Birmingham state herald., November 19, 1895, Page 4, Image 4

About Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897

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Entered at the postofflre at Birmingham,
Ala., as second-class matter.
Eastern Business Office, 48 Tribune Bund
ing New York; Western Business Office, 509
"The Rookery." Chicago. 8. C. Beckwith,
Bole Agent Foreign Advertising.
Notice to Subscribers—When subscribers
desire to have their papers changed, they
must specify where the paper is noW *°:n?
and where they wish it changed to. Watcn
tlie label on your paper and see when your
time expires.
The State Herald will appreciate news
from any community. If at a small place
where it has no regular correspondent,
news reports of neighborhood happenings
from any friend will be gratefully received.
All communications, of whatever charac
ter or length, should be written on only one
side of the sheet.
TELEPE
Rusfness Office
Editorial Rooms
All calls after 9 o’clock p. m. should be
sent to the Editorial Rooms.
230
231
Shipbuilders along the great lakes have
determined to bring the question of the
abrogation of the treaty with Great Brit
ain that prevents the construction of
ships of war on those lakes before con
gress.
The leader of November 13th in the
Montgomery Advertiser was upon the
right line. It was evidently from the
pen of an able and broad-minded writer.
But the succeeding leaders bear the mark
of the old back writers.
Seven of the fifteen steamers running
between Havana and New York have
been taken off at a loss of $1,000,000 a
month. Spain is causing a good deal of
mischief in the business world without
making the slightest headway In restor
ing order in Cuba.
Secretary Curtis, the financial expert
of the treasury, Is In New York, and It
Is believed that he has gone thither to
confer with the bankers about the gold
reserve. The outflow of gold at this sea
son of the'year Is something unlooked
for and almost without a precedent.
Voters in the election district of fur
nace, near Harrisonburg, Va„ had no
time to exercise their sovereign privilege.
The poll books and ballots were returned
the day after election with the explana
tion that the voters were too busy shuck
ing corn to attend the election, and no
one could be prevailed on to serve-as
Judge or clerk.
General Miles, referring to the cost and
value of coast defenses, gives us an ex
cellent practical example In the case of
the Confederate coast defenses at
Charleston. Although they were not of
the first order and cost comparatively
little, they were sufficient to protect
Charleston for four years against a fleet,
at Its tiane, one of the strongest in the
■world.
Rev. Mr. Tilly of Frankfort, Ky., has
acoepted n call to the pastorate of the
Presbyterian church at Tuskaloosa, and
will enter upon his duties In the month
of December. This is the church that
that eminent divine, Dr. Stillman, was
pastor of for more than a quarter of a
century. Mr. Tilly is said to be a very
able young divine and especially suited
for this particular field.
Dr. Rodriguez, a Cuban, residing in
New Orleans contends that It Is the duty
of the United States to Interfere In the
Cuban rebellion to protect American in
terests, as 9G per cent of the trade of the
Island Is with the United States. He
cites as a precedent for armed interven
tion the course of England In Egypt, and
the policy pursued at different times by
other European nations.
Secretary Hoke Smith has accepted the
Invitation of the Georgia legislature to
address that body on the issues of the
day. He will leave Washington for At
lanta today and will speak on the even
ing of Wednesday or Thursday. Secre
tary Smith will take a pronounced stand
against the unlimited free coinage of
sliver, and declare his adherence to the
"sound money” policy he has heretofore
advocated.
The saddest thing I can imagine is a
homeless man; one who has no abiding
place; one who cannot stop without some
one bidding him move on; for whom in
all the earth there is no welcome resting
place which he can call home and where
love shares and softens his sorrows.
Sadder than this Is the houseless, home
less soul. While you are planning for the
body think of the soul. Make provisions
for it. by accepting God's merciful bounty
for forgiveness and faith.—Rev. F. E.
Smiley.__
Those who have not seen It cannot ap
preciate the magnitude of the migration
from the northwest to the. southwest. In
a single recent month the Kansas City.
Springfield and MemphiP road carried
eighty-five carloads of household effects
for farmers from Nebraska and western
Iowa into the Ozark country-. In a single
day at Doniphan, the seat of Ripley
county, on the south Missouri border, 0
notary took the acknowledgment of more
than twenty settlers from the north.
Into the vicinity of Lebanon. Laclede
county, the home of Ex-Congressman
Bland, there came In a period of three
months this year over 200 families from
the northwest. These are straws. South
Missouri and north Arkansas are full of
them.
