The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-08-20

sounded the tocsin of continued war
fare against the fallacies, the oppression,
the greed. the corruption of the repuo-
lcan party
1t was made clear that Alabama shall
lead the column of democracy in an ex-
position of and warfare against tariff
robbery, and oppression of the people
through the manipulation of custom
scales and republican announcement of
trusts. for which the republican party
stands on trial before the people.
These speakers at the Blount Springs
conference gave assurance that differ
ences of minor detail in the democratic
family would find no place when the
democracy of this state is confronted by
its common enemy at the polls in No
vember. They expressed confidence and
gave assurance that loyalty to the great
principles of white democracy was too
strongly implanted in the breasts of the
great white hosts of Alabama 10 permit
sundering of the cord that binds us;
that personal dspleasure at conditions
in the abstract, local differences and
sores from disappointment would give
way. In Difference to the real great prin-
ciples of democracy.
And, verify, 1t will be so. OF course,
the position taken by the democrats at
Bount Springs did not please Mr. ]. O.
Thompson. republican candidate for gov
ernor. Nobody there thought 1t would
but Mr.. Thompson is bold and impudent
enough to come out in a newspaper in
terview and express disapproval of the
democratic action. In fact, Mr.. Thomp-
son says:
There is a general feeling among the
people, more general and more pro-
nounced than ever before, that the state
will profit by a change of parties. The
feeling is ripe for expression at the bal
lot box. No intelligent citizen can sue
cessfully contend that there is any reason
for the Judgment of all power in one
political party in Alabama.
Nothing can prevent the growth of
the republican party in this state. 1t is
necessity. This is more apparent to the
people now than ever before"
Mr. Thompson is merely dreaming when
he expresses opinion that the white men
who control Alabama are ready to
change condition. seat him in the guber-
Material chair with his present negro
secretary by his side and surround him
with the governing forces which polluted
the state under republican regime for
years prior to 1874.
Mr. Thompson further expresses this
opinion:
II think the position taken by the dem
ocrats at Blount is ridiculous and ludic-
rous in the extreme Do they believe that
there is SO little conviction of principle
among the prohibitionists of Alabama
that they would be willing to have the
whole question waived aside merely be-
it Is endangering democracy and
the gulf states?'
Does Mr. Thompson really thing that
he is in position to advise the white
democracy of Alabama, and frighten
those of the party who favor statewide
prohibition into the belief that mongrel
crew of alf-and fs-republicans and
sore and mad, can wrest
from the white democracy of this state
power to rule it? Does he imagine that
democrats who favored the constitu
tional amendment and democrats who
followed Mallory in the primary as
family choice can be drawn away from
the faith of the fathers by advice from
the lips or the pen of Mr.. Thompson,
the nominee of the republican party?
Does he not know that the Mallorys,
the Seeds, the Moodys, the Jelks the
Burnetts, the Bowies. the Jeffries, the
the Rushtons, the Percys,
ct al, and hundreds of other Alabamians,
who disagreed with the majority of their
party upon an abstract question, were
among those who fought and won the
state from republican misrule In 1874
now bow to the will of the majority for
the safety of the state, and the perpetuity
of democratic principles, best secured I'M
der white supremacy?
Mr.. Thompson is hardly capacited to as
sumo the function of censor of the white
democracy of Alabama. In fact. rumbling
from the ranks Of his own party
even now indicate that many of its most
respected membership are unwilling to
trust him as their leader, and that they
renounce his authority and denounce the
method of his selection.
The Blount Springs conference made no
mistake 1t was sound Of the bugle-
blast of the white democracy of Ala
bama