Birmingham state herald., November 22, 1895, Page 4, Image 4

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

Image provided by: University of Alabama Libraries, Tuscaloosa, AL

                
BIRMINGHAM STATE HERALD
Entered at the postofflee at Birmingham,
Ala., aa second-class matter.
Eastern Buainesa Office, fl Tribune BuiU1
ing New Tork; Western Business Office 509
"The Rookery." Chicago. 3. C. Beckwith,
Bole Agent Foreign Advertising.
Notice to Subscrihere—When subscribers
desire to have their papers changed, they
must specify where the paper is now going
and'where they wish it changed to. Watch
the label on your paper and see when your
time expires.
The State Herald will appreciate news
from any community. IX at a small place
where it has no regular correspondent,
news reports of neighborhood happenings
from any friend will be gratefully received.
All communications, ef whatever charac
ter or length, should be written on only one
side of the sheet. _^
TELEPHONE CALLS.
Business Office.280
Editorial Rooms.281
AU calls after » o’clock p. m. should be
sent to the Editorial Rooms.
The fellow who is predicting a short
session of congress will soon have his
hands full trying to predict .when it will
adjourn.
The New York World says the nearest
McKinley has come to giving an expres
sion on the metal question Is that, lie Is
preparing for a silver wedding.
President Faure of France follows the
example of M. Carnot In having all the
game killed in the presidential "chases”
sent to the hospitals of Paris.
The populist party ought to he named
mackerel because of the long accepted,
definition lhat mackerel means very dead
and not only very dead, liut stlnketh.
Senator Gorman explains that the
Maryland democrats are converted to
the protectionist theory. The Sun paper
says they are simply tired of Gormans.
The selection of a speaker two weeks
hence will be a mere formality. Reed
will be the choice of the republican cau
cus, and. of course, his majority will be
In the neighbothood of 140.
They say that two years ago Kx-Pres
ldent Harrison Invested $000 In a South
African gold mine. The mine has just
been sold out to a syndicate and Mr.
Harrison gets $100,000 out of it.
Russia at Constantinople Is undoubt
edly the vision which has frightened
laard Salisbury and urged him to hesi
tate to dismember Turkey or attempt to
seriously embarrass the sultan.
The administration believes it to be
true that Mr. Reed, whose voice in the
coming rongress is to he one of author
ity. has fully determined that the green
backs shall not he retired from circula
tion.
If Henri Wattefsnn Is waiting to write
the next democratic platform before leav
ing for Europe he had as well sail. One
leading member of a political party Is
enough to write and speak on both sides
of a question.
Since the Chicago papers have reduced
their price to 1 cent the town has been
donned a “one-cent town.” That unit
of value will hardly stick with those who
attended the World's fair In the thickest
of thb fight, when a dollar would hardly
buy a snow-flake cracker.
The Washington Post says that its ad
vice to bright young men who are think
ing of coming to Washington to act as.
private secretaries to congressmen is to
stay at home. The private secretary of
a congressman may he a great institution
In a back township, but here in Washing
ton it is quite different
At memorial services for Eugene Field
the other day in Chicago, the Itev. Dr.
Gansaulus made a brief plea fbr aid to
educate the children of the dead poet,
and In a short time $500 in money had
been raised and several hundred more
pledged. This seems sensible and rea
sonable. The dead poet's home was
mortgaged, and debts met him at every
turn, and it is a fact that he literally
worked himself to death to provide
means to live and free himself of debt.
Captain Kolb’s Tribune this week
uses very’ severe language in denuncia
tion of the State Herald for charging
that there was a fusion of the populists
and republicans In their meeting in this
city, while our Washington correspond
ent tells us Captain Kolb whispers to a
Montgomery republican that there was a
fusion. As the captain's mouthpiece is
boisterous in its argument with poetry
It might be well here to add thut the
captain continues to
"Wire tn and wire out
And leave a body still in doubt.
Whether the snuUe that made the tracks
Was going south or coming back.”
Captain Kolb's Tribune makes a
mountain out of the heading of the pro,
ceeding.s of the republican-populist con
ference as It appeared in the State Her
ald. but took special pains not to attack
the report itself. The captain is aware
that the State Herald prides itself on the
accuracy of its news service and will
ever give the devil his due, and, there
fore, we are glad that the captain’s organ
restricted its comment to the. headlines.