Senator James K. Jones of Arkansas
Is In Washington. He is a free coinage
man and in speaking on the subject says:
"For the campaign next year I am une
quivocally in favor of nominating free
silver candidates on a free silver plat
form. The democratic party must make
this fight, sooner or later; the sooner the
boiler. True, it may result in defeat.
The outlook is not. very promising just
now any way it Is viewed, but we had
better go down battling for principle
than to make an ignominious surrender.
Bimetallism will win eventually; tt is
only a matter of education and time, and
its success will come through the demo
cratic party. The republicans, in my
opinion, will straddle the question in
their platform, as they did in the Ohio
state convention, and Allison will be
their nominee for president.”
WITH THE ONfe-TENTH.
Governor Oates la not and will not be a
candidate for governor next year. Cap
(tain Johnston Is a candidate. These two
facts are well known to the Montgomery
Advertiser. It Is also almost a settled
fact now that no one will be a candidate
for the place In opposition to Captain
Johnston, and of tills fhe Advertiser Is
aware. The necessity for party unity
and party harmony In Alabama is very
groat, and with this fact the Advertiser
is thoroughly familiar. Only a few days
ago that paper was railing frantically
upon Governor Oates to stand for a re
nomination, g-oing so far as to assert that
Captain Johnston, was too loyal a demo
crat to stand for the place should the gov
ernor demand a renomlnatlon—imploring
the governor to go back on h!a oft re
peated declaration that he would not be
a candidate ail for the sake of party unity
and party harmony. But the governor
preferred to stand by his former declara
tions to surrendering to the whims of the
Advertiser. The result: Captain John
ston, the loyal democrat, about which
that paper spoke only the other day,
stands as the only candidate for the dem
ocratic nomination. Nine-tenths of the
democratic papers of the state and equal
ly as great a percentage of the demo
cratic voters say let Captain Johnston
have the nomination; he is a good dem
ocrat; he Is capable; he Is and has always
been loyal; he Is entitled to It; he can
carry the party banner to victory In Au
gust; the Advertiser is among the one
tenth of the state press lending Its en
ergies to create discord, seeking to cre
ate strife by trying to get some other
democrat to enter the race, never once
taking advantage of the present oppor
tunity to prevent a contest next year In
the party for the nomination. If the Ad
vertiser can name the candidate party
harmony'is absolutely necessary; if the
Advertiser can't name the candidate,
party harmony must take a back seat.
How can a paper with such little re
gard for consistency as the course of the
Advertiser shows It to have and so lit
tle care for party harmony when Its own
wishes areinot to be gratified be expected
to wield any Influence with Intelligent,
thinking people? The Advertiser's great
solicitude for democratic unity, demo
cratic harmony and democratic success
fades away unless she is playing a game,
heads she wins, tails you lo3e.
THE LIQUOR QUESTION.
It Is rather curious to see a clergyman
declaring in favor of free liquor trade;
but it is a fact that all sensible men
know the greater part of the corruption
of local politics and politicians is due to
legislative regulations of the traffic. In
his address to the Episcopal diocesan
convention at Albany on Tuesday, Bishop
Doane took the ground that the state
should leave the sale of liquor to be gov
erned by the law of supply and demand,
and should not undertake "to exercise
any special control" over the traffic
“other than that which it exercises over
the sale of other things.” The present
method of giving it specinl privileges by
license and subjecting it to special re
strictions, he argued, drives it into com
bination for the use of its political in
fluence in defense of its business inter
ests. The way to get the saloons out of
■politics, the bishop of Albany thinks, is
to cease to make their business peculiar
by a legal treatment which separates and
distinguishes it from trade generally. If
they were thus left to take their chances
along with the rest, he believes, with
good reason, that no more liquor would
be sold, for "there would be no more
liquor saloons than the thirst of the
neighborhood requires." Having no long
er need to exert political Influence for
their protection against legal discrimina
tion, the saloons would cease to be “cen
ters of political power.”
UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA.
It is gratifying to the old alumni of the
Virginia university to know that steps
are being token to rebuild at once. It
is estimated that $300,000 will be needed.
