Birmingham state herald., 1896-11-21
BOTH PROBABLY CORRECT.

State Herald said ''Ine tacl IS that oH the first of January. 1897, there will be a deficiency of something like six hundred thousand dollars to deal with" The fol- lowing appeared yesterday as an extract
 from g special message from Gov. Oates
 to the general assembly:
 'If this editorial is true, it proves that
 I uttered a falsehood in my message.
 If I told the truth, then the editorial
 statement is false. 1 am also informed
 that the honorable gentleman who is
 to succeed me as governor has requested
 that committee be raised to investigate
 the state treasury and ascertain the
 amount of the dehe;ency. l desire the
 investigation to b. most thorough and
 searching one"
 We find in Gov. Oates biennial mes
 sage to the general assembly, under the
 caption. "The financial condition" among
 other things the following: Present de-
 ficiency, S125, 177.54. To the foregoing
 should be added the S100,0O0 borrowed
 from Nelson's Bank which makes the
 total deficiency in the revenues at THIS
 TIME about $225. 177.54."
 careful rereading of the governors
 biennial message under the heading of
 the financial caption of the state fails to
 disclose any estimate made by him in
 that document as to what the deficiency
 will probably be the first of January,
 1S97 Having taken no issue with his
 Excellency on the truthfulness or un-
 truthfulness of his statement of the
 probable deficiency at the time of the
 delivery of his biennial message, we are
 hardly able to tell exactly which it was
 that evidently rumpled the feelings of
 the Chief Executive, the appearance of
 the State Herald's estimate of the proba- ble deficiency at a date some two months later than the date down to which the governor saw proper and found it neces- Sary to figure 1t. or the receipt of the
 information by the governor alluded to
 Dy him in his special message as fol-
 lows: 1T am also informed that the
 Honorable gentleman who is to succeed
 me as governor has requested that a
 committee be raised to investigate the
 state of the treasury and ascertain the
 amount of the deficency.'
 It strikes us that the State Herald has
 just about as much right to make an es- innate as to what the deficiency will probably be the first of January, 1897, as Gov-eleet Johnston had to request | that the condition of the treasury be in- NcSlISdtCu u IS dlSD eNiuenl lO us lHdl Goy-elect Johnston had as much right to
 make that request as Gov. Oates had to send in his special message and in talk ing that precautionary step he has shown
 that good business sense for the posses sion of which even his political enemies give him credit
 Why 1t is that the estimate of the State
 Herald as to the probable deficiency on
 the 1st of January, 1897, if it should prove to be correct, would establish the fact that what Gov. Oates says about the amount of the deficiency the 1st of Nov, 1896, was "a falsehood" we are unable to see. If the statement of Gov. Oates as 1 to what the probable deficiency was the | 1st of November is true, we see no reason | why that fact is to establish the fact that | the State Herald's statement is false. The probabilities are that both the l State Herald and Gov. Oates will be found | to be in the main correct in their state ments. The State Herald is perfectly will | ling, however, if it be the desire of the l Governor to make the final showing up of 1 the deficiency the first of January 1897,
 test. If the deficiency at that time is l nearer six hundred thousand dollars than l it is $225, IF. .54 who will be in error? l This paper shall be very glad to learn | that the deficiency which Gov. Oates l shows to have existed the first of Novem- 1 Der, 1896, is not exceeded in amount by the | deficiency which will confront us the | first of January, 1897. If it is not, then l the State Herald is in possession of some information that Is misleading. If it does 1t will not argue over judgment that Coy. Oates stated "a falsehood" in his | message, as he seems to contend that it | will
 q desire the investigation to be a | thorough and most searching one," says | Gov. Oates. While on that subject the l State Herald would suggest that when | raised the committee to investigate be | authorized to report also on the advisa- l biity of future governors following the l precedent set by Gov. Oates in the case l wherein he executed his note as Governor 1 of Alabama for $100,000 on the first day 1 of August, 1S96 when as a matter of fact l on that date the state received net a l dollar on the note nor for sometime there l after, notwithstanding the 6 per cent. in- | terest was all the time running, and the | state will be asked to pay a commission l of &, ,500. to MT. Nelson, of Selma, claimed as a fee for negotiating the loan.