Birmingham state herald., 1897-05-29
RANpo1ra.s RoNpsMEN coMPRo-
MISEA s

M1SEls s
 1t will besnoticed from .asspecial from Mon. gomery which appearss In the State Herald this morning that the board of compromise. consisting of the governor, state auditor and sattorney-genefal, have affected a compromise with. two of Judge Randolph's bondsmen for $4.000 each. The total amount for which Judge Randolph
 defauled, as near as could b. ascer-
 tained. was $2s,OOO. @-@s
 In statement giving reasons for ae- cepting the proposition of.compromise the
 board says: ~'-
 Upon the hearing of this matter be-
 fore the board the official leater book
 from the auditors office was put in evi-
 dence, by which it was, made to appear
 that thet auditor of the state certified l Randolph's xhoriage to the governor Of
 the stats, to-wft: the 9th day of Novem-
 Der, 1894 This and other facts tended
 strongly and persuasvely to show to the
 board 4ha: if prompt measures had been.
 taken by the state officials that further
 deAalea.ion beyond the sum of $6.5OO, as to
 which Randolph was aIr.ady short, might not have occurred.
 The above is certainly a heavy blow a. | lHt OlICptle W IIO were SO d-iNlASA III litNii duty as to allow Randolph to go on de- faulting for several months until hds shortage increased from $6,5OO to $23,O00. 1t will b-s remembered that several mon.hs ago Gov. Jones published let ter in which he stated in effect that know ing Judge Randolph was short in his ac- counts. he was unwilling to turn over the 1 office of governor to Gov. Oates without
 no flying him of the fact, and asked Gov. Oates to bs, lenient if he could, as he be- heved the shortage would be made good. It was also skated tkat after comforting
 with Judge Randolph ep the subject Gov. Oates agreed 70 grant him a limited time
 to maks gopdethe deficit.
 The discussion originating from the above statement as to the action of the two chief executives was as 70 what right
 had Gov. Jones ard Gov. Oates to eXten-
 uate the crime of defaulter, when the
 law specially provided what their dusy
 was in the premises without any pro- viso.
 Without wishing tordits up past Issues o1t to open Clld sores, it does seem that somebody ought to be responsible for the $11, ,000 remaining deficit, supposing that an three of Randolphs bondsmeD are compromised with, for $4,0O0 each. The board of Compromise, it appears, could not have aatad otherwise than they did. and De just and fair to the bondsmen. taseci1u
 These men signe1 Randolph's bond in good faith, afd had they knowrs as d.d Cows. Jones and, Oates. that Randolph
 was short in his accounts scuna' $6,5o0, is
 it reasonable to suppose they would have remained-on his bond for several months thereafter, ard allowed the deficit to rum up to $23,0 ,00e without making some effort to protectzthemaelve es against loss? If so they are not as shifty business men as some who composed the bond of Tax Col lectoH Lott.
 The pecpse eff the state can but be satis- fled with the action of the board of com- promise, as none can deny the fact to re- duce the matter down to right and jus | tiee that they should not have been held l responsible for more than the amount of | the deficit when the sarpe was first made known to the officials whose duty it was to enforce the law. without prejudice or favor
 On the other hand. it hardly seems fair for the state to lose even the $11,000 part of the contract by requiring that by the default when she had fulfilled har
 part Iof the contract by requiring that a good and sufficient bond bet given that the official would condueE his office honestly. To say the least, the subject is open to discussion and somebody ought to be re- sponsible, if they are not.