At the date. November 12, of the meeting
of the committee appointed to consider
W'ays and means it was reported that
$12,620 had been raised. It is said that
Mr. Charles Bradway Rouss of New
York had offered $25,000 and had ob
tained $500 from others. These contri
butions aggregate over $42,000, which is
quite a flattering sum at such an early
stage of the canvass. The numerous
alumni of this celebrated institute, es
pecially the lawyers who learned their
profession from Professor Minor and
jothers, will no doubt contribute freely
to the restoration of the old halls where
memory is consecraieu uy me lauors or
generations of the foremost men of the
south. The first two Masters of Arts
of the University of Virginia were Hen
ry Tutwiler and Robert M. T. Hunter.
The career of Mr. Hunter as a statesman
places him in the foremost ranks of the
men of his day. Among his public pa
pers there is no more profound or de
serving of greater attention today than
tils celebrated report upon finance and
currency as chairman of the senate fi
nance committee, tt is a paper that will
live in history. The career of Mr. Tut
wiler was as distinguished In the field
of education as was Mr. Hunter's in pol
itics. Hundreds of the brightest men of
Alabama received their training at his
hands and the memory of his splendid
attainments and lofty character Is still
cherished by the state.
It would be impossible to enumerate
the men of Alabama who owe their edu
cation to the University of Virginia.
They are in every rank of life, and al
ways at the top. We are sure that it
will be a labor of love with them to aid
In swelling the fund needed to rebuild the
old rotunda and the annexes. We notice
that there are propositions looking to
new plans for rebuilding. By all means
let the restoration follow the old plans,
so that when the alumni visit their old
alma mater they may be gladdened with
familiar sights.
At the meeting of the committee to
which we have alluded, which was at
the office of Governor O'Farrell, the ques
tion as to the plan of rebuilding was dis
cussed. The report of the Richmond
Dispatch is as follows:
“Mr. McCormick \yas the spokesman
for the committee, and gave the views
of himself and associates at some length
He paid a handsome tribute to this moth
er of universities, declaring that when
she was rebuilt the old structures should
bo supplanted by buildings of such mag
nlflcence and equipped with such school
appliances as to place the University of
Virginia In the front line with ail ihe
greatest colleges ct the United States.
He wanted it to be not eimpiy the pride
and glory of the south, but of the nation.
Mr. McCormick expressed rhe views of
the other members of the committee
when he said that the stately rotunda.
planted upon that lovely hill by Thomas
Jefferson, should simply be restored; re
stored with fire-proof materials, so that
no more such catastrophes could mar the
majestic beauty or take from its enlight
ening significance.
Speaking of the other burned buildings,
Mr. McCormick said he was of the opin
ion, as were some other members of the
committee, that the new structures
should not be erected as annexes to ihe
rotunda, but there should be constructed
separate and distinct buildings, hand
some and Imposing, and fully equipped
for the work which they are to accom
plish,"
THE DAVIS MONUMENT.
It will be remembered by those who
participated in the Birmingham and
Houston reunions of Confederate Veter
ans that there are two organization*
which have charge of the work of build
ing a monument at Richmond to the
memory of President Davis. These are
the Davis Monument association and the
Davis monumental committee of the
United Confederate Veterans. The for
mer committee is composed of Virgin
ians. The latter is composed of one mem
ber from each southern state which fur
nished fighting men to the Confederacy.
The last two committees have agreed
upon Monroe park as the site of the mon
ument, and also that the local board, of
which Hon. J. T. Ellyson of Richmond Is
chairman, may appoint a committee to
secure a design for the monument. The
action of the committee, however, is to
be subject to the approval of the board
and of the monument committee repre
senting ail the states of the Confeder
acy. The Richmond Dispatch of the 13th
says;
"The correspondence perfecting this
arrangement was read at the meeting of
the board yesterday afternoon and at the
next meeting of the board the committee
on design will be appointed. It will con
sist of seven members, with President J.
Taylor Ellyson at its head. Three of the
seven members will he persons who are
experts in matters likely to come before
the committee.
“As Dispatch readers know, the mon
ument is to be erected in Monroe park,
and the corner stone of it will be laid
next May, when the United Confederate
Veterans will hold their grand encamp
ment herein the auditorium to be erected
upon the exposition grounds.
"The arrangement of this matter
marks the beginning of very active work
in behalf of the monument, which it is
intended shall be worthy of the president
of the Confederacy and creditable to the
southern people. The monument fund Is
not. yet nearly so large as It Is desired
that it should be, collections not having
been pushed during the period of busi
ness prostration, but in the course of a
few weeks agencies will be set to work
all over the south, and it is not doubted
that the results will be commensurate
with the purpose of the people.”