When you see it in the State Herald it
occurred Just that way. What other
Journals in Birmingham may have done,
the State Herald Is not responsible for,
but we state In language to be remem
bered that the local staff of this paper
is personally, Individually and collective
ly responsible for Its local news service.
From the report of the meeting of the
directors of the Commercial club, found
In another column, it will be seen that
the club takes on new life and starts out
on a higher career of usefulness.
The report of the speclui committee,
composed as It is of Birmingham's most
Influential citizens, should enlist the sup
port of all classes to make the club an all
potent factor in the upbuilding of our
city. The determination to Ignore class in
terests is af most wise and ^salutary
move, since It is now the general welfare
of Birmingham that shall enlist the zeal
of its members, rather than tgke up an
tagonistic questions that could only di
vide its ranks. With a strong organlza
tlor united on the one question of sus
taining present industries and locating
others together that Birmingham may
grow and prosper, there should be none
to criticise or be content to remain off
its roll of membership.
MISREPRESENTING JOHN STOTT.
Captain Johnston was the representa
tive of the repudiation idea, and as such
we fought him. Did we do him an injus
tice? We think not. That his views
contemplated repudiation we know from
a declaration made In one of tin* earliest
issues of hta paper, the Birmingham
State,
The people are paying 100-cent debts
with 20o-cent dollars, and a good many
cred'tors would get pretty near all they
are entitled to if paid 52 cents on a
dollar.
This is advocacy of repudiation in its
most insidious und dangerous form. It
sets forth the doctrine as morally right
—Mobile Register.
Captain Johnston is not a repudlation
ist nor anything approaching it, and he
is not responsible for any utterance of
the old Datly State nor of the present
Slate Herald. He has his own views
upon the currency question and is abun
dantly ablo to express them. There is
no occasion for the Register to attrib
ute to him the utterances of others un
less It is determined to misrepresent him.
The State Herald does not propose to
take up the cudgel for the former Daily
State, although we are free to say that
the views of that paper on the currency
question meet our hearty approval, and
Just here It is proper to say that the
State did a good work in arousing the
press and the people of Alabama to a
free and full discussion of the great
economic question which lies at the base
of all business and prosperity. Agitation
is the life of commerce and of liberty,
and the agitation brought about by the
bold and candid utterances of the State
has served to educate the people as to
their rights and remedies upon this grave
question of currency.
But whatever Captain Johnston* may
think as to the repudiation commented
upon by the Register, namely that the
people are paying 100-cent debts with
200-cent dollars, there is no doubt that
the proposition is true and that the State
was correct.
A distinguished political economist, op
posed to the free coinage of silver, un
less by international agreement (Presi
dent Andrews,) describes “a regime of
falling prices” as “a state of things
which, besides not working less injustice
than awaits on rising prices, may easily
retard the amassing of wealth as much
in one year as would a national war.”
We have had more than twenty of such
years. Again, he says: “The continual
fall of prices, the act of sinking, is the
accursed thing.”
Prices have been falling for twenty
years. We are still sinking to a yet low
er and lower depth if that be possible.
He gives as a practical example of the
Ills of falling prices the fact that, not
withstanding the immense payments
made on the national debt, the burden
of the debt on the tax payers has in
creased, and the value of the unpaid part
increased to the creditor beyond Its full
worth before any payment whatever had
been made.
President Andrews says: "Our national
debt on September 1, 1865, was about
$2,750,000,000. It could have been paid off
with 18,000,000 bales of cotton or 25,000,000
tons of iron. When it had been reduced
to a billion and a quarter, 20.000,000 bal *s
of cotton or 30,000.000 tons of iron would
have been required to pay it. In other
words, while a nominal shrinkage of
about 55 per cent had taken place in the
debt, it had, as measured by (hose two
world staples, actually been enlarged by
pome SO per cent.
"Between 1870 and IS84 the debt of the
United States decreased not very far
from three-quarters of a billion dollars,
yet if we take beef, corn, wheat, oats,
pork, coal, bar iron and cotton together
as the standard, surety not a bad one,
the debt did not decrease, but actually
increased by not less than 50 per cent.”
IV hat is thus said about the national
debt is but an illustration. The same is
true of all debts, all pecuniary obPga
tlons.
