The age-herald., 1899-04-08
MR. TOMLTNSON
 MAKES REPLY To the "X-Ray' Letter in the Montgomery
 Journal. HE FIXES THE AUTHORSHIP On Gen. R. D. Johnston, the Governors
 Brother.
HE FIXES THE AUTHORSHIP
REFUTES SOME SILLY CHARGES
Says He Is Not a Candidate and Has Made No Trades -Resents Re-
 fection on the Jefferson
 County Convention.

Montgomery, April 7-CSpecia1.) )-Recent- ly a communication from Birmingham ap- peared in the Montgomery Journal that created at the time considerable comment IL appeared in the Journal the afternoon before the meeting of the recent state con- ention and the day that the state demo- cratic executive committee was in session. and when leading democrats were assem- bIed at Montgomery from all over the state.
 The tendency of the article was to cre- ate prejudice in the minds of the democrats of the state against the democrats of Jef- yferson county, especially against the mem- bers of the Jefferson county convention and of John W. Tomlinson, the chairman of that conyention At the same time the writer was very complimentary to Gov ernor Johnston. Among other compli- mentary things of the governor the author said:
 Johnston, our governor, is as true as steel and his eye is set like needle to the pole toward the good of the people,"
 The authorship of the communication at that time could not be obtained, but it has since developed that the writer was R. D. Johnston, the governors brother, who lives at Birmingham. Mir. Tomlinson. who was in this city on yesterday, handed in person to the editor of the Journal the following reply to General Johnston's letter:
 Birmingham Ala, April 3, 1899. Editor of the Montgomery Journal:
 In your paper of March 18th, under very prominent headlines, you published an anonymous letter from Birmingham signed ''x-Ray," in which the writer reflects on the recent democratic county convention of this county, hits the silver club, gives me stab in the back and lauds Governor Johnston.
 When at the state convention I requested of you the name of the author of the letter, you stated you regretted its publication if 1t in any way reflected on me, and asked me to write you on my return home. Be- ing occupied in court since that time, this is the first opportunity to write.
 Confessed That He Wrote It
 In the meantime, however, accidentally learned the name of the author of the com- munication. I heard of a remark being made by General R. D. Johnston, the gov
 
 the things that were said in the X-Ray communication. I went to his office and charged him with writing it, and he con- fessed to me that he did
 The governor, I was told, said he ap- pointed the railroad commissioners the day before a holiday, so that those not appoint ed, and their friends, might have a day in which to kick. The candidates did not kick Nine-tenths of the papers of the state, though spoke out immediately in no uncertain way. The governor ought not to complain if they took a day or two more than the holiday prescribed in which to kick; but, having had their say, as a rule. the matter was dropped
 In personal letter to you, written not more than five days after the appoint ments were made, as you remember, I ex- pressed myself as being glad if the whole matter should be dropped.
 I regret exceedingly that l ever allowed my name to be used in connection with the appointment because of the publicity that has been given the outcome, not only in this state, but all over the country.
 It is to be regretted that the governors brother could not see that the matter had gone far enough, and, especially when not one word had come from me, refrained from charging that I was a candidate for governor, and had bartered with the ene- mics of democracy.
 The governors brother in said article says: Ut is said the Belmontites have promised Mr. Tomlinson the delegation from this county in his race for gover- nor"
 MT. Tomlinson Not 2 Candidate
 I am not a candidate and have made no trade I have received many letters from over the state suggesting that I become a candidate for governor, and several infiu- ential newspapers have honored me by the same suggestion, but have had no inten- tion of making the race for governor next year.
 The governors brother in said communi- cation did not stop with me, but jumped on the democrats who composed the recent county convention of Jefferson county as "Belmonties,'' and upbraided me because I was made chairman of that convention and did not see fit to decline that honor.
 After some personal filings he says: Tt took a hard fight on the governors part to dissolve these Belmontites' from power in this county, and again they as- sume the mastery and our silver leader accepts their gifts.'
 The cut of the governors brother at the Silver club of Jefferson county was the "unkindest cut of all" He says: Tt was a great pity that the Silver club did not take to heart the lesson MT. Bryan gave to the Belmont democrats of New York"
 If the governors brother thinks that Mir Bryan, in his letter to Belmont, had refer ence to such men as composed the recent county convention of this county, he mis- Mir. Bryan. There was not a member of that convention who did not in the last election, and will not in the next aunrort inc damncra tin rnr,,irnas for r,rasi-