The age-herald., 1898-11-17
THE CENTER OF Alt INTEREST Financial Showing was Especially
 Satisfactory to Legislators. GAIN IN THE STATES REVENUE Good Showing Made on the Tax Com-
 mission or Back Tax Law.
 PRAISE FOR AUDITORS REPORT
PRAISE FOR AUDITORS REPORT
The Governors Recommendations in Regard to the Cutting of Salaries Will Likely Meet With Per-
 sistent Opposition.


 Aside from the struggle for the solicitor ships and the formal election of the of- ficers of the two houses of the legislature, the chief interest of today found it's center in the biennial message of the governor, which The Age-Herald is enabled to give to the public in full this morning. For the most part the message was well received in both houses although there was in neither house any outward manifestation of ap- proval or disapproval.
 The finanical showing was especially sat- isfactory and it reflects in the highest de- gree credit upon the present administration. During the last two years, or since Joseph F. Johnston became governor. there has been net gain of $225 900 in the states rev. enue and the entire deficit will disappear during the current year. notwithstanding a recent increase of interest on the states debt amounting to nearly $230 day; an increase arising from the deed of the debt settlement agreed upon by Governor Hous- ton, General Lawler and MT. Bethea twen- ty-three years ago.
 There is good showing on the tax com mission law, commonly called the back tax law. It has directly added to the public revenue more than $130,O00 The governor gives well-merited praise to the report of Auditor Walter S. White. MT. White gives the fullest and most comprehensive report ever yet issued by any auditor of Alabama
 The Commission Powerless
 The governors recommendations to the legislature concerning reductions in the ex- penses of conducting the state government may receive popular commendation, but they do not commend themselves generally to those men temporarily working in the capitol, nor to the throng in the lobby. In effect the state does not pay the salaries of railroad commissioners and therefore it is of little consequence whether there be saving of $1 800 in the expenses of the com mission. I npoint of fact the railroad commission is practically powerless. It may recommend to railroads certa n things but it is without power of its own to en- force any ruling.
 The great value of the railroad commits sfon-and it is really great-is that the rail- roads operating in the state gladly comply with any reasonable recommendation, and that, above all things, the commission stands strong, steadfastly and wisely be- tween the passionate clamor of the multi tude and the real business interests of the railroads. The railroads are not trying to wrong any individual or class. No railroad in Alabama has ever tried that. But there is a certain element of the states popua- tion powerful enough on election days whom 1t is needful to consider. The rail- roads managements and the thoughtful members of the public understand this per- fectly and on neither side is there likely to be any exhibition of folly.
 The governor wishes the office of his own recording secretaryship to be abolished. The hardest working, best and most faith full governor Alabama has ever had loses sight of the fact that his successor in the chief magistracy of the state may not be as inductrious himself, and may not have private secretary as faithful and painstaking as Chappell Cory. Ever since Herbert May went to war. as the captain of a Montgomery company, the governor and Chappell Cory have between them selves done the work of recording secre- tary. They both of them arrive at the executive office at a. m. and generally they remain there until z p. m. The gov ernor, in the meantime, has nothing but his pipe of tobacco to sustain him. Secre- tary Cory eats a cold biscuit, filled with jam made by his dear old mother in Au- tauga county.
 Other proposed reductions in expenses which the distinguished governor of the state recommends are likely to meet with very persistent opposition. There are some expenses which It IS pity the governor could not see his way to recommend an increase of. The auditor. for example. is miserably paid There is not an officer of the state. from the governor downward, who receives reasonable compensation. The chief item of interest in thls message of Alabama's governor Is unquestionably that which refers to the state constitution.
 Full of Human Interest
 That is full of life and human interest The governor does not make any specific recommendation; but he insists that i've shall be recreant to our duty if we tempor- ize with conditions that are pregnant with evil" His suggestion that the trouble may be overcome in line with the now famous Birmingham amendment will attract wide attention. There are but four facts of su- preme constitutional interest after all In the talk indulged in. These have to do with education. taxation, tenure of office and the franchise The greatest of these is the fran .chfse. And everybody is ready to acknowl- edge that we have far too many elections
 To sum up, 1t may be said that no gov ernor's message was ever more cordially received or more sympatheticlly considered.