PUBLIC OPINION,
If $10,000,000 is the market price of
dukes, the Vanderbilt family can easily
handle the whole English output.—Chi
cago Times-Herad, Dem.
The news from the east Is that the
sultan is still being menaced. Still, there
is no potentate now before the public
who is more entitled to it.—New York
Advertiser.
It is not likely that the friends of Alli
son, Reed, McKinley and the other re
publican candidates will permit the
country to forget that about the only
city that has gone democratic this year
is the home of Benjamin Harrison.—Chi
cago Tribune, Rep.
Mr. Cleveland has always felt that he
was better than his party. He will do
well to exhnust the pleasure of that sen
sation as rapidly as possible, for at the
present rate of democratic disintegration
he won’t have a party much longer as a
basis of comparison.—New York Tri
bune, Rep.
Senator Quay is reported to be in favor
of the nomination of Governor-elect
Bradley of Kentucky as the candidate of
the republican party for the vice-presi
dency. It is a first-class idea and Ken
tucky deserves the honor. The Bradley
boom has come to stay.—New York Re
corder (Rep.)
Success should and will crown the
movement to erect a children’s monu
ment to the memory of Eugene Field.
To this end the children of the land
should address themselves to the pleasu
rable work of raising the funds necessary
to the project. It is but a small measure
of appreciation for the gifts which Eu
gene Field showered on the curly head
of childhood.—Chicago Mail.
The impudence of Dord Dunraven in
seeking to excuse his unsportsmanlike
conduct by accusing- the New York Yacht
club of cheating on the measurement of
the Defender is simply astounding. The
most charitable construction to be placed
upon such conduct is that his mind has
given way under the strain of his succes
sive defeats—that he is suffering under
an aberration of intellect.—Boston Post.
It is pleasant to think that our North
Atlantic squadron is at last considerably
superior to Great Britain’s. But it should
not be forgotten for an instant that this
is our principal station, while with her,
we suppose, it is not more than fourth
rate. It would do great harm if the idea
should get abroad that the American
navy, in which the American people have
shown such pride and interest, has as
yet nearly approached completion.—New
York Press.
In the number of saloons New York has
7340 licensed places, or one to 234 of the
population; Chicago has 7000, or one to
242; Philadelphia, 1355, or one to 841, and
Boston, 1080, or one to 500. There Is no
complaint of thirst in Philadelphia or
Boston, and these cities are not cursed
wit.h the low dives that exist in this city
and Chicago. Mayor Warwick’s state
ment is especially instructive. The num
ber of saloons in Philadelphia has de
creased 3000 in six years under high
license.—New York World, Dem.
A Big New YorkStrike.
New York, Nov. 18.—At the office of the
J. B. and J. M. Cornell iron works it
was stated that over 400 of their employes
at work on twelve buildings had gone on
a strike today, as had about 500 men em
ployed by Milekin Bros, on eight build
ings. In addition about 100 men were
called out on buddings in Brooklyn, mak
ing a total of over 1000 men employed
by the two firms called out as a starter.
The strikers are membrs of the House
smiths’ and Brldgemen’s unions. In case
non-union ipon are put to work sympa
thetic strikes will be ordered. From 10,
000 to 20,000 men are likely to be called
out In sympathy. The strike has been
indorsed by the board of walking dele
gates and by the central labor union.
The demands of rhe union include a
wage scale running from $3 50 a day for
flromen finishers to $2.50 a dey for black
smith finishers. It is said that if the
strike is not settled in a short time it is
likely to he extended to other members
of the Iron league. Forty thousand men
may he affected. The hoard of state ar
bitration will meet at the Murray Hill
hotel today and endeavor to bring about
a compromise with the employes with a
view to arbitration.
University of Georgia Won.
Atlanta, Nov. 18.—The University of
Georgia defeated the University of Ten
nessee football team here today by a
tacore of 22 to 0.
ALABAMA EDITORS,
AT THE DOOR.
I thought myself indeed secure
So fast the door, so firm the lock;
But lo, he toddling comes to lure
My parent ear with timorous knock.
My heart were stone could It withstand
The sweetness of my baby's plea—
That timorous baby knocking and
"Please let me In—It s only me.”
I threw aside the unfinished book,
Regardless of its tempting charms,
And, opening wide the door, I took
My laughing darling In my arms.
Who knows but in Eternity
I, like a truant child, shall wait
The glories of a life to be.
