The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-03-17
URGES SOUTH To
ASSERT HERSELF
Jutge. 9srEer Praises Southern
s.1dB al Charleston
So
'dOW DESERVES RECOGNITION
Democrats Will Again Be Entrusted
With Power and They Will Be
Ready to Meet the
Emergency.

nSduy 10 VICE. AhS
Emergency.
Charlotte, n c., March 16.-Judge AL
ton b. Parker spent a few hours in
Charlotte tonight en- route home from
Mississippi. Upon invitation of prominent
democrats of this city he attended a
reception al the Manufacturers club and
delivered an address in which he urged
that southern democrats take the leader
ship of the party. He said:
In an address before the legislature
of the state of Mississippi a few days
ago l had occasion to insist that never
before was it less possible TO ignore
the growing tendency to look to the
government of the state for support, as
sistance or special favor which will re-
lieve mt from that effort and
tn hitherto deemed incum
bel + people. Whether it
take of dill IT subsidies-the
cost - may be esnmated-or is hid
away in those more costly and demoraliz-
Ing sys. IS under which some favored in
di ia ass may levy too relentless
toi lpon The earnings or income of all
our people, the effect upon institutions
and character Is the same
Maintained by Constant Devotion.
Dur lg all its history the democratic
party has denN2eed the Judgement Of
ant bae
opposed its logiN% itcome, the grant
ing of special privileges In the levy of
taxes and has insisted upon economy
In expenditure. With these as guiding
principles, 1t built UP its own organza-
ton and has only been able to maintain
II by constant devotion tl them. While
this conscientious devotion TO that idea
has comrsended itself 70 the democrats
aaf the- n.hoie eountgY, and has thus made
and kept, the party national during recent
years the people of the south without
variableness or shadow of turning, have
been its main stay Sinking no respon-
sibility seeking no national rewards, pro-
noting no special interests or movements,
they have neither been truculent in VIC
tory, nor discouraged In defeat. Going on
in their way regulating their own affairs
without hope of commanding subsidy,
paying cheerfully to carry out policies
in which they could have no part, they
have so impressed themselves upon their
time that one special problem coming to
them from the past has been solved in
such a way that the whole country has
not only been forced to approve and ap-
plaud, but to initiate as the only way
to deal with II.
Must Undertake New Duties.
"Bnt the time has come when new
duties and responsibilities must be under
taken by the democrats of the south. 1t
Is more than two score years since the
war closed and your people find Them
selves upon the threshold of what prom
ises to be the most remarkable business
development the world has ever known
within the same time and space. Some
of your men have gone forth to COM
mand the highest success in the most
honorable way. in the greatest financial
and commercial movements of the time.
From the earliest days since self-gov-
ernment was restored you have sent
your best men into public life They have
been at once modest, able, devoted, pa
triotic and honest. No jail or peniten-
tiary has opened its hospitable doors to
admit your senator's, representatives or
governors, nor have the officers of the
law, from detectives to attorney generals,
been compelled to haul them into the
criminal courts In the face of this rec
ord you have not only permitted us Of
the north to present to you candidates
for President and Vice President. but
you have insisted upon our doing so and
have then voted for them, and that too,
when sometimes no other states did So
North Has Not Done Duty.
I'm 1896 you tried Nebraska and since
that day no old democratic northern state
has accredited one of our party to the
United States Senate, and In none has
there been friendly governor. All the
democratic training schools of the north
elementary. intermediate and higher
were closed and have remained so, and
the party paralysis was complete and
almost fatal In 1904 hoping to cure or
palliate IT, you advised returning again
to New York for your candidate. only
to meet the worst defeat in our party
history 1t is now nearly twelve years
since any man protesting devotion to
your party has been chosen in nation
or in any northern democratic state to
fill an important executive office.
when such conditions confront you
why should you hesitate any longer?
Until the democrats of Nebraska and New
York and other northern states have
brought forth fruits of repentance or at
least so long as they are threatening to
give themselves and the party over to
further destruction. should you not as
sert yourselves? You have borne the
heat and burden of the day. Your states
men have demonstrated their ability not
only to take care of the interests of their
states and their section, but they have
been the only dam against aggression at
home and the threat Of discredit abroad.
Among them are men with the knowledge.
experience honesty and courage to repre-
sent their fellow partisans without the
surrender of principle. and their fellow
countrymen with safety and honor.
Grateful to the South.
81, myself. placed at the front for 4
time have every reason to be grateful
10 democrats everywhere, and especially
10 those of the south. / appreciate the
honor thus conferred upon me, and have
no regrets for the past: but no one |
think can know better than | how futile
our effort has been in the past, and how
unpromIsng the outlook Is for the flu
grasp the great moral issue now so clear
ly perceived by the people. The time
has come when the really effective demo-
Gratis OF the country should be recognized
and when they themselves should no long
or hesitate. decline or refuse to seek or
10 accept those honors which are their