Birmingham state herald., 1896-06-07


 fund for newspapers for his office in order to be informed through this me- dium of what is going on within the state2 I suppose that the true reason why Whitehead italicized newspapers" Is that none of that contingent fund was paid to him for his Living Truth" | thought information derived from other papers was quite as reliable. He next proceeds to quote William C. Oates expenses to New York and re- turn-$150-and says the presumption is that the difference in these two trips was for telegrams reports and acts copy lighted and newspapers. This shows his | ignorance or malice, one or both. That item was for money expended in the sum- n1er when I went to New York to secure loan for the purpose of paying the school claims-claims due to the school teachers of the state who had taught in the public schools. This item pertain ing to "effecting a temporary loan" for the state, which the legislat ture expressly authorized, could have been properly paid out of the appropriation therefor, but instead of that chose to pay it out Of the contingent fund, fund given to the governor to use at his discretion for which he does not have to specifically account at a1l though I maintain it is intended to be used by him only to aid the administration in proper cases un- foreSeen by the general assembly.
 By Way of Contrast.
 When the republicans with whom MT Whitehead is intimately associated and is supporting a ticket made up of them ana populiStS in pursuance to a common agreement of fusion or cooperation, or whatever they may call it, were in power the republican governors drafts on the contingent fund for expenses in visiting New York were as follows: January g. 1869, w. H. Smith, governor, expenses n la., D. P. Lewis, expenses to and from New York, 60O," and along with this is another item: "A. Bingham, expenses to New York four times during fiscal year, $950."
 Amount of contingent fund expended by Governor Smith in 1869 was $16. .295 13. Amount of contingent fund expended by Governor Lewis for the fiscal year 1873,
 $12,471.14. I would like now for MT.
 Whitehead, as self-constituted watch dog of the treasury, to draw a contrast between the expenditures of my admin tstration and that of either or both of the republican governors and show the peo- pie on which side will be found moder- alton of expenditure and strictest econ- omy. l submit 1t would be very consist ent with his present attitude in trying to open the doors of the treasury to the same crowd who had control from 1868 to 1870 and from 1872 to 1874, when the credit of the state was wrecked and ut terly ruined.
 And Whitehead Is Confederate Veteran.
 His article commented caustically upon the item of Expenses of Governor Oates and staff (with capital 8 attending ded- ication exercises at Chicago, $70," and then he says "these are a few items that tend to show how the money goes, and how it is that the people cannot pay tax enough to pay the expenses of this ex- travagant governor and his henchmen." I had right under the law to go to Chickamauga and Chattanooga to attend the dedication of the National park and to have carried my extlre staff. The governors of all the states under an act of congress were invited by the secretary of war to attend on that occasion. In order to econo- mize expenses I obtained a special car and neither it nor the transpor- tation there and return cost the state anything, and the $70 expended was mere ly for hotel bills and necessary hack hire. The governors of twenty-five states were present and in most cases each had his full staff, and some of them brought with them several military companies, all at the expense of their respective states. Mckinley, as governor of Ohio, brought a whole regiment of infantry, cavalry and artillery, at a probable cost of $50 900. I have no doubt but that my expenditure was utterly insignificant compared with that of every other governor present. did not pay any hotel bill for myself out of state money. I accepted the hospitali- ty of Dr. Milton, an old comrade, and stopped with him at his house. These are the facts, and yet this man White head, who himself lost leg serving as 0 private in my old regiment has such Q low appreciation of the Confederates and the gallant victory they won at Chicka-
 mauga that he objects to his governor paying $70 out of the contingent fund for the meat and bread portion of his staff consumed during the great meeting where the blue and gray participated in the dedication of one of the. grandest national parks in the United States. This shows what "jack-ass of peck sniff a genuine populist is, and how little ap- preciation he has for the reputation of his state or the dignity of it's governor. WILLIAM c. OATES.