And this is all that the State Herald
meant by the proposition which the Reg
ister says breaths thespiritofrepudiation
To say that if the bondholders got 50
cents on the dollar it would be as much
as they are entitled to is by no means to
advocate a repudiation of any part of the
debt. It is simply stating a truth, and
the truth con take care of itself.
It is proper in this place to say that
Captain Johnston occupies the highest
position as a business man, lawyer and
financier. His whole life and his suc
cess as a business man i3 planted upon
the recognition of contracts. In his hands
the affairs of the state would be hon
estly administered, and no holder of our
securities need be uneasy as to a full
compliance with our obligations. We
suggest to the Register that it is not
only doing Captain Johnston an Injus
tice in bringing such captious oharges
against him, but it is working great harm
to the state and finances of Alabama
In charging the candidate who will be
elected next governor with being a re
pudiationlst.
THE GOVERNOR 8 LETTER.
We have attentively considered the
letter of Governor Oates to the State
Herald. The gist of It Is that the gov
ernor Is favorable to the coinage of as
much sliver as can be kept at a par with
gold, and so say we all. The difference
between him and the State Herald Is that
he measures silver by gold and that we
measure each by Itself. In our 1-ader
criticising the magazine article of the
governor we said:
“That silver Is relegated to the condi
tion of token money like copper and
nickel and paper notes."
In reply to this the governor says:
“No. 1 don t know it and neither do
you. for it Is not true. I know that the
silver dollar Is as much a legal tender
and primal money as the gold dollar. I
have heard and read that kind of talk be
fore. It Is not true. I quote from the
statute law of 1878, which is now and
has been ever since its enactment In full
force:
“ 'That there shall be coined, at the
several mints of the United States, sil
ver dollars of the weight of 412i£. grains
Troy of standard silver, ns provided in
the act of January 18, 1837. on which
shall be the devices and superscriptions
provided by said act: (1) which coins, to
gether with all silver dollars heretofore
coined by the United States, of like
weight and fineness, shall be a legal ten
der, at their nominal value, for all debts
and dues, public and private, except
where otherwise expressly stipulated In
the contract.
“Now, I suppose after reading this law
lhat you will rot again assert that silver
Is not primal or legal tendeV money.”
O, yes! we shall still assert it. That
statute does not permit free coinage of
silver. It simply authorise the govern
ment to do the coining whenever the
coinage is demanded by law and when
the coining Is done the dollars shall be a
legal tender except when the contract
calls for other money. In proof of our
statement it is only necessary to call at
tention to the fact that the mints by or
der of the treasurer have ceased coining
silver dollars. No man can take silver
to the mint today, as he can gold, and
have it coined into dollars. Silver is no
longer coined except In small pieces as
subsidiary money. It is demonetized. Of
course the existing stock will remain
current, but no new money is being add
«d to It to meet the losses l>y deportation,
by abrasion, by sinking in the sea and
otherwise, and not a dollar is being add
ed to our money supply to meet the
growth of population, and commerce.
We are not simply stationary, but are
actually retrograding, so rapidly that It
ia estimated that our money circulatlpn
In the past year has diminished to the
pxteht of $100,000,000, with gold gClng out
of the country to fill the war chests of
Europe, with silver at a standstill at the
best, with no new bank currency and
with no Increase of greenbacks, and with
all of these kinds of money diminishing
by exportation, loss and abrasion, we
find a steadily contracting currency, all
based upon gold, which we cannot keep.
The governor protests that he is not in
favor of contraction. If not In favor of
.it he is content to submit to it, if he
favors the president’s policy.
It would be far better for Governor
Oates to let the people know how much
silver dollar coinage wtt should have, at
what ratio he thinks we can maintain
free silver coinage and in what way Wo
can secure -a volume of currency equal
to the dpmands of commerce and popula
tion. If he should be elected to the sen
ate ho would have to-deal with those
questions, and we think it Is his duty to
deciare plainly whether he is in favor of
free silver coinage at any ratio. It will
not do to simply say that the present
supply of silver is good money and is le
gal tender. We all know that. We know
also that it was better money than gold
when it was demonetized by Sherman in
1873 and again by Cleveland in 1893. What
wo want to know is how we can get as
much of this good money as the people
of this country may need. No doubt in
the progress of the campaign the gov
ernor will give his views more in detail.