Beyond the Heavenly Father’s gate? .
And will that Heavenly Father heed « ,
The truant's supplanting cry,
As at the outer door I plead,
“'Tls I, O Father, only I?1'
—Eugene Field.
Will Later.
It is rather early for the Sun to declare
for anyone yet. Captain Johnston is a
good man and the one who beats him will
be governor.—La Fayette Sun.
Sees Through It.
Wo are forced to the conclusion that
the eagerness of the Advertiser and cer
tain other politicians to have Governor
Oates renominated is not so much for
the purpose of "saving the party" as for
defeating Joe Johnston or any other sil
ver man that might apply.—Randolph
Leader.
Johnston's Time.
Governor Oates has had his term—all
that he asked for. To preserve harmony
Captain Johnston yielded it to him. when
a lair fight might have reversed the sit
uation. Now It is Captain Johnston’s
time. Let us see whether Governor Oates’
friends will be loyal in behalf of harmony
as Captain Johnston was.—Talladega
News-Reporter.
The announcement of the candidacy of
Capt. Joseph F. Johnston, for governor
will send a thrill of joy through his
’thousands and thousands of friends
throughout the length and breadth of the
grand old commonwealth of Alabama.
He is a democrat tried and true,and Is de
serving of the highest office In the gift
of the people of this state, and we have
no doubt that they will honor him with
the position.—Hartselle Enquirer.
He Is Their Choice.
Joseph F. Johnston is a man who has
made many sacrifices for harmony, he
has conducted himself so as to have won
the love of all true democrats, never
putting- his Interests above that of his
party; the people have seen his loyalty
tried, and found him true as steel. He
is their choice and there is no power
now to keep them from honoring him
with the office of governor, if he will ac
cept it.—Progressive Age.
Believes He Will Get There.
Capt. Joe Johnston, like the true,
loyal, unsefish and unswerving democrat
he is, announces himself a candidate for
the office of governor next year. We be
lieve that he will be nominated by art
overwhelming majority, if not by accla
mation. He is a democrat who favors
the free coinage of silver at 16 to 1 and
favors perfect freedom and fairness in
elections. This, we think, will satisfy
thousands of voters who have been es
tranged from the party in recent years
and they will cordially support him.—
North Alabamian.
He Will Not.
If Captain Johnston should be the only
contestant for the governorship next
year, and the Advertiser admits that he
is the only probable one, then let Gov
ernor Oates pursue the even tenor of his
way in his race for senator and there will
be no discords and dissensions .to har
monize. Where is the sense in importun
ing the governor to run again, thereby
creating useless and damaging party di
vision, and lessening the governor's
chances for the senatorship, the helghth
of his ambition? Governor, don’t you
let the Advertiser fool you.—Bussell Reg
ister.
ECHOES FROM THE STATE PRESS.
It is now practically settled that Cap
tain Joseph F. Johnston of Jefferson will
be the next nominee of the democratic
party in Alabama for governor. It is also
practically settled that Captain Johnston
will be elected. This goes without say
ing.
Since the positive and emphatic decla
tion of Governor Oates that he would not
bd a candidate for a second term and the
announcement of Captain Johnston that
he would be a candidate to succeed Gov
ernor Oates the press and the people
alike have settled as one that Johnston
will be nominated and elected.
The most significant fact In connection
with Captain Johnston’s candidacy Is
the declaration of several strong admin
istration newspapers for him, not the
least of which are the Birmingham
News, the Anniston Hot Blast and the
Huntsville Argus, and even the Mobile
Register and Mobile Herald, administra
tion papers also, are ready and willing
to accept Captain Johnston.—Montgom
ery Journal.
jne state Heraio auinoritativeiy an
nounces Capt. Joe Johnston as a candi
date for governor. The formal announce
ment has generally been expected, and it
Is a logical result of the present political
situation In Alabama. * Genuine silver
men in all portions of the state look to
Johnston as their leader, and regard him
as the strongest man for the position of
democratic candidate for governor in the
state.—Florence Times.
Capt. Joseph F. Johnston has an
nounced that he will be a candidate for
governor. He has always stood by the
notion of the party and If there Is a man
in Alabama who deserves anything at
the hands of the democratic party that
man is Captain Johnston.—Colbert Coun
ty Banner.
