The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-12-26
Venerable Statesman Defends His Remarks Made Upon the Floor
Of The United States Senate


bama, chartered for the purposes of
opening mines and working furnaces in
which coal and iron are the products,
have created a New Jersey corporation
to take over all their properties and to
conduct their business with a capital of
$40, 900, 600.
'They have sold their property of
every kind to the New Jersey company,
which is only the counterfeit present
ment of all their rights, powers. proper
ties and holdings, without an duties or
responsibilities to the state of Alabama.
This sale covers a vast area of land and
many mines, furnaces and short lines of
railway. 1t is monster monopoly, that
had to leave Alabama to find a home
and shelter in New Jersey, and a large
corporation in which the governor of
Alabama has, or had large amount of
stock leads the procession"
Cannot misunderstood Charge
The charge is distinct and unambiguous,
that you owned, or had owned, a large
amount of stock in an Alabama corporation,
one of several that had sold their property
of every kind to the New Jersey company,
and that this Alabama corporation "leads
the procession" in a monster monopoly,
that had to leave Alabama to find home and
shelter in New Jersey.
You cannot misunderstood this charge
nor can any honest man mistake it. And,
as stated it in the senate, you know that
it is strictly true. :,
I might have gone much further, as to
your conduct in the matter, and have stat
ed your active participation in the forma-
ton of the New Jersey corpora tion-the
Aaron's rod that swallowed up all the SER
pents of the necromancers-but 1 was not
then sure of the fact, as am now.
The newspaper press of Alabama and
many men had stated that you were the
owner of a large amount of stock in the
American Coal company, at the time, or
shortly before the time, that this corpora
ton and several others sold all their prop
erty to a syndicate of promoters who took
out New Jersey charter for the Sloss-
Sheffield company to work all of them that
were included in a prospectus, or combine.
1t was only few hours before I spoke on
TRUSTS" in the senate, on the 18th of De-
cember, that had positive information that
YOU were a stockholder in the American
Coal company, at, or shortly before the
time it sold out to this combination.
1 did not charge you with being a stock
holder, or otherwise interested in the New
Jersey corporation, the Sloss-Sheffield COM
pany. This is what you deny with such a
stiff and vrtuous assertion that "the
charge is untrue'-a charge that I did not
make against you-and If you can now state
that you have no interest, present or fu-
ture. direct or indirect, in that corpora
tion. I will publicly express my qualification
that the governor of Alabama is not wrap
ned up in this most dangerous form of
trust combines
make an appeal to you, as a citizen of
Alabama that you will do this, because or
the statement which Mr. ]. c. Maben, OF
New York. who seems to have volunteered,
in vour behalf, in telegram to the presi-
don't of the Alumni association, as follows:
New York, November 49, 1899.
1.-THE President of the Alumni Assocla-
tom
~ ORGANIZED the Sloss+Sheffield COM
MANY. got tae subscription and had more
to do Wiun 1t than any one else. In
Justice to- Governor Johnston, desire
to say that he did not have snare OF
Sloss stock nor did he SUBSCRIBE one
cent to the new company. He aided IN
forming the syndicate and more tnan
once stated that so far as his interests
were concerned to drop them out IL they
impeded In any way The organization oil
company that would do SO much for
Ire state. He acted more for the inter-
est OF the state than anything else
~. c.. MABEN."
This telegram Is calcula ted to create the
Smprees;on on the minds of ''the plain peo-
ple," as you love to call them, that their
governor had Interests" in the syndicate
that he aided in forming.
Mr. Ma'ben asserts that the governor did
not have a share of the Sloss stock, nor
did he subscribe one cent to the new COM
pany." This seems to acqult you on that
charge If such a charge was ever made
by anybody; but, like most willing wit
nesses, Ge stops over" with his further
statement that the governor STATED SO far
as his interests were concerned to drop
them out IL they 1mpeded in any way the
organization of The company that would
do so much for the state" 1t remains to
be seen what these Interests were that
the governor willing to sacrifice for
the good of the state; and whether they
were dropped out were kept in and paid
for and at what price.
The Alumni Meeting
"quote" from the report of the meeting
of the alumni. In the Birmingham News
of the Goth of December the following
statement of Mr.. Worhhington. If it is
true, as have no doubt it is, 1T fastens
on your connection with the land deal and
the formation of the Sloss-sneffield COM
pany the purpose to put the university
lands into that company, for which the
university was to be paid at The rate of
$3.50 per acre.
In testffytng before the alumni meeting,
Mr.. Worthington is reported as saying in
reply to questions of Mr.. Quarles, Mr..
Thompson, Mr. Bowie and DR.. George Lit
tie as follows:
Quarles-Are you stockholder in the,
Sloss-Sheffield company?
Worthington-Yes. 1 am.
r. L. Thompson-Did you assist in nego-
tiating the deal?
worthington-Yes, the sale was made