Whun he and Mr. Clarke and Mr. Pugh
or Mr. Bankhead meet to discuss this
matter we will find out moriwibout it.
At present •things are misty. We see
men like trees walking.
While we are at a loss to know from
the governor’s letter what he means by
bimetallism and primal money when
he places silver In the same attitude as
paper legal tender money in its relation
to gold, we are not left In doubt about
what ho meant in his speech of 1893.
which he now Indorses throughout. In
that speech the governor said:
“Sir, I am one who believes implicitly
In the maintenance of good faith witli the
voters of my party. In last campaign
I advocated the three financial provisons
of the Chicago platform, and upon them
I appealed to my people to vote the dem
ocratic ticket, and succeeded In obtaining
many votes on these propositions. They
are:
“1. To repeal the Sherman law, which
was denounced in that platform.
"3. To repeal the tax upon state bank
note circulation.
“3. To favor the free coinage of both
gold and silver upon a parity with erieh
other and without discrimination against
either metal.
“As I meant in the best of faith all
that I said to the people, I shall maintain
the same her* njr my votes and influence,
limited though It he. The questions in
volved. in my lodgment, are vastly su
perior in importance to those which have
ordinarily been attached to them. While
I agree with the president in much that
ha has said of the Sherman law', and will
vote for its repeal, I am utterly opposed
to stopping there and as strongly favor
embodying in the same bill each of the
other financial propositions embraced in
the platform."
Upon these three propositions the gov
ernor plants himself. The first has been
executed. The remaining two await the
action of congress. The third propnsl
tion commits Governor Oates unequivo
cally to free coinage of silver equally with
gold and without discrimination against
either metal.
WHO IS GETTING TIIE PLUMS. '
The Courier-Journal, whose editor is
one Henri Watterson, and who is also a
great admirer of President Cleveland,
publishes the following special from
Washington under the following head
lines:
LUCKY DOGS.
Good Offices Filled Uy Republicans in
Washington.
THE WORLD IS THEIRS.
They Still Have Eight-Tenths of the
Juclest Plums.
Washington. D. C., Nov. 19.—(Special.)
‘—Notwithstanding this is supposed to
he a democratic administration, still the
republican party has eight-tenths of ail
the best offices here at Washington. This
remarkable fact has been ascertained
since the election by several bright dem
ocrats in each of the departments mak
ing a canvass of their respective depart
ments and then comparing notes. They
find that in several large bureaus there
is not a democrat en.ployed. In the post
office department, with three exceptions,
all the good, soft berths 3 re held by re
publicans. The same condition prevails
in the war. state and navy departments.
In the treasury and interior departments
democrats have a. better showing, though
even in these departments seven out of
ten of the employes are republicans.
The disbursing office of the treasury, as!
well as the internal revenue division, is
still in the hands of the republicans. The
names of all the employes, with their
salaries and politics, are to be piinted,
and it will no doubt create much surprise
among the boys In the trenches.
It Is now In order for Editor Henri
to sail for Europe. With all of his abil
ity and backed up by the largest circula
tion of any paper in the south the Cour
ier-Journal will never be able to con
vince those whose principles it so long
championed that we are living under a
truly democratic administration. Good
bye, dear Henri, and when you shall have
returned from your European tour you
will find old democrats as thoroughly
united again as when you bore aloft un
spotti?d and untattered the flag of long
ago, and the man who leads the van will
be a democrat and not a mugwump, a
patriot and not a hero. Good-bye!
SK AGGS NOT IN IT.
It is Skaggs who is the^power behind
Kolb, so the New York Sun states. Very
evidently It penned the following before
the populist meeting in Birmingham last
week:
"Col Rube Kolb Is at work again in Ala
bama. organizing the populists and pre
paring to take possession of the stale
government. But all the time the man
behind the throne is Skaggs, the immor
tal and invincible Skaggs, the head of
marble and lungs of steel. You hear that
Kolb is doing this and that. Never for
Set that Skaggs Is the man, the thinker,
orator, statesman, Skaggs."—Unton
Springs Herald.