We are for Joseph F. Johnston for next
governor. A great many men favored
Oates In the campaign between him and
Captain Johnston, thinking Oates want
ed it for but one term, and they would
have the opportunity of supporting John
ston at the expiration of Oates’ term, and
we favor giving them the opportunity.—
Colbert County Banner.
Russia and the Turkish Question.
New York Herald, 13th.
Accoiding to a commercial cable dis
patch from St. Petersburg which we pub
lish this morning Lord Salisbury’s Man
sion House speech has produced an elec
trical effect in the Russian capital. The
electrical effect, as we understand it,
seems to be the determination of Russia
to be In readiness to occupy Armenia as
soon as the disinterested powers begin
the projected work of dismembering the
Ottoman empire. The threat of the pow
ers to send their warships through the
Dardanelles will undoubtedly be met by
Russia, whose fleet is stationed at the
Black sea. entrance of the Bosphorus,
and who has a large army under the
shadow of Mount Ararat ready to ad
vaupe westwaid at a day’s notice.
New Jersey Day.
Asbury Talk, N. J., Nov. 18.—Postmas
ter K. G. Harrison of this place, one of
the New Jersey commissioners at the At
lanta exposition, has been ndtifled by
Governor Werts that he has designated
Thursday, December 5, as New Jersey
day at the exposition. A large party will
eo to Atlanta from here.
FROM GOVERNOR W. C.OATES
(Continued From First Page.)
notes, are a legal tender, so de
clared by law and sustained by the su
preme court of the United States, which
i.ecision I think was wrong.
You say that "no more silver Is being
coined.” That is only partly true. No
mote silver^iollars are being coined, but
the coinage of fractional silver still con
tinues, and wo need more of that than
can be coined in a year. Let us have the
whole truth and not half of it. I think
that the coinage of the bullion in the
treasury into dollars as well as fraction
al currency should continue. I thought
last congress that ail the seigniorage
should be coined and so voted. I am of
the samo opinion now. All the other sil
ver bullion, though vast in bulk, is un
der a Ii“n for the redemption' of the Sher
man notes given in purchase of the bul
lion. The law should have made them
redeemable in silver coin alone, but it
'was not so made. It was solely the work
of republicans. You blame Cleveland and
Carlisle because these notes and green
backs are not redeemed In silver instead
of gold. Suppose ihe holders refuse to
take silver. There is no law to compel
them to do so. I wish the secretary
would try it and refuse to redeem in gold
for ten days to see what effect it would
have. Cleveland and Carlisle believe that
gold would go to a premium. Then I
would have Uncle Eden enter Wall street
and sell gold by tho million against the
gamblers and. break them down if possi
ble.
You next assert that "the volume of
money is being constantly contracted."
This is not strictly true. It fluctuates
and is far greater now per capita than it
was ten. fifteen or twenty years ago. If
you read carefully what I frequently said
in congress at different times, and In the
very speech of 1893, from which you
quote, you will see that I have ever been
in favor of a sufficiently large amount of
circulation to do the business of the en
tire country free from stringency. We
cannot have too much good money, but
I want no, nor am I now in favor of, flat
money nor an inflated currency and dol
lars of different value. You assume that
because I am not in favor of an inflated
silver currency that I am in favor of the
contraction of the entire; volume, which
is an utterly unwarranted assumption on
your part.
xuu F-ciiu utuause 1 uuuicnucu hull
coinage will not put another dollar in
the pockets of the people that "Governor
Oates differs from Alexander Hamilton
and Thomas Jefferson, who held that a
diminishing and contracting currency
was a calamity to be avoided.” Yes! I
assert that free coinage at the ratio of
Id to 1, when there Is such a wide dis
parity in the value of the two metals,
would soon render it Impossible to main
tain parity between the two as coined,
and whenever they parted company in
value the gold would rapidly disappear
from circulation, which is now about
$630,000,000—just about equal to the total
amount of silver, Including fractional
coins, and in my opinion would be likely
to produce a panic by the withdrawal of
so much gold from active circulation;
and all the mints of the United States, if
kept continually coining silver, could
not replace In silver the quantity of gold
thus withdrawn in several years. This
would, instead of making money more
plentiful, produce a remarkably severe
Stringency.
