Birmingham age-herald., 1895-09-23
BACK FROM CH|CKAMAUGA
 V Governor Oates and Staff Pass 1 Through the City. HAD A DELIGHTFUL TIME The Governor Speaks of His Absence From the State and Comments the Action
 of the Secretary.

Gov. William c. Oates and staff and Railroad Commissioners Smith and Jones passed through the city yester- day morning on the delayed Alabama Great Southern train, returning from the dedication exercises of Chickamauga battlefield.
 The governor was seen in his special car by an Age Herald reporter and ex- pressed himself as having enjoyed very much the exercises of the occasion. He met many old and good friends from both the north and the south whom he had not seen before in many years The gov ernor said that he considered his Chick amauga speech the effort of his life and complimented the Age-Herald for print ing it in full. Many rare anecdotes and sketches were left out of the printed version, but in the main 1t contained the gist of the speech. He was compliment ed on the speech by Gen. O. o. Howard, Gen. Willard Warner and many other leaders of the federal army present.
 The governor was questioned in regard to the matter of his overstaying, during his recent trip to the north, the time ai- lowed him by the constitution to be ap- sent from the state. which Is now being
 
 state.
 "Yes," said he. 'I was unavoidably away from the state twenty-one oays. When I left Montgomery on August | was entirely up with all my work ana l felt that I could remain away for two weeks or more without jeopardizing the states interests in any way. l would have returned before the twenty days were out had I not been detained in Washington for three days longer than I expected in the matter of getting an army officer detailed to act as commando ant at the University of Alabama
 '"The secretary of state did right in tel egraphing the president of the senate to come to Montgomery and take the oath of governor and 1t is to be regretted that he did not do so. "The section of the constitution pertain ing to the matter reads as follows: 'Arti- cle 1, section 15: In case of the impeach- ment of the governor. his removal from office, death, refusal to qualify, resigna- ton, absence from the state or other disability, the president of the senate shall exercise all the power and authori- ty appertainng to the office of governor until the time appointed for the election of governor shall arrive, or until the gov ernor, who is absent, or impeached, shall return or be acquitted, or other disabil- ity be removed and if during such va cancy in the office of governor the pres lQent or the senate snail De lHlpedCIGu, removed from office, refuse to qualify, die resign, be absent from the state or be under any other disability, the speak CT of the house of representatives shall in like manner administer the govern ment. If the governor shall be absent from the state over twenty days the secretary of state shall notify the president of the senate, who shall enter upon-the duties of governor; and if the governor and president of the senate shall both be absent from the state over twenty days the secretary of state shall notify the speaker of the house of repre- sentatives, and in such case he shall enter upon and discharge the duties of governor until the return of the governor or president of the senate.'
 "There is no reason, according to the section, why should not be absent from the state more than twenty days, though in the present instance I had no inten- ton of so doing, and see nothing in the matter to raise a hue and cry about"
 Alabama has never at any time dur ing her history as a free and sovereign state had a more conscientious and hard-working governor than the pres ent incumbent and he has full under standing of his duties.
 The governor stated that he would advocate the passage of a biu through the next legislature calling for a consti- tutiOnal convention.