In justice to Mr. Skaggs the State Her
ald will say that he had nothing what
ever to do with the combination meeting
held in this city. Mr. Skaggs says he is
strictly out of politics, and Is giving his
entire attention to the business of the
Southern and Northwestern association,
of which he is president, and its pur
poses are to induce capitalists to visit
Alabama Rnd aid in developing her re
sources. It was through his influence
that the parly consisting of the Chicago
Columbian association visited Birming
ham on their return from the Atlanta ex-'
position. This party was composed of
merchants, manufacturers, professional
men and capitalists, and represented in
wealth something near $100,000,000.
ECHOES OF THE PRESS.
“We owe him nothing-," the local
cuckoo says of the great Alabama dem
ocrat, Joe Johnston. If the writer had
been long enough In state politics, he
might (possibly) have learned more about
debits and credits.—Mobile News.
Governor Oates, like a man, a brave
man, has declared himself a candidate
for the United States senate to succeed
Mr. Pugh, and he lias declared that he
would not go back on his word and ask
the people for a second term as governor.
This is the way for a manly man to act.
—Tuskaloosa Gazette.
Since Captain Johnston Is the only can
didate we have for governor, and-cnnsid
ering his earnest work and patriotism in
the past and his personal fitness for the
place, it is the duty of all the democratic
press of Alabama to pull together as a
unit, in order to prevent another candi
date from entering the field and causing
a family fight. The papers can do this iSl
they will, for no man will have the hardi
hood to attempt such n thing with all
the press against him. Now is the time
to show that you are made of the kind of
stuff of which you say others should be
made.—Tuskaloosa Gazette.
Wh°n the Montgomery Advertiser as
sailed Senator Morgan, on the morning
of his last election by the legislature, and
made charges of political treachery by
barter of votes, which it could not sus
tain. the editor of the Morning Mistake
was troubled. He waited until the uni
versal voice of the press had cried *out
against the poor old 'Tlser, and then he
gravely wrote that there wa-s but one
alternative. That paper must prove its
charges, or make the proper amende to
the senator. Judging the local Cleve
land organ, under Its own rulings, the
News says to it: Prove your statements
of Governor Oates having dickered with
Captain Johnston for votes, or make the
proper amende to the governor. Failing
to do one or the other, stand self-con
victed of libel.—Mobile News.
In a speech delivered at Clayton on
Monday the governor made the same an
nouncement. This leaves but one avow
ed candidate in the race, Capt. Joseph F.
Johnston. At this writing he has the field
to himself. Whether or not he will have
opposition remains to be seen. Captain
Johnston's friends contend that he is en
titled to the nomination and it should
be given him as a reward for services
rendered the party. On the other hand
there are many democrats opposed to
Captain Johnston on account of his free
silver views and his attitude towards the
national administration.
With that obstacle removed, there
would probably have been no opposition
to the captain even thought of. As it is.
his strictures of President Cleveland
have lost him the support of many good
democrats who would otherwise have
been only too glad to see him governor.
For the sake of nnlty and party har
mony we hope the financial question will
he relegated to the rear and its settle
ment left with the national congress,
where it alone belongs.
In conclusion, we wish to state that he
the nominee a free silver man or a sound
money advocate, he will receive the earn
est and undivided support of the Times.
—Tuskaloosa Times.
The Montgomery Advertiser has an
nounced some time since that it would
support the nominee of the party, even
if he was a 16 to 1 advocate of silver, and
if it will do this then It should not say
that it Is better than Its own crowd.
Truly It does appear that the Advertiser
must be speaking Its own inward feelings
when it announces that the nomination
or Captain Johnston will cause a division
the party ranks. We think that be
tween Governor Oates and Captain
Johnston that the latter will cause less
disturbance and do more towards heal
ing the troubles that now beset us. for
we have recently heard several of our
most prominent citizens, who have never
been anything but democrats and who
were Oates men two years ugo, say that
they would not vote for him If he was
nominated for a second term. You can
put it down that there are a great many
democrats in this community, who do
not agree wfih Captain Johnston’s sil
ver views, who will support him as
against the governor, and this opinion
is not based on an off-hand prejudice,
for we do not deny our attitude towards
the governor, but is tht> summing up of
what we have heard the people say on
the subject.—Tuskaloosa Gazette.
The Journal takes no sttoelc In the
charge that Captain Johnston and Gov
ernor Oates have entered into any deal
hy which the one is to be governor and
the other senator. If there was any such
a deal th<- Journal would condemn It as
much as the Mobile Register, or any oth
er paper. The Journal is opposed to any
sort of political deal, whether entered
Into by its political friends or foes. The
charge coming as it does from the Mo
bile Register is certainly In bad taste.