Jefferson and Hamilton, whom you so
freely quote, when providing for the
coinage of the metals fixed the ratio at
their then commercial value, and Hamil
ton said in his report to congress, in
which Jefferson concurred, that the com
mercial value of the two metals was the
proper ratio for their coinage. Knowing
tills and having always been a friend to
silver X voted for free coinage at the ratio
of 20 to 1, when the commercial differ
ence was 28 to 1. I did this In the hop^
that giving silver such consideration
would, perhaps, reduce the difference sev
eral points and bring them upon a party
commercially. When that failed I voted
to resurrect the Bland-Allison act, which
would give us the coinage of $2,000,000
per month, which I then believed might
be kept on a parity with gold. You then
said that Hamilton and Jefferson “plant
ed the currency of both metals. Governor
Oates plants the country upon a sole gold
standard writh only so much silver as a
subsidiary coin as will not Interfere with
the sovereignty of gold.” There Is not
one word of truth In this statement, I
never in my Review article nor elsewhere
advocated “ the single gold standard,”
nor did I "over advocate the making of
silver only a subsidiary coin. You can
not find where I ever gave utterance to
any such expression. I never have ap
proved the dropping of the silver dollar
from coinage in the act of 1873, nor do I
believe that if all the members of con
gress had known of the omission, as they
would have known If they had been
closely attentive to their duties, that the
hill would have passed In that shape. I
have always contended upon the floor of
congress and elsewhere that the sliver
dollar was dropped from coinage In the
interest of the bondholders. Thus the
silver dollar was demonetized. It so re
mained for five years and then by the
act of 1878 It was revived and made a
legal tender and as much a money of re
demption as gold, and has so continued
ovar slnro
The only difference between It and gold
was and la In rpspect to the coinage—not
as to their legal status. The coinage of
gold was made free by the act of 1873,
and the coinage of silver waa by the act
of 1878 to be coined on government ac
count and limited to not less than $2,
000,000 and not more than 34,000,000 per
month, When I voted for the repeal of
the purchasing clause of the Sherman law
I had no private understanding about it,
as your editorial seems to Insinuate. I
voted for Its repeal because the demo
cratic platform demanded It, and I be
lieved It was right. I did then denounce
the idea of a single gold standard and I
do yet, and I have shown you above one
law which -maintains bimetallism and
makes the silver dollar a legal tender in
payment of dues, public and private. My
understanding of the word bimetallism
does not relate to the question of coin
age, but to the maintenance of both
metals as primal money or money of
final redemption. That which is a legal
tender In payment of a debt is not de
monetized and a mere token of value,
but Is money. The act of 1873 says that
the gold dollar Is the measure of value.
A single gold standard advocate is him
who desires that gold be the only legal
tender. What difference does It make
If the law says the gold dollar is the
standard of value and that the silver dol
lar is Its equal? There Is then no differ
ence in the legal status, but only In
privilege of coining.
I never have and do not now retract
one word of my speech In 1893. I stand
by it and ldorse It today; and It Is but
lack of understanding the question, or
It must be a disposition purposely to put
me In an inconsistent attitude which
caused you to write as you did. If you
will publish that speech in full as the re
mainder of my reply to your editorial
I will be delighted. It is all I ask of you
In this connection. Very respectfully,
WILLIAM C. OATES.
Good Advice to Farmers.
Messrs. Middleton & Ravenel, the
well known cotton brokets of Charles
ton, have Issued a very inteiesttng cir
cular on the cotton situation. The open
letter will be sent to all of their corre
spondents throughout the south. It con
tains many striking facts and figures,
and It will be- read with keen interest by
theeottonplantersand cotton men in this
and other states. The writers say in
substance that the great danger which
menaces the country is that an enormous
crop of cotton will be planted next sea
son. They predict that If this Is done
that prices will not only go lower than
thev now are. but that cotton next sea.
son will be a practical drag on the mar
ket. The circular, however, explains It
self more fully than It can be explained.
It la as follows:
"Charleston, S. C., Nov. 6, 1S35.
"To the Cotton Planter:
‘"nie condition of cotton at the present
moment is one that should give cause foe
deep thought on the part of the planter,
and he should pan: so before he enters In
to any arrangement tor planting another
crop. Today we see every indication of a
small crop; receipts are light and de
creasing every da The great stai)d-by
of the English spinners (Mr. Nelli) pre
dicts a small outturn of the present crop.
All reports from the cotton sections show
the crop Is shorter than It has been for
years, and the government report con
firms these other reports. The business
In dry goods Is good, and the demand Is
Increasing, and everything on Its face
shows that at least for this year the cot
ton planter lia to be rewarded for his toll
by getting a fair living price for his cot
ton, but what are the facts? We see cot
ton declining every day, January con
tracts having been farced down % of a
cent, or $3,75 per bale within two weeks.
