was there
| In that county that I gathered from life s
volume, lessons that have been of high
value to me and will be through all the
changing scenes of life. There in the
| days that are past and gone 1 strolled
! through the meadows of comfort and good
| fortune and there that 1 walked the hinty
paths of hardships and struggled up the
mountains of difficulty and disappoint-
ment. 1t was In that county that learn
| ed something of life in nearly all its
forms and phases. There that l learned
to rejoice and be glad when my fellow
man was prosperous, happy and con-
tented, and to weep and sorrow for those
whom misfortune had overtaken. Reared
In rural simplicity among the plain pa
| triotic people of Randolph county, l have
locked in my soul the loves, traditions
and incidents Of the common people and
they are mine forever.
Believe In Democratic Ideas.
II believe in the democratic idea of gov
| eminent. l believe that the democratic
/ party holds the solution of all the prob
| lens that pertains to the government of
man. So believing I have always es-
| poused the cause of democracy. I love
Alabama, the greatest state In the sister
hood. She was ceded to the general gov
eminent In 1902, and Immediately became
the adopted daughter of the Mississippi
territory. She was a plain country girl.
modest and beautiful. In 1919 she was de-
clared a sovereign state, armed with
the certhcates of sovereignty and wear
ing the simple costume of democracy,
she went forth to fight lifes battle in the
civic world. Yes, she was married to
Uncle Sam In 1873. and they lived happily
together until 1860, when he violated the
marriage contract by ignoring her rights
as state and conspiring to discharge
the servants of her household without her
consent. She abandoned him. He OBJ
5ected. however, to the separation and
she sued for divorce In the court of
arms
While her cause was Just and the law
and evidence both on her side, the arbi
trary action Of the court made it i'm
| possible for her to obtain the relief
we'd ha oh
Appomattox. reconciliation was had
| and they wept at the graveside of buried
lovers and blighted hopes and mingled
their tears in common sorrow over the
dead Of the unhappy past. Uncle Sam.
brushing the tears from his eyes and
smiling in statesmaniike way, threw his
| long, bony arms around Alabama's
Queenly form and said softly: who's
sweet?" And Alabama looked lovingly
up into his face and said "Bof OBJ us"
She devoted her time and attention TO
the duties of her household. passed
through the trials of reconstruction. wear
ing at all times about her brow a wreath
OF the hardy snowdrop that shrinks not
at the breath of misfortune but defies tho
wintry winds of adversely. She built up
the waste places of the commonwealth.
No barrier could stand In her way. There
were no limits and boundary lines to her
splendid powers and possibilities. She
passed through the night OF political op-
preston and hatred wearing the sable
mantle of negro suffrage, woven by the
fingers of malice and fastened upon her
by the ruthless hand of force. But the
night. thank God, is passed The sable
mantle has been torn away and Alabama
stands robed in the costume woven in
the loom of Angio-Saxon genius; stands
in the morning of a new day, beholding
the sun of Caucasian authority ascend
ing the clear sky of civic splendor and
glory.
Behold her as she stands, crowned
with all the beauty, grace and strength
of sovereignty. And, fellow-citizens, is IL
not a pardonable pride and natural de-
sire In me to seek to become her secre-
tary for the next four years? Let US
stand by him who has been so faithful to
her in the trying hours Of the past. Let
us rally to the support of Governor
Jelks and the new constitution, and by so
doing we will stand for the highest and
best interests of the state. Let us. In this
| good year, put patriotism above political
| trickery, principle above place and the
| good of the state above the reckless am
| bition Of any man."