It would seem to indicate that the Reg
ister after having failed to get Governor
Oates out for a second term as governor
and out of the senatorial race, had be
come chagrined and even desperate and
was now determined to destroy Governor
Oates because it cannot use him to
achieve certain ends. The Register Is
not in a position to censure Governor
Oates and accuse him of double dealing.
Only a few days ago, in the estimation of
the Register, Governor Oates was a mod
el statesman and a model democrat, and
he was the only man who could save the
party Tf the Journal had made a simi
lar assault upon the governor a few days
ago the Register would have found no
words adequate to express Its disap
proval. The Register should not lose its
temper because there Is a possibility of
the party getting together. The Journal
has great admiration for Congressman
Clarke, as It has for Governor Oates, but
it is rpposed-to both politically and shall
oppose either for the federal senate. It
wants a good free silver man In the fed
eral senate as the successor of Senator
Pugh, and it has no doubt that a free
silver man wilt succeed him. The next
legislature will have five silver men to
one gold standard member, and a free
silver man will he elected senator. Of
this there Is no possible doubt.—Mont
gomery Journal.
The Man With the Broken Neok.
Anniston Hot Blast.
No doubt many Annistonlans have
heard of Barney Baldwin, at one time
yardmaster for the Louisville and Nash
ville railroad at Birmingham, who had
his neck broken In an accident several
years ago, and is yet living and exhibit
ing himself throughout the country. Re
cently he gave to the poor of Cincinnati
1000 loaves of bread, 1000 bushels of pota
toes and 1000 pounds of meat.
ALABAMA EDITORS.
Stick to the Nominee.
Says the Tuskaloosa Gazette:
“It the (fold standard crowd can't stick
up to the nominee of the democratic party
they are a very poor set to be preaching
to the other crowd.”
Close Up Banks.
,Says the Ozark Star:
“The democratic party In Alabama will
have to close up ranks and present a solid
front to the enemy If it hopes to accom
plish anything next year.”
Should Enioy the Fruits of His Victory.
Skys the Anniston Hot Blast:
“Joe Johnston has marched with his
face to the enemy In many hard-fought
political battles He Is entitled to enjoy
some of the fruits of victory."
The True Method.
Says the Birmingham Independent:
“The State Herald is now adopting the
true method for handling the campaign.
A vigorous fight in the party; no quar
ters to frauds and demagogues, and but
little respect for the opinions of cuckoos
on financial matters, is gratifying to the
intelligent reader and will meet with suc
cess.”
Open the Gates to True Democrats.
The Birmingham Independent says:
“The State Herald Intimates by Its ed
itorial clipping the wisdom of the meth
ods pursued by Mississippi and Louis
iana in adopting the primary plan of set
tling all questions of party preferment.
Follow it up by boldly declaring for a
primary in this county, at which all
democrats, of whatever persuasion, who
will agree to support the nominees and
abide-.,by the decision of the state con
vention on financial matters shall be per
mitted to vote.”
Ti'is Settles the Question.
The Ozark Star, whose editor, through
the influence of Governor Oates, was ap
pointed postmaster at Ozark, says:
"In his speech at Clayton Monday
Governor Oates stated that he would not
in any event become a candidate for gov
ernor. So far as he is concerned this set
tles the question, and it is useless to fur
ther consider his name in this connec
tion. Governor Oates is a candidate for
the senate and will push his canvass for
that position. That he will succeed we
have not the slightest doubt.”
Speaks by the Card.
Says the Anniston Hot Blast:
“The Hot Blast has it upon the infor
mation of Governor Oates himself that
under no circumstances will he be a can
didate fnr renomination. He declared
when making the canvass of 1894 that he
would be a candidate to succeed Mr.
Pugh in the senate, and upon that decla
ration he proposes to stand. He is not a
party to any effort to continue the strife
in our state, but, in his own language,
he ‘had rather surrender all personal
aspirations than in our own state to see
a repetition of the fallacy oH Maryland
and Kentucky.’ ”
Going South or Coming Back.