Of course, this was only the natural re
sult of an overloaded speculative market,
and If It ha<J not affected the actual cot
ton would have passed by comparatively
unnoticed, but the foreign spinners from
that moment seemed to have dropped
completely out of the market, evidently
waiting for such another move to force
the spot cotton still lower and enable
them to buy cotton at their own sweet
pleasure and price.
"Thus wo see that the speculators in
New York are playing directly into the
hands of the natural enemies of cotton.
The situation seems now to be narrowed
down to a battle between the cotton
planter on one side and the foreign spin
ner on the other, baoked ifp by the spec
ulators and gold powers of the north. It
seems that either gold or cotton must lie
exported to avoid the Issue of bonds, and
as another bond Issue might Imperil the
chances of the democratic party, the cot
ton planter must bo sacrificed and the
price of cotton beat down until he is com
Ipelled to sell. This Is all wrong, and can
be avoided by a little Judgment and com
mon sense.
“One of the greatest clouds hanging
over the cotton market Is the talk of a
tremendous crop next year. Some predic
tions have already been made that the
next crop will be 11,000,000 bales, the ene
mies of cotton forgetting that the cotton
planter has learned a lesson or two In tha
last five years. If It was knbwn and un
derstood that the cotton plantar had been
fooled In to planting a tremendous crop
for the last time and that the orop for
next year would be only a moderate one,
cotton spinners would enter* Into the mar
ket; we would see better prices for the
present crop and better prices for the
next crop. A large crop next year means
low prices for what cotton is not already
sold this year and lower price* for next
year.
“Let the planter plant his crop on the
same basis of this year’s crop; plant
plenty of provisions and keep down the
cotton acreage. The balance of this
year's cotton and next year’s crop under
existing circumstances should sell at 9
cents, at least, at the ports. Keep down
the cotton acreage and save yourselves
from a repetition of 5-cent cotton and
disaster. Your® truly.
“MIDDLETON & RAVENEL."
AL WA YS
SOMETHING
New and stylish to select
from our establishment. If
you want to look well
dressed and to be perfectly
in the style, look over our
goods and the prices will
enable you to buy.
ROGAN.
Birmingham and Chicago.
Under the above caption the Inter
Ocean of Chicago says:
"The enthusiastic welcome given by
the citizens of Birmingham, Ala., to the
Chicago men, directors of the great
World's fair, heads of great barking,
real estate, mercantile and manufactur
ing firms and corporations, and distin
guished lawyers who accompanied Pres
ident Fish of the Illinois Central to At
lanta, is acknowledged gratefully by the
great city that the guests honored by
Birmingham represent. It was not part
of the programme that the train should
stop at Birmingham, but Mr. Skaggs of
the Southern and Northwestern Indus
trial association prevailed upon Mr. Fish
so to modify the original plans as to per
mit of a brief lay-over In the chief man
ufacturing town of the south.
“The arrangement was fortunate: it
allowed the most representative men of
the southern Birmingham, which within
half a century may surpass its European
namesake in population and in output of
manufactures, to confer briefly with
some of the moBt representative men of
Chicago The courtesies extended w-re
not formal, but heartfelt. A longer stay
will be made by Chicago on the return
trip. It is inevitable that the business
relations of Birmingham and Chicago
shall be intimate, and It is pleasant to
know that their social relations are to be
enthusiastically cordial."
•xne ngm is un.
Senator Harris, the chairman of the ex
ecutive committee of six, appointed at
the Washington conference of last Au
gust to organize for the campaign of 1896
the free silver democrats of the country,
has sent a letter to his colleagues, the
chief feature of which Is the following:
“In the light of recent election results
there is in my opinion no hope of dem
ocratic success in 1896, unless we can
succeed in so organizing the bimetallic
democrats as to secure In the national
convention a plain, distict and unmis
takable declaration in favor of the free
and unlimited coinage of both silver and
gold without regard to financial policies
of any country, and therefore it appears
to me that we should redouble our efforts
to secure such organization.”
Senator Harris’ colleagues are Senator
Jones of Arkansas, Senator Turpie of
Indiana, Governor Stone of Missouri,
Hon. William H. Henrichsen of Illinois
and Casey Young of Tennessee.
Awarded
Highest Honors—World’s Pair.
DU
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