The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-04-14


 1885 to keep at bay the enemies of good will.
 Why South Has Been True.
 Surprise Is sometimes expressed that the south has remained solid and yet no student, whatever his prejudces, could overlook the fact that In politics there is a sense of gratitude, not for favors ex- pected, but for unsefish and commanding services of humanity. Indeed, nothing in all the recorded history of mankind has been more pathetic, more heroic, more deserving of admiration and sympathy than the attitude of the south since 1865. As fate would have 1t. their defeat in war was the smallest of their woes because it could neither threaten nor bring dis honor. But the new contest-with partisan rancor with military power with theft and robbery, with poverty and the en- forced domination of a race lately in slav- ery-forced as it was without time for
 recovery and that, too, In their own homes, required a courage little less than superhuman.
 Maintaining the struggle with the one great and almost insoluble problem of our time. working under the most serious diffi- culties courageous in the face Of many Announcements these people have man fully represented the hopes, the ideals and the traditions of their country and the logic as well as the heroism, of our na- tional history. If any man Is so foolish as to ask why the democratic party has been true to the south. in it's time Of trial, and why this attachment has been re- quted 1t must be because he knows little of history and less of human nature
 The Kind of Organization Needed. q would not for a moment convey an impression that organization Is not i'm portant. It is even more-it Is vital, if exl..a affa tn a nTinn and polices which buttress our party faith. But however necessary and vital' it may be useless-a mere empty bauble- if 1t is viewed as the end rather than the means We are confronted by forces which. when not purely personal, are al- most wholly mechanical. The are repre- sented by a party well-managed, in- deed. in that two-thirds of the Union to which is restricts It's activities. It has everything that patronage can suggest or imply. In return for favors received it sells to the highest bidder or freely gives the powers of government. Nothing that the ingenuity of monoply can sug- gest, as within its scope or interest, is withheld.
 "On the other hand we cannot deal with a trust, or a self-seeking class. We neith- CT have nor can acquire the things they want, and we can say with truth, that, when in power. we have refused even to consider them as a possible asset. It may be an element of weakness. but we have never developed the faculty of pur- chasing votes in gross by turning over to chosen agents powers belonging to the people.
 With us, then, organization, to be ef- fective, must lie in the state, the county and the district By the very necessity of our principles and our existence, we must protect the rights and promote the 4-.s into Federal politics only that reserve of power properly incident to our institu- tions and system of government. The ambitions we must foster are infinite in number and variety. All our later history has shown that 1t is far more important for us to have our full share of govern | ors. legislatures. senators. members of Congress, and of state, county and mu- nicipal officials, than 1t is, by neglecting | these to command a long list of places l under the general government. When we can control once again these training schools for the higher politics.
 we shall have little need to trouble our selves overmuoh about candidates for President, because we shall have laid, deep and strong in the peoples will. the
 necessary foundations. Then and only then. may we look with hopefulness and confidence to the country at large. Then
 we may go north. or south. east or west for candidates. certain of their fitness for the work in hand, and of their ac- ceptableness to our countrymen" Mayor Mcclellan was somewhat discon- | certed by the cordial reception he re- | ceived
 One of the most interesting parts of | the Mayors address was that in which he | declared that conventions and candidates must more closely conform to Jefferson
 ian standards as described by Jefferson l himself.
 Mayor Mcclellan said in part Mayor Mcclellan Speaks. Since last election a great deal of democratic time. thought and eloquence have been consumed fin trying to explain why we were defeated. What better op- portunity could we possibly seek than | this celebration of the birth day of the | founder of our party to face the truth 1 like men. and to acknowledge that our overwhelming defeat was due to the un- | willingness of the people to entrust to the
 democratic party the government of the United States.
 "One of the fundamental doctrines of our party requires our absolute submis- | sion to the decision of the majority. If
 we contend that the majority is wrong, then we must at once assume the duty