Birmingham state herald., 1897-02-03
THE ANTI-P00L BILL.
Newspaper Controversy That Prom ises to Become Exciting.

Ex-Gov. Oates and Dr. Geo. B. Eager
 have locked horns on the anti-pool bill and have gone into print with each other.
 The controversy seems to have origin ated from an intimation by Dr. Eager in the Court Street Methodist church that ex-Goy. Oates was "signer" against the
 passage of the bill, which appeared in
 the report of the meeting published in the Montgomery Journal
 Gov. Oates was somewhat wrought up
 over the matter and addressed personal
 letter to pr. Eager asking him if he made
 the statements, or if he used his (Oates)
 name in the connection stated, also that
 he had never signed any petition pro or con nor authorized any one to do it. "No one presented to me any petition except yourself which was for the repeal of the law, and declined to sign it and told you in the presence of others that while was opposed to the law as an individual that I approved the act as governor because it was entirely local and the general as- sembly had passed it without opposition, and as I supposed at the instance of the Birmingham people. No protests were made to me against it and approved it, and now for me to sign the petition seem- ed inconsistent; that if l were member of the general assembly would vote to repeal the law as I was opposed to pool selling and presumed that 1t would be passed without petition"
 In reply to Gov. Oates, Dr. Eager in
 6icted the following letter for publica- tion
 My Dear Sir:-Your letter of the 27th inst, by the hand of Mir. Purcell, has been received and carefully noted by me.
 In reply, permit me to say that I am in
 no way responsible for the mention or
 publication of your name in the report of the meeting Sunday night ajt the Cour5 Street Methodist church. Neither in that
 t,a hi nn " morning, did call your name or say any
 thing to identify you as one who refused
 to sign the petition to the legislature to
 pass the anti-poo1 bill now pending. l
 distinctly said I would call no names,
 but I spoke in general way if those
 whose names had put down in the col
 umn of refusals als representing the
 classes of men whom we found to oppose
 us in the conflict. fs appreciate the fact that in yoursletter
 prosperity which forbade you to think
 that had done you such gross injus- tice." .4t. You will permit me to say however, with equal frankness, that outside of the pulptt I have more than once spoken in condemnation of your course in attending the opening of the races at the fair grounds near Birmingham, and by that public act so far indorsing the pool-sell- ing and gambling formed recognized part or pne /pTOs5id dtiiilic. rLtViy PuUiiS man, I take it, must expect to have his fellow citizens sit in Judgment upon his public acts. I am glad to say, in con- clusion, that have never had any reason to believe that you were personally given to any form of gambling. am, my dear sir. respectfully and faithfully yours GEO. B. EAGER. The above letter appeared In the Mon day issue of tie Montgomery Journal with the following .rejoinder from Gov. Oates:
 'It seems to me. great impropriety to put a private citizens name on the black list because he declines to sign petition. thought 1t was privilege which should be accorded to every person to whom pre- sented to sign or decline without being written down as on the other side of the question I have always been of the opinion that gentleman had the right of neutrality without being considered an enemy pr. Eager says he has "more than once spoken in condemnation of your. (my) course in attending the opening of the races. And by that public act so far indorsing the pool-selling and gam bling which formed part of the pro- gramme. was invited by committee of respectable ,citizens of Birmingham to attend the opening of the races as gov- ernor, attended by my staff which de- clined on two grounds, first, because 1t was not a state occasion which should be thus horored. and secondly because to thus attend on such an occasion might be offensive to some of the religious peo- pie 2 the state whom greatly respected. The Committee was then informed by me thatI was going north about that time.
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