The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-06-18


 terson thinks that all the discussion of the fee system is only intended to con- ceal and draw the mind of the voter away from the real object. which he considers to be the election of the bond issue. beg to take issue with Messrs. King, Shelby and Bowie and also Dr. Masterson-the latter is mistaken, while the former are misleading the people,
 There are other issues involved in this struggle and the people should not be blinded by the cry of Greater Birming- ham, of eXtortionate fees, of dirty jail, of inadequate courthouse or of the issuing of bonds These efforts to seduce their minds and keep them from considering what are their true interests in this cam paign is like the efforts of a tricky dem agogue who dare not present his issue to the people, in the open. and under the full glare of a midday sun, but chooses rather to sugar coat his pill and induce them to swallow 1t by promising "So high hope that even ambition cannot pierce a wink beyond"
 But, my countrymen, and especially you, my democratic friends; you, my comrades, who followed Lee and Jack son, Beauregard and Johnson Bragg and Hood; you. who fought the carpetbag regime, and drove from our southern soil the hordes of carpetbaggers, who had come, like the locusts into Egypt, to de- stroy, devastate and lay waste our land; you my democratic friends, who assisted Pettus. Morgan, Johnston, Bankhead and the many other coura geous spirits, who tore down the unsymmetrical structure which the carpetbagger had builded, and erected building more in harmony with the Ideas, the wishes and the hopes of southern people, hear me for the good of our sunny south, and for the safety of our boys and young men, who must be the future stay of this republic
 There are those among us who would rage this magnificent edifce, and leave us in a defenseless condition; there are those who would disrupt the democratic party and thereby destroy the solid south; there are those who would take from us, by force, by fraud, our vested, God-g given rights, and which were approved, in dorsed and vindicated by Christ at Cana
 This, then, fellow citizens, is what should influence you in your choice for representative to fill a vacancy. Vote for no man who is an avowed, or sus- pected, prohibitionisti The celebrated, most famous evangelist that this people ever heard preach, the Rev. Sam Jones, often said 'I am neither democrat nor republican, but prohibtionist. I can not serve two masters at the same time" Hon. Tom Heflin, congressman, said No democrat can be prohbitionist." Jeffer- son Davis. Horatio Seymour, Bayard, Til- den and other leaders of the party gave utterance to the same sentiment.
 There are men walking the streets of Birmingham today who voted against Bryan and ,,ot for Taft, but for prohi- bition candidates, who had previously always voted the democratic ticket, and, after lifetime of service in the ranks, and with that intolerant spirit born of prohibition, they now denounce and damn democracy as a thing unclean.
 This, fellow citizens, Is the issue. want no better authority-no better proof than Gov. B. B. Conner, whom I heard at the Jefferson theatre on last Tuesday night say that the extra session would be called, and he made not even a hint of anything to be considered except pro- hibition. It may be well, my democratic friends, for us to consider the claims of candidates who will violate no democratic tenet when voting for the Greater Bir- mingham bill, and who will vote to abro- gate the fee system, but by no means. and under no circumstances, vote for a man who goes to Montgomery only to strengthen the prohibition law
 So far as the bond issue shall interest this people 1t should be left to the tax payers to determine whether the bonds should be issued This, probably, could not be lawfully done. MT. Ward gives some good advice, and it might be the act of saneness and honesty to consider we'll what he said.
 I am unalterably opposed to the nefa- rious fee system now pauperizing our peo- pie and enriching some officials. It Is a foster child of prohibition and fattens on the pabulum furnished by the spies em- ployed by prohibitionists.
 I am in favor of Greater Birmingham but I want her to be dressed in clean skirts, the showing of which will not bring the blush of shame or regret to the cheek of her citizens She should be, like Caesars wife, above suspicion.
 As regards Ensley, I stand firmly, f1atly and squarely on the principles of the democratic party. When our fathers de- sired to form more perfect union than had existed under the old confederation the little state of Rhode Island-"a small municipality in the suburbs to enter the union until certain demands were embodied in the contract or con- stitution, if you please. It was wrong, 1t was mot patriotic" for the larger colo nies of Massachusetts. Pennsylvania, New York, etc, "to consent to it." But they did these broad-gauged men, who loved to do right and scorned to do wrong these men who had shed their blood in defense of home rule-these men who had no axes to grind; these men who knew nothing of graft" or the "get- rich-quick" system of finance; these men who belonged to no clique; who knew nothing of political intrigue and chicanery these men who had no lust for office and who did not want to live in the political limelight-these men said to little Rhody (not Rufus): "Go, tell your people that we will consent to their demands and if they are willing to unite with us, we shall be glad, but if they do not wish to come, we will not attempt to coerce them!
 That is one picture that might cause the angels in heaven to rejoice, but this is one that might make the imps of per dition to blush
 "If Woodlawn Is to come, Ensley should be made to come" These words made to oome' fall unpleasantly upon demo- cratic ears they are very distasteful re% minders to those of us who fought against the hirelings who came to make us sub init to the yoke. and they are really in- sulting to any liberty loving peoplel Made to come!''-what egoism. what | selfishness, what omnipotence, rests in | the big brains but puny arms of weak | men. Upon what meat doth this, our | Caesar feed, that he Is grown so great?" | Made to come" is another child of pro- 1 hibition
 | If Woodlawn wants to come, we should gladly bid her welcome, and kill the fat | ted calf and make merry even though our | prohibition friends will not let us par take of wine, like that which Christ l made and blessed at Cana. If Ensley | will not be one of those to force the | galling chains that will shackle and man. | acle the limbs of her noble, proud, pros | porous. wealthy, democratic people! I have been voting the democratic ticket