The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-08-24
Large Crowd Present and Much
 Enthusiasm Prevailed
LETTER FROM CAPT. WARD
This staunoh Supporter of Governor Jelks Pays His Respects In caus- tic Language to ex-Governor
 Johnston-Gives Reasons.

The Jellss. campaign closed in Jefferson county last night viii an enthusiastic rally at the Jeffers theatre, several hundred people being P sent, ard among this number were man. Iao1es.
 oratory, music and snth iaiasni were mingled, and the audience was unan- mously a JellIs audience.
 John ". Tomlinsan presided.
 Among the prominent democrats on the stage were. B. F. Elmore. B. A Thomp- son, Henry B. Gray, L. V. CisrEe. \. A. co'eman Walter McAdory, Jam weatherly, J. P. Stiles, John G. Bradley, R. G. Hewitt. J. A. Mitchell, c. A. Avant, Joseph T. Collins, [. R. Dunlap, John W. O'Nein J. s Gillespie, A. c. Smith, A. s. Klyce, J. M Bradley, Rev. E. A. Wright, w. R. McGavock John A Dick inson, Joseph II. Salton, Mayben Heb sen, J. c. Cook. John D. Lykes. Jones Moore, L. D. smith, II. P. 1Ief1in, R. H. Ihach, C. A. Tyson, Hugh Morrow, J. M. Davidson, J. J. Altman, J. Carey Thompson. George H. Harris, Emil Lesser, w. E. Fort John Antwine, J. F. Martin, Yarcy Sern, H. R. Dill, Paul Ganrdoni B. w. Brumley, Hugh Lainey, D. R. Copeland, John w. Tomlin- sen, w. c. Ward, w. C. Garrett. H. N. Randall. J. L. Tanner, J. T. Heflin, w. C. McHale, N. B. Casey, Jack Graves, Rese Owen. c. w. Ferguson. F. II. Caba- niss, II. J. Copeland, F. M. Wood. M. T. I Porter w T. Kennedy William Jack son, John II. Bankhead, Jr., and Earle Pettus
 In calling the meeting to order, MT. Tomlinson said:
 Ladies and Gentlemen: Corruption and fraud in public elections in the United States is one of the greatest eviles of the times; but it is a gratifying reflection that the south, where in self defense, the ballots of suddenly enfranehised eX- slaves had to be set asde having met conditions by law, is the pioneer in the great movement that must be pushed forward all over this country for hon : esty in public elections.
 , @rhe people of Alabama can tonight especially congratulate themselves that their state, though delayed by circum- stances which are of but recent history and need not here be recalled, has join : ed other southern states in this matter by the adoption of a new constitution, and that there is to be no backward step
 "W1ateVer may be said now, IoT tne ; purpose of securing votes we all know , that in this campaign Governor Jelks stands for the new constitution and hon est elections in the future, and that his opponent does not.
 "It is therefore the duty of all good citizens who earnestly desire honest cleo tions in this country in the future and inc elevation of politics to higher plane to stand by the new constitution and Governor Jelks in the primaries on next Monday.
 eve have here tonight many distin- guished speakers, whose eloquence 1t Will be a pleasure to hear. Before introduc- | ing them, however, permit me to thank the ladies of the audience for showing interest in the issue involved by their presence. which is ever an inspiration to , nobler thoughts and Il gher deeds.
 The first speaker of the evening on the
 programme Is Hon. W. C. Ward. a dis ]; tineuished lawyer and jurist. who Is well | known throughout the state as high l toned Christian gentleman. He Is the l next door neighbor of ex-Governor John l ston and was appointed to office by him. l So it cannot be said that his opposition
 now is from disappointment Not being
 able on account of sickness to be present l here tonight, he writes the following let ter:
 Captain Wards Letter. r birmingham. Ala. August 2S 1902. . ''Hon John w. Tomlinson, chairman, etc.:
 "Dear Sir: regret that because I am suffering the results of an indiscreet en- counter with a Yankee thirty-nine years ago. I am physically unable to perform the duty assigned to me this evening of telling my fellow citizens that with all
 my mind and soul I am supporting Hon. w. D. Jelks for governor, and that, too. | l1non the sole ground that he stands for the new constitution, and his opponent is against it. Two years ago, in an after dinner speech delivered at the University of Alabama, with all earnestness l urged them to address themselves to the task of finding a remedy for manhood suffrage as represented in the person of the negro, that the negro was a political threat to the social and moral well being of the state and that as long as it was neces- sary for all white men to combine against
 them in politics. we could not expect hon esty in the ballot box; that our young men were growing mp without any re-
 spect for the ballot box, and that as the right of every man to cast one vote and
 have it counted as cast, was the founda-
 ton of free republican government, we
 must have honesty in the ballot bsx or
 surrender life. liberty and property to ) thieves and plunderers.
 'I believe that under the new constitu-
 llDl we can 0dNe HbHtsl tltctionS, anu
 we know that under the old constitution
 we did not have honest elections, and could never have had If the result of the coming primary should be the nomination
 of eX-Goverpor Johnston, ne would owe his success to the new constitution, for without the registration secured by the , new constitution he knows that the black
 belt majorites which he so much fears, . would overwhelm him. Yet he has been
 per suading the people thar the surTrags
 article of the constitution Is the greatest 1 political outrage. This article of the con-
 stitution alore is sufficient reason for all good men to rally to It's support. Be- sides this, however, there is limitation
 upon municipal corporations upon the / power to increase salaries of officers after election to office.
 , The article upon the organization of the courts, and above all and the best of all. the provision that the people shall not be afflicted with so many elections.