The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-11-24
BRYAN OPPOSED
 BY PETITIONERS
Walker Percy Comments on
 Opposition Sentiment
LONG LIST OF SIGNERS
Would Prefer To See a Man Like Gull person or John Sharp Williams Make the Race for the
 Democrats.

MT. Walker Percy, the leader of the anti-Bryan movement, when asked yes- terday what truth there was in the rumor that a movement was on foot to organize a new political party in Ala bama, and if an organization was being formed within the democratic party to select delegates to the state convention, who would be opposed to the renomina- tion of William Jennings Bryan said:
 "So far as I know there is not a sylla- ble of truth in the statement that any movement is on foot in this county to organize a new political party, or to strengthen the republican party in the state.
 "Scme years ago, number of men who had never affiliated "lth the re- publican organization in th.s state, be- leving that 1t would be to the interest of the community that there should be two active political parties, and desiring to make the republican party of the state something more than mere me dium for the distribution of public pat ronage, started what was known as the lily white movement to organize white republican party. While l did not par ticipate in this movement, and intended re gaining in the party of my forefathers, I watched the movement with intense interest. When President Roosevelt re- buked the participants in this movement and repudiated the movement, the or ganizaton of a live republican party in the state of Alabama was inuefnitey pirio state and national policies between thoughtful men in Alabama must for years to come. be fought out within the ranks of the democratic party The men in Jefferson county who differ with William Jennings Bryan on certain vital economic questions can only make their opposition effective within the ranks of democracy; and to those who believe in two strong political parties, and who think it would be well to have more re- pubicans in the state, l would say that there is more need of two great political parties in the nation than there is of two great parties in the state. and If they believe that it would be better to have more republicans in the state they must admit that it would be better to
 
 Has Aroused Business Men.
 Tt is true that MT. Brayn's announce ment of his willingness to accept, for another time, the nomination of the dem ocratc party for the presidency of the United States; and the assumption on the part of certain people that Jeffer- son county and. the state of Alabama will, without dissent. join in tenderlng Mr. Bryan the nomination he desires, has aroused among many business men of Birmingham and Jefferson county fn- tense and determined opposition which has crystallized into an organized plan to select delegates to the state conven- ton who will favor the nomination by the democratic party of some man other than William J. Bryan.
 I've are today suffering acute financial distress the result of impairment of confidence. All of the business men Of Jefferson county; bankers. manufacturers, mine operators. merchants, salaried men and wage earners, are supremely inter- ested in the question as to how long this depression will last, and when resumption of industrial and commercial and banking activity may be expected Many of them believe that the renomina- ton of William J. Brayn would still fur ther impair confidence, increase the num- Der of the unemployed, prolong the period of industrial idleness, reduce the num- Der of active cotton spindles, and de- crease still further the price of the south's great staple commodity.
 Must Restore Confidence.
 Until there comes restoration of con fidence and q renewal of credit in the United States. securities cannot be sold, money cannot be borrowed, new con struction cannot be undertaken, and but