The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1902-08-03

desire the office. That Is a queer att-
titude. He must mean hat he wishes
to establish his power to get some office
he does desire, and that the vote in the
legislative primaries will secure it to him.
1t Is a vital question whether Governor
| Johnston Intends. II he il elected, and
| consents to qualify as Governor. to in
crease the voting capacity Of the negroes,
or does ne intend to decrease IL?
If he had not changed his mind since
| he was a candidate for the Senate he
would remove the restrictions that are
in the way of what is called the MAN
/ hood Suffrage" OF the negro and bring
/ back the condition that our people have
| so long endeavored to get rid of. That
Is the important question to the peop.e OF
| Alabama, and Of the entire South. 1t Ia
a question they have in mind and heart.
| and a candidate for Governor should not
avoid clear committal with reference
| to it.
| We all know what the attitudeof Gov
ernor Sanford was on this question, and
| the attitude of Governor Jelks, and that
| 1t Is without shadow of turning, or any
doubt.
II we "vindicate" Governor Johnston's
attitude BY electing him over Governor
Jelks, we must condemn the attitude Of
4
and the world viii so understand our ac-
| ton. We cannot escape that result This
| Is the most important feature In the
| present situation. To retreat, after the
field has been wpn, will destroy the con-
| fidence of the people of the South In our
i integrity, and will invite a renewal OF
the assault of the politicians of the north,
| all along the line, on the question OF
negro suffrage.
4
The action Of Governor Johnston, in
forcing retreat frem the position he had
chosen for us. and in the battle he had
] set in array, because the honors of vic
tory might be divided between him and
others who had entered the field to as
s1st in the great struggle. would have
| destroyed people who were less deter
mined than the Democracy of Alabama.
| or who had cause less sacred, to de-
mand their steadfast devotion.
| Our people were quick to see the false
| attitude into which he forced them, and
| they were firm in their determination to
| resent 1t at the ballot box.
| He was able to force the retreat but he
| was not able to prevent the people from
! renewing the battle under the lead of
| Colonel Sanford. nor was he able to
secure the "vindication" that he now
| seeks at the hands of the people. in his
campaign for the Senate.
The people triumphed, against his OPP
position, and his vindication was silently
| withheld.
The people took up their own cause and
regained the ground that had been lost
| in the retreat that he had ordered, choos-
ing for their leader righteous man of
peace, William j. Sanford. whose tdell-
| ty no man could question, and whose
courage was that true moral fortitude.
- l.. 1T aud klaAN
| triumphed gloriously.
without any change of purposes or
any recantation. or change Of attitude,
Governor Johnston again demands vim
dication at the hands of the Democracy
| OF Alabama. He is seeking to do now
| what he failed to accomplish in 1900 and
he demands it as vindication. A vim
dication Of what? 1t can only be rati-
| fcatio of his order to cease our efforts
| to reform the constitution of 1875, which
was the citedel of negro suffrage. erected
within the walls of the Fourteenth and
| Fifteenth Amendments. The people re
fused to obey that order, and are not
ready for him to renew 1t.
The vindication that he now demands,
can only be. that we shall surrender the
| ground that we have taken ana fortified,
and restore the negro to his former power
in the State. II 1t does not mean that.
| what does II meanf Jii a.
Governor Johnston is studiousIy indefi-
mite as to the particular facts or points,
upon which he demands vindication.
Al number Of questions were raised and
discussed In the campaign of 1900, relat-
ing to his conduct as Governor, but they
were of light Importance as compared
! with the question of negro suffrage,
which then was and now Is, the vital sub
| ject of public consideration. Whether or
not he chooses to state the point on which
he again demands a vindication, his cleo
ton over Governor Jelks, when he says
he does not want the office, and when no
question is raised by the candidacy of
Governor Jelks, as to the manner In
which Governor Johnston conducted his
ONCE, will be claimed and held to be a
veSdlct OF the people for the restoration
of negro suffrage to the situation 1t held
under the constitution of 1875. That
will be the certain effect of his election
and the hopes of the South for deliver
ance from that curse, through the In
huence of reason and justice, and In &C
cordance with law will be long delayed
If they are ever realized.
II it is an empty compliment or an
humble apology that he seeks from the
Democratic party, In demanding the greai
| office of Governor, which ne says that he
does not want. he should remember that
this is the first demand of that sort
that any man has ever made upon that
great party, and 1t is likely TO be the
last, II that party retains any recollec-
ton of It's past history.
This demand for vindicadon Is de-
liberate defiance to the Democratic party,
rather than plea for Justice II is a
declaration of war against the new con-
stitution to be conducted inside OF the
organizations which will be also waged
in other Southern States. Its purposes
| win be the restoration Of the negro to the
ballot, through State action, and 1t VIII
have the support of the National hepunh-
| can party.
| II the defeat Of Governor jerks, In the
| prina rieg. shall also be the defeat OF the
| friends of the new constitution. In the
| legislature, Governor Johnston VIII decline
election by the people and will again seek
| election to the Senate. In November next
| as a aalve to heal his wounded feelings
| That must be the real purpose OF his
| candidacy for the office Of Govern n. lie
| tried m and some one else to run for it,
| and failed. 1t is incredible that sny man
| could have the arrogance to demand ms
election. as Governor Of Alabama, WEne
| asserting that he did not desire the
| honor or to exercise its powers Tor any
public reason, but as a vindication OF MS
| ofBcIal conduct. He desires that great
office only as a decoration.
| He could not so defame great once
| that he really desired to hold, as to use
| -. - 80 s,,cb nurDoses. He has "a