The age-herald., 1898-12-13
JOHNSTON ] WAS OPPOSED
To Any Further HonorS Being BsStOW-
 ed on HillhOuSe Family.
AGAINST HIS ADMINISTRATION
J. D. Hillhouse, Jr., Only Resigned from Office of Chief Mine Inspec- tor on Being Asked to Do So
 By the Governor.

Montgomery, December 12-(Special.)- page of the house has been accompanied by good deal of misrepresentation of the governors connection with the matter at ar earlier stage. That the attempt was being made to misrepresent him was first learned by him on yesterday, and in talking of Il the governor made substantially the follow. ing statement:
 About the time the house was being organized I learned that the speaker had promised Representative Mcqueen to give young Hillhouse a place. In an in- teryiew with these gentlemen. 1 stated my objections to the appointment that the Hillhouse family were misrepresent- ing me in connection with the res.gna- ton of J. D. Hillhouse, Jr., as mine in- spector, were unfriendly to me person. ally and to my administration, and I thought any honors given to my home county should not be bestowed upon my enemies l thought, too, that the Hill- house family had been pretty well re- warded since their arrival in Alabama Tor any party service they may have rendered, one member of 1t having held an important office for three years and three months and drawn something like 5000 from the public treasury. That there were other applicants from Jer- ferson whom I thought, as sons of widows or confederate soldiers, quite as worthy of this preferment as young Hillhouse.
 MT. Mcqueen stated that he had made the promise to use his influence to secure the appointment before he. knew of the existence of any unfriend- ly feeling, and had secured the speak CTS promise to make it, and was great ly embarrassed by my objection. then told MT. Mcqueen that I would relieve him, as far as I could, of any imputa- tion of failure to keep faith and would assume, all responsibility and accept the consequences. I thereupon wrote to J. D. Hillhouse, Sr, saying I had re- quested that the appointment not be made and that did not think any such appointment should be made from a family whose members were in avowed hostility to me. I have since learned that MT. Hillhouse has been using this letter and attempting to distort the facts For that reason I make this state ment, and invite the publication of the letter."
 Letter to HillhOuse
 Talking about letters reminded the gov ernor of the "official' letter written by him to the late chief mine inspector shortly be- fore his resignation, and he furnished an Age-Herald correspondent with a copy of It as follows:
 August 27, 1898. MT. J. D. Hilhouse, Chief Mine In- spector, Birmingham, Ala.
 Dear Sir:-1 have your letter of the 26th instant, and the examiner has to- day filed his report with me. At your request I shall hold this report until Monday. l regret very much to see the contents of this report It seriously re- fleets upon your capacity and integrity It seems that you have taken credit for large amount of money without hav- ing any vouchers to sustain 1t, and that you have charged up expenses not au- thorized by law. I will say frankly to you that the report induces me to be lieve that you should not remain in tho office. I will hear any explanation you may wish to make Monday. Yours re- spectfully, JOS. F. JOHNSTON,
 Governor. Note-Since writing this I find that the report was given to the press be- fore your letter was received.
 On receipt of this letter MT. Hillhouse and his father called on the governor and