The News last Friday declared that it
believed party harmony and success in
Alabama next year would be the best
subserved by sound money democrats
allowing the nomination for governor to
go by acclamation to Captain Johnston,
regardless of his erroneous views on sil
ver. With Intense interest has the News
awaited expressions of approval or dis
approval by the anti-free sliver press of
the state, especially the Mobile Register
and the Montgomery Advertiser.—Bir
mingham News.
The News shouldn’t be so impatient. No
donbt the journals mentioned heard the
toot of Its little horn, but concluded to
wait for the second sound to see whether
or not you were going on or coming back.
—Huntsville Mercury.
Tho Journal Found Him.
The Montgomery Journal says:
“The State Herald asks:
” ‘If there is any old citizen in Alabama
who can tell us of a time when party
usage was seized upon for the sole pur
pose of gratifying a single newspaper
in its desire to destroy a good democrat,
we will thank him to come forward and
tell his story.’
“Along in 1888 the Advertiser opposed
the renomination of Maj. M. C. Burke
for a third term as state auditor, alleg
ing that it was against party usage that
an official should bo given a third term,
though at the same time its opposition to
Superintendent Palmer and Attorney
General McClelland, both candidates
for nomination for third terms, was re
markably feeble. Major Burke was a
good democrat q^id gave the state a
splendid administration of the office of
auditor, and at the time of the Adver
tiser’s opposition it was generally be
lieved that there was more in its fight
than opposition to a third term. Major
Burke would make good material for any
state office even now, and no matter
where placed he would give the state
a clean-cut business administration.”
SENATOR VEST.
His Views on Public Questions Aye Made
Explicit.
Senator Vest of Missouri has arrived
In Washington, says a Times-Democrat
special. His vigorous denial of the
story recently exploited that he had
been converted to gold monometallism
by his experience In Europe last summer
seems to have relieved his mind, and de
spite the reverses of the democratic
party he appears to be in excellent polit
ical humor.
When seen by a correspondent he at
first declined to discuss polities. After
some hesitation, however, he' consented
to write what he considers to be some of
the reasons of the recent defeat of the
democracy at the polls. Here Is what he
wrote:
“1. Continued hard times, caused by
scarcity of money. The gold men claim
that money is abundant and quote from
the treasury reports to prove* It. They
say there Is a per capita circulation of
$25.07, when In fact there is not half that
sum. They count the reserves In the na
tional and state banks, together with the
bullion and gold in the treasury, and the
$600,000,000 of gold coin which they es
timate to be in circulation. When con
fronted with the fact that there is no gold
in circulation they reply that this is true,
but that it answers all the purposes of
currency by taking the place of currency
In the way of reserves and exchange
This is not a satisfactory answer, for
every intelligent man knows that the
gold of the country, no matter what the
amount, is hoarded, by reason of the fact
that under existing laws its purchasing
power is constantly increasing.
“We will never have prosperity until
there is free.coinage of silver, and our
volume of money is Increased. No coun
try (ran be prosperous with an increasing
population and decreasing circulation.
“The United States is now suffering
from financial congestion. What money
we have is in the great banks and money
centers, and it will stay there as long as
we have the single gold standard. Busi
ness, except in a few Industries, is stag
nant. Everybody Is afraid to go into
new enterprises, because prices are fall
ing. The gold men seem unable to un
derstand the difference in the effect upon
a country of low prices and falling prices.
Low prices, when taxed, may be a bless
ing to the masses, but failing prices
paralyze business and ruin all classes ex
cept the money lenders.
"2. We received from Harrison's ad
ministration a practically bankrupt
treasury, with continuing appropriations
from the Re$d congress of $120,000,000,
and Cleveland entered upon his second
term handicapped by these conditions
and the beginning of a great panic.
"Even then we might have weathered
the storm, but for unfortunate and in
eradicable differences In our party upon
the financial question and the tariff. I
do not care to discuss these differences in
detail.
"The president unfortunately rejected
all offers of compromise from those of us
who differed with him on silver, and re
fused positively to use the power given
him by law to rebuke the gold speculator
and protect the gold reserve by tendering
silver even as part payment, when green
backs and Sherman notes Were presented
at the treasury for redemption. I believe
that Carlisle at one time contemplated
such action, but*the president, who, just
before his Inauguration, talked reasona
bly and conservatively, suddenly became
obdurate and ordered the payment of
gold exclusively. This, of course, placed
the treasury at the mercy of the specula
tors, and the logical result was the veto
of the seigniorage bill, the issue of gold
bonds and the paying o£ tribute to a for
eign syndicate.
' The president, surrounded by a lot of
incense burners, who told him he could
do no wrong, demanded an unconditional *
surrender by the silver men In congress,
and that the volume of money should be
reduced $40,000,000 annually by repealing
the purchase clause of the Sherman act,
without putting anything In, the vacuum
so created.
“In other words, he demanded that we i
should Indorse the single gold standard.
“The same Incense burners are now
telling the president that the recent
elections demonstrate his foresight, and
one of his cabinet has come out in an in
terview gloating over the result. No one
differed more than myself with Brice
and Gorman on the present tariff, and I
supported the measure as it passed only
because it was better than the McKinley
act. It is only just to say. however, that
but for the assurance of the president
and Mr. Carlisle to Senators Harris and
Jones that some bill must be passed Mr.
Cleveland never would have had the op
portunity of branding the act as treach
| ry to the party.
"Whatever else may happen, the time
will never come when I can rejoice in see
ing the democratic flag trampled under
foot, no matter by whom it Is borne. I
am not that kind of a democrat."
Calvert Vaux’s Body Pound.
Brooklyn, N. Y., Nov. 21.—The body of
Calvert Vaux, the well-known landscape
architect, who has been missing from the
home of his son at Bensonhurst since
Tuesday last, was found in the bay at
Bensonhurst this morning. Mr. Vaux
was 70 years old. He helped design the
landscape work In Central park, New
York, and Prospect park, this city, and
several parks in Chicago and Buffalo.
Mr. Vaux had been 111 of late, which
caused him much worry.
.Rheumatism is a disease of the blood,
and is cured by Hood's Sarsaparilla. Try
Hood’s. _
A Dangerous Counterfeit.
Indianapolis, Ind., Nov. 21.—A secret
service officer discovered yesterday that
this city has been flooded with a danger
ous counterfeit $2 bill. One bank teller
threw out six yesterday that came in
with deposits of merchants. Secret ser
vice agents say it is the most danger
ous counterfeit that has appeared in
years. It is about one-eighth of an inch
larger than the genuine, and in the por
trait of Windom the eyes are larger than
In the original,,
ALWAYS
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 mill
enable you to buy.
ROGAN.
COMMUNICATED.
To the State Herald:
The editorial in your esteemed issue of
the 20th Instant headed “Reform Within
the Lines” touches in a very timely way
upon a matter which is in reality the
very keystone of democratic success,
viz: the holding of primaries instead of
conventions.
It is generally conceded that the com
ing campaign will be a “tug of war"
with Greeks—and some of. them dead
ones—on both sides. The republicans
recognize this fact and are gathering in
from the highways and byways as many
a's possible of the lost sheep of the ttibo
of Israel. Witness their latest coup in
the populist camp. Just about now it
will be of little use to cry “fusion” and
demonstrate how the thing could have
been avoided. Of greater Import Is the
destination of those old soldiers in tho
carnp, who, having followed Kolb In 1892
honestly and in obedience to conviction,
refused last week to countenance in any
way the delivery to the enemy of their
political aid to the Injury of the demo
cratic faith which is still strong withtin
them.
There are many of these, many who
have been life-long democrats and would
be glad to come back into the fold if op
portunity presented itself. It is for this
reason that I have called the matter of
primaries the keystone of the arch.
These men, if given a chance, will Boon
be found in the ranks, but they must
feel that they have a share tn the nomi
nation of the candidates they are asked
to elect.
The only way to bring this about is
bv the holding of primaries throughout
the state. The people have long since
declared in favor of the holding of pri
maries, and if the democratic leaders will
get far enough out of hearing of the ma
chine and drop personal politics and go
to work for the good of the party 1896
will mark a victory that will knock the
RKFhletoff Tom Recd-anJ make Ben Har
rison's tile a misfit from this time for
ward. INELIGIBLE.
Awarded
Highest Honors—World’s Fair.
.no.
im
^ CREAM
BAKINts
mm
MOST PERFECT MADE.
A pure Grape Cream of Tartar Powder. Free
iom Ammonia, Alum or any other adulterant.
40 YEARS